Potent Argos ready to tackle Stamps
Roughriders, recently humbled by Toronto, may feast on B.C. Lions
What’s the best way to put 45 surrendered points behind you? Go out and put 48 on someone else.
That’s the route the Toronto Argonauts took this weekend, drubbing the Saskatchewan Roughriders 48-15 on Saturday at Rogers Centre. Ricky Ray was his surgical self (29-37 passing for 407 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions) and Chad Owens picked up 159 yards and a touchdown from Ray, as the Argos evened their record up at 1-1.
What was most impressive about the Argos win, though, was its defensive resurgence, a week after being lit up by Drew Willy and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Rookie linebacker Antwaun Molden made his way into the highlight loop with a pair of interceptions. His second one was a pick-six touchdown on Darian Durant that might as well have been 108 yards’ worth of salt poured on Rider Nation’s wounds. The defending Grey Cup champs will look to rebound against a seemingly very rebound-able opponent on Saturday, in the 0-2 B.C. Lions.
The Lions weren’t expected to be the exact same team with Kevin Glenn quarterbacking in Travis Lulay’s prolonged absence, but their 0-2 start and Glenn’s six interceptions (he threw seven all of last year playing for Calgary) has the host team of this year’s Grey Cup in gut-check mode already.
“Glenn was sacked five times, two others were wiped away by Als penalties and by the unofficial tally of his teammates, he might have been hit 20 times,” the Vancouver Province’s Lowell Ullrich wrote after B.C.’s 24-9 loss to Montreal.
“Either we’re going to fold or we’re going to turn it around,” B.C. defensive back Ryan Phillips said.
On the other end of the surprising spectrum sit the 2-0 Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Down 21-7 after the first quarter to Ottawa on Thursday, coach Mike O’Shea’s team out-scored them 29-7 the rest of the way to remain undefeated. It was the intro to an all-too-familiar song for Bombers fans, but their team wrote their own finish.
Things are going well in Edmonton in the early stages of the Chris Jones era, but injuries might be the next big challenge for the team as it seeks its third win of the season on Friday against Ottawa.
Right tackle Thaddeus Coleman left the game with an elbow injury and Canadian defensive tackle Don Oramasionwu, rookie returner Patrick Robertson and defensive back Marcell Young all left with knee injuries.
If you have to choose one game to watch in Week 3, go with Calgary and Toronto. If he’s healed up from the headshot he took from Kyries Hebert in Week 1, Jon Cornish will be salivating at the challenge that the Argos’ defence should provide for him. Conversely, Ricky Ray will be, well, the same as he is every week: low key, humble and trying to fly under the radar. This week’s challenge will be facing a new incarnation of Rich Stubler’s defence, which is never an easy task.