red zone efficiency

Call me over optimistic if you’d like, but I think we realistically could be a 4-0 team right now. I think this team improves its red zone efficiency, that loss in Winnipeg (at the very least) turns into a W.

The offence is moving the ball. They are getting red zone opportunities.More often than any other team, we are kicking field goals.Yes, cleaning up the dropped passes will help this significantly and I’d also argue that getting receivers like Fuller and Posey back will also help.

However is this a play calling thing? I wouldn’t argue as such but maybe it is.Maybe it’s a case of letting Whittaker or Wilder take more shots?

They definitely need to be able to run the ball better when they get close. Love Whitaker, but because he's a type of runner that reads and waits for thing to develop, IMO the possibility of being held to no gain or a loss is high considering the o-line isn't exactly blowing anyone away. At the very least, they need to go with a 50/50 split with he and Wilder as far as snaps go.

Wilder hasn't had that many carries but he has shown an annoying tendency to turn his back on tacklers rather than try to run over them. With his size, he should keep his legs driving forward. He reminds me a bit of the way Jeremiah Johnson tried to avoid contact when we had him. Hope this changes because we could really use a viable running threat.

The red zone efficiency (or lack thereof) can be highlighted in several key categories/rankings:

The Argos have actually scored the 3rd fewest points in the league averaging 24.5/game. This is in spite of ranking 3rd in net offence at 398.8 yards/game and ranking 1st with 382.3 passing yards/game (skewed because of the opener). Paul's comments about the running game's struggles are made even more disturbing by these stats. The Argos are last in the CFL with an average of 37.8 yards/game. The Argos have only averaged 3.3 yards/rush which is a full yard fewer than the 8th place team (Edmonton, Winnipeg and Hamilton are tied). The Argos have also turned the ball over 8 times, which is last in the league, and have also allowed 11 sacks which is 8th in the league. The Argos have also attempted 20 FG's which is 6 more than the closest team.

The Argos are moving the ball, but are simply not getting the ball into the endzone enough. Whether it's a 2nd and short not being converted due to the running game or a sack or a penalty having an impact or the dropped passes. I hope the Argos luck in this department turns quickly.

The good news is that the Argos are doing well in many of the defensive categories.

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Originally Posted by paulwoods13

Wilder hasn't had that many carries but he has shown an annoying tendency to turn his back on tacklers rather than try to run over them. With his size, he should keep his legs driving forward. He reminds me a bit of the way Jeremiah Johnson tried to avoid contact when we had him. Hope this changes because we could really use a viable running threat.

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I'm not sold on Wilder at all, with his size he should be hard to bring down but he has a more "upright" running style and doesn't drive the defender forward.

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Originally Posted by Argo57

I'm not sold on Wilder at all, with his size he should be hard to bring down but he has a more "upright" running style and doesn't drive the defender forward.

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We've also seen him fight for an extra 2 or 3 yards inside while carrying a pile of tacklers on his back. This guy can do a lot of things, I definitely agree he needs to see the field more, 50/50 with Whitaker at least. Actually I'm not so sold on Whitaker anymore, his lackadaisical attempt at that TD pass he dropped was pretty disappointing. To drop the ball is one thing, but to drop it because you're styling is inexcusable.

I just can’t get that one run out of my mind vs Hamilton where Wilder basically steamrolled the defender at the end of it, he was running angry, it was a beautiful thing.

Great stats (to analyze, not to see obviously) and it shows to me some of our early O-Line struggles. Basically putting up big yardage but not scoring at this point in the season.Think improvements in the running game here can turn into longer drives, keep the defence off the field and even improve the defensive statistics too (which are already good).The penalties too, always made me cringe with milonovich hopefully they are just early growing pains with a younger team here!

I hate the coulda, woulda, shoulda but I had that same thought. There was potential that this team could've started off 4-0, but we're just not there yet to fully dominate the opposing team in all 3 phases. I hope that's its growing pains and that the team figures it out as the season progresses.

Oh don’t get me wrong, I’m not worried in the slightest. If dropping a couple games early in the season, especially to western division teams helps the process – so be it.We aren’t going to go 18-0, frig even those dominant flutie teams went 15-3.It’s the CFL, as long as the Argos aren’t bad enough to miss the playoffs again, we’ll be in the mix.Peak in the playoffs and that’s how you win grey cups more or less.

The great thing I see about the Argos is that, while there is room for improvement, there is no reason to believe that this team won't improve considerably by the end of the season and have a chance at contending for the Grey Cup. How many on here would have thought that back in January?

oh I couldn’t agree more. To even further your point though, when was the last time you had this optimism about an Argos team?Personally, I’m not sure.I wouldn’t have said the same 4 games out in the 2012 Grey Cup season that’s for certain.

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Originally Posted by ArgoRavi

The great thing I see about the Argos is that, while there is room for improvement, there is no reason to believe that this team won't improve considerably by the end of the season and have a chance at contending for the Grey Cup. How many on here would have thought that back in January?

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Maybe not many Ravi, but it's a 4 team CFL East we're talking here. And the defending GC Champs lost their starting QB and 2 star receivers. The Ticats have been struggling for some time and are missing some key players with injuries to start the season; and the Als are re-building plenty with Mavis Reed as GM and Chapdelaine is not a proven HC. The Argos are re-building too, with new but veteran CFL guys in Jimmy P & Trestman, and they still have a vet HOFer type QB in Ray, and were able to add some veteran, quality experienced D players. The only way I would have thought - back in January - the Argos were a write-off this coming season, would have been if Barker & Millanovich had been extended and named Drew Willy as their starting QB. An expansion team could easily compete in the CFL East now.

I'd honestly expect any CFL team - moreso in this year's East - to be able to challenge for a GC shot every season these days in the CFL. NO powerhouse teams that are going to beat up easily on weak & re-building teams. Any team could win any game this season, IMO.

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Originally Posted by mchesher03

oh I couldn’t agree more. To even further your point though, when was the last time you had this optimism about an Argos team?Personally, I’m not sure.I wouldn’t have said the same 4 games out in the 2012 Grey Cup season that’s for certain.

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This is Ravi you are talking to, the minute he doesn't have any optimism about an Argo team is the minute the ravens fly away from Windsor Castle. :D

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Originally Posted by OV Argo

Maybe not many Ravi, but it's a 4 team CFL East we're talking here. And the defending GC Champs lost their starting QB and 2 star receivers. The Ticats have been struggling for some time and are missing some key players with injuries to start the season; and the Als are re-building plenty with Mavis Reed as GM and Chapdelaine is not a proven HC. The Argos are re-building too, with new but veteran CFL guys in Jimmy P & Trestman, and they still have a vet HOFer type QB in Ray, and were able to add some veteran, quality experienced D players. The only way I would have thought - back in January - the Argos were a write-off this coming season, would have been if Barker & Millanovich had been extended and named Drew Willy as their starting QB. An expansion team could easily compete in the CFL East now.

I'd honestly expect any CFL team - moreso in this year's East - to be able to challenge for a GC shot every season these days in the CFL. NO powerhouse teams that are going to beat up easily on weak & re-building teams. Any team could win any game this season, IMO.

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I’d make the “any team in the east can win any game this season” but limited to Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa until Hamilton shows they can compete for 60 minutes consistently. They were blown out of the water by Toronto and BC.