TORONTO — For the first time this season the Toronto Argonauts will take on their provincial rival the Ottawa REDBLACKS as they close out Week 8 of league action.
The two teams have been trending in opposite directions so far this season. Toronto in coming off of back-to-back wins. Ottawa on the other hand, is winless through their first six games.
Toronto quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson completed 30 of his 38 passes for 336 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Argonauts to a 31-21 win over Saskatchewan in Week 7.
But the highlight of the game came from running back Andrew Harris, who rushed for 143 yards and surpassed 10,000 for his career becoming the first Canadian in CFL history to reach the milestone. He was named a CFL Top Performer for his effort in the team’s win.
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Harris points out the individual accomplishments are great, but he’s more concerned with winning games.
“We’ve played some pretty good teams in the league and been there or won,” Harris told Argonauts.ca. “We haven’t reached our ceiling and aren’t even close to it yet. We have to keep working at it. Once we get it all together, playing a cleaner game, playing as a unit, we’re going to be a scary team.”
The dual threat of Bethel-Thompson in the air and Harris on the ground will give Ottawa plenty to game plan for. The REDBLACKS have given up a league worst 294.5 passing yards per game. Their run defence hasn’t faired much better, allowing an average of 113.7 yards per game, the second most league-wide.
Receivers Kurleigh Gittens Jr. and Markeith Ambles will both be factors again in the passing game. Gittens pulled in 152 yards and a touchdown in Week 7, while Ambles caught a team leading nine passes for 64 yards in the contest.
Brandon Banks and Cam Phillips, who caught the other touchdown pass, will also need to be kept under close watch as the Toronto receiving corps provide the REDBLACKS secondary with a stiff test.
Bethel-Thompson has been impressed with his talented group of receivers through the first seven weeks of the season.
“They’re awesome,” Bethel-Thompson told Argonauts.ca. “Kurleigh is a stud, Cam’s been locked in, Markeith is an animal. He does all the dirty work. We need to find him more down the field, his catches are coming. We’re stacked at receiver, we’re really happy with everybody and we’re just trying to build that chemistry. We’ll be better each week.”
Star defensive lineman Ja’Gared Davis pushed his way through the offensive line for his second sack of the season on rookie Jake Dolegala, and defensive back DaShaun Amos intercepted his first pass of the season against the Riders. The Argos will expect more of the same aggressiveness this week from their defence.
Overall, the Argos defence ranks fourth in opposing rushing yards per game, allowing 84.0 and fifth in passing yards allowed per game giving up an average of 270 yards through the air.
While the season certainly hasn’t gone as planned in the nation’s capital, there have been positives as of late. The REDBLACKS suffered a narrow 40-33 loss last week against Montreal. They’ve lost their last two games by a combined nine points.
Caleb Evans completed 25 passes for 297 yards and a touchdown against the Als, while putting together a 15-point fourth quarter to nearly lead a comeback win.
Recent addition, Nick Arbuckle made his first appearance for his new team, serving as the backup and completing a pass for 47 yards.
However, in Week 8 it will be Evans getting the start under centre in Toronto. Though he is without a win, Evans has provided a semblance of a spark for the Ottawa offence. In his first two starts as the REDBLACKS quarterback Evans has thrown for 500 yards and two touchdowns, rushing for another 114 yards and four touchdowns.
Two REDBLACKS receivers reeled in over 100 yards a week go. Jealon Acklin caught five passes for 133 yards and Darvin Adams caught nine passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. Evans will be reliant upon both Acklin and Adams as Ottawa looks to come away with their first win on Sunday.
In order to pick up their first win of the season, the REDBLACKS will need offence from wherever they can get it. Running back William Powell has rushed for 220 yards through four games and Caleb Evans is also more than capable of doing damage on the ground as he rushed for 52 yards and two touchdowns in Week 7.
Defensively for the REDBLACKS, defensive end Lorenzo Mauldin is second in the league with six sacks and will be tasked with creating disruption in the Boatmen backfield. Though it won’t be an easy task as Toronto has only allowed 12 sacks on the year.
If it’s not Mauldin trying to make Bethel-Thompson uncomfortable, it will likely be fellow lineman Davon Coleman who has three sacks.
Defensive back Monshadrik Hunter, who leads the team with three interceptions, remains on the six-game injured list. Meaning defensive backs Randall Evans, Patrick Levels and Antoine Pruneau will be challenged with containing the talented group of Argos’ receivers.
The Argos will be looking for their third consecutive win, which would keep them atop the East Division standings. The REDBLACKS are in search of their first win of 2022 when they travel westbound on the 401 Sunday.
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