The final match-up of Week 6 in the 2016 CFL season pits the East Division’s Toronto Argonauts (3-2-0) against the Ottawa Redblacks (3-1-1) on Sunday night. This is already the second instalment of the Battle of Ontario, after the Redblacks defeated the Argonauts 30-20 in Ottawa. After starting quarterback Ricky Ray went down with an injury last week, the Argos defence has some added pressure.
Argos Defence Under Pressure Sunday Against Redblacks
Quarterback Musical Chairs
The 30-17 win for the Boatmen last Monday had a sour note with the loss of Ricky Ray to a sprained knee. Gone for the near future is the 36-year-old signal caller. Ray had thrown for nine touchdowns and 1,235 yards before former San Diego Chargers and current Montreal Alouettes defensive lineman Vaughn Martin made contact with Ray’s knee at the tail end of a play early in the fourth quarter. General manager Jim Barker is now looking to their young back-up, Logan Kilgore, to step up in his place after a less than stellar initial outing against Montreal.
Kilgore’s Time
Kilgore finished the game for the Argos in relief of the injured Ray going 1/3 for 15 yards and an interception. Kilgore has been given the nod from head coach Scott Milanovich for the start in Ottawa on Sunday. With Mr. Reliable out the next the 3-6 weeks, and Kilgore an unproven starter in the CFL, the pressure will be dialled up on the Argos defence to perform immediately against their provincial rival.
Ottawa’s Quarterback Issues
Fate will throw another wrinkle in the game as the Argos won’t be facing their former quarterback Trevor Harris as expected. Harris, since leaving the Argonauts and joining the Redblacks in the off-season, has been one of the top CFL passers in 2016. He passed for nine touchdowns and 1,499 yards through the first five weeks of the season. That included a game where he went 28/31 passing for 392 yards and rushed for a touchdown in the teams’ first meeting of the season; a 30-20 Ottawa win at BMO Field in Week 3. Harris was injured last week as well during Ottawa’s 30-29 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders and is unexpected to play this week.
Conventional wisdom would say this is to Toronto’s benefit, to have a top passer from an opposing team out of the lineup. However, context is everything. In the time since Harris went down, Ottawa’s general manager Marcel Desjardins reactivated future Hall of Famer, 2015 Most Outstanding Player and Week 1 starter Henry Burris from the six-game injured list Wednesday. Desjardins has publicly stated that Burris will start against the Argonauts this Sunday returning from a ligament tear in his throwing hand pinky that occurred early in the season opener against the Edmonton Eskimos.
Burris Back In Control
So with last year’s MOP Burris back in control of the Redblacks offence, the Argos defence will need to do everything it can to disrupt the Redblacks attack. The most efficient way to do that is to attack the quarterback by putting pressure on the player charged with distributing the ball to his teammates.
In their last three games the Argos are 2-1; beating the B.C. Lions on the road, the Alouettes at home and falling to the Redblacks at home. In those games the Argos have accumulated nine sacks and four turnovers.
One way to describe the Argonauts front seven is simply dominant. After Week 5 they sit at second in the league in sacks with 14. The defensive line can get after the quarterback but will need their defensive backs to give them enough time to lay the body on Burris if they’re going to make an impact. Burris will be in his first live action in over a month and will surely be shaking off rust after coming back from injury, so it will be vital to the Boatmen to get on him early.
Keep an eye out
Two players to keep an eye on are edge rushers Ricky Foley and Shawn Lemon, who lead the Argonauts in sacks with three each on the year so far. These two will be tasked with getting to Burris and creating havoc. Burris is a prime target for them since he is more of a pocket passer in his age and not as threatening as Harris to take off and run with the ball.
Thunder and Lightning off the Edge?
Foley is a work horse off the edge with a high motor and speed to burn like a heat seeking missile locked onto ball carriers. Against Montreal, Foley ended the game sacking Canadian QB Brandon Bridge in a 3rd and goal situation from Toronto’s 1-yard line. Foley chased down Bridge easily in the backfield as the passer made a sprint for the sideline to gain the edge towards the end zone, causing a turnover on downs. The individual effort on the play kept the score 30-17 and iced the game for the the first Toronto win at BMO Field.
Lemon is a smart pass rusher who sets up offensive lineman with a combination of moves. His repertoire includes a devastating spin that leaves lineman bewildered and looking silly blocking air while Lemon beelines for the quarterback. Lemon, since being acquired by the Argos from Saskatchewan, has been a natural fit within Rich Stubler’s 4-3 defence as a situation player in the rotation with starter Justin Hickman . A sack artist like Lemon will only become a greater force to be reckoned with as time passes and he develops more chemistry with the Argos after starting the year with the Roughriders.
Greenwood Machine
The Argos interior defensive line up front has done a great job of occupying offensive lineman freeing up Canadian linebacker Cory Greenwood to make plays unchallenged. In his second full CFL season Greenwood has solidified the middle of the Argonauts defence. The former Concordia Stinger and Kansas City Chief leads the team with 27 tackles this season. Greenwood uses his lengthy body to keep his leverage and blockers from mauling him. This allows him to escape blocks, fly to the ball without hesitation and bring down ball carriers before big plays can be made by the opposition.
Despite being near the top of the league in sacks, interceptions and forced fumbles the Argos defence are in the bottom third of the league in turnovers produced with eight. As devastating as the Argonauts front seven is and the vicious pass rush they can produce, without support from the defensive backs in coverage, an experienced quarterback like Burris will carve up the secondary in the quick passing game.
Air Defence on High Alert
Even with the boost the Argos should receive when safety Jermaine Gabriel returns from the one-game injured list to the lineup, Ottawa’s offence will be a tough match-up. Burris has great possession receivers and if given time to build up a rhythm and confidence using three step drop passes, will be able to make completions at will. Toronto’s defensive backs need to force Burris to get away from his first read with their pass coverage so the pass rushers have a chance to get to him. Otherwise expect Chris Williams, Brad Sinopoli, Greg Ellingson and the rest of Ottawa’s pass catchers to run wild.
When Burris is able to move the sticks consistently it is a long night at TD Place for the opposition. Burris will be looking to make a statement Sunday as Ottawa looks for their first win at home this year. The Argos defence will want to crash that party this long weekend as they look to get to the top of the East division standings.
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