Argos get another shot at rookie quarterback
James Franklin latest pivot to make his first CFL start in a game against Toronto
The Toronto Argonauts may be good, but they are also lucky.
They own a 6-2 record, their best start since 1997, but you have to consider the quarterbacks they have been facing.
The Boatmen will go up against the unproven James Franklin in Edmonton on Friday, the third time in the Argos’ last four games that the opposing quarterback was making his first CFL start.
A few weeks ago, the Argos faced Brett Smith, making his debut for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The result: a Toronto victory.
The following week, the Argos visited Winnipeg, where Robert Marve was making his first start after Drew Willy had been injured the week before. The result: a Toronto victory.
Now, two weeks later, the Argos have the good fortune to face Franklin. Of course, without much game film, the Argos lack a good scouting report on these rookie quarterbacks. What do they know about Franklin?
“Not a lot,” Toronto head coach Scott Milanovich said this week. “(He had) a good college career and I’ve seen him play a few times in relief this year, and he’s had success. Kind of looks like a pocket passer who has the ability to move around some.”
Franklin spent three of his four seasons (2010-13) as the starter at the University of Missouri. Edmonton signed him as a free agent in late April and activated him in the second week of the season when starter Mike Reilly was injured.
And with replacement Matt Nichols struggling — he has 10 interceptions and eight touchdown passes — the six-foot-two, 225-pound Franklin will get his chance to start against the Argos.
Franklin threw his first CFL touchdown pass in Week 5 against Winnipeg, a 25-yard hookup with Adarius Bowman. Overall, he has completed 42 of 67 passes for 533 yards with five touchdown passes and one interception.
The Eskimos say Franklin is an inspirational player, and that was visi- ble during last week’s 49-20 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
As the Edmonton Journal’s Chris O’Leary reported, when the Eskimos went into the locker room at halftime down 28-6, TV cameras showed the 24-year-old rookie going from player to player, encouraging them to keep their chins up.
“I think Franklin has the right attitude, the right mentality,” defensive back Pat Watkins said.
The statistics, however, do not favour Franklin for Friday.
Since 2002, only 27 of 69 quarterbacks who made their debut were able to lead their teams to victory, a .391 winning percentage.
Of course, these greenhorns don’t seem the least bit intimidated.
The Riders’ Smith lost his duel with Toronto’s Trevor Harris, who is filling in for the injured Ricky Ray himself, but put up similar numbers, passing for 298 yards and two touch- downs. Harris threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns.
And in Winnipeg, Marve accumulated 203 yards through the air, while Harris was held to 168.
Asked why these fresh-faced quarterbacks are able to challenge the Argos, Milanovich didn’t have a solid reason.
“They’re doing their job,” he said. “I don’t really have a great answer for that. It’s what they’re supposed to do, just like what Trevor has done for us.”