August 18th 2012: Toronto Argonauts vs. Calgary Stampeders

[1argoholic]

Well for tonight GO STAMPS GO!!! Anyone catch the TSN commercial yesterday about the game tonight. Henry Burris making his return to McMahon. Only problem is that the game is in Hamilton. I guess TSN has all their brains in London England.

[crmsntide]

I hope you are not shocked that you got hung up on Nob! lol

[Wobbler]

I'm guessing that Washington comes off the PR to take Boyd's spot on the 46 man roster and practises this week, but won't necessarily make the 42 for Saturday if our current first-teamers have a good week in practise. Barker will find another RB to sign to our PR. Any bets on whether we make any changes at receiver? Barnes seems to be on the verge of losing his starting job, but I think he'll keep it for this week.

[jerrym]

I'm glad we're not playing Edmonton and Cory Boyd this week. However, I predict Boyd, if he makes the team, will be in full payback mode and have a great game against us next week when we play Edmonton.

[Wobbler]

As (generally) predicted, Washington came off the PR on Monday. Also, Jonathan St. Pierre was declared injured on Tuesday.

See the obvious source for confirmation.

[Skinny G]

I guess we all sort of expected something to happen here.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/football/cfl/article/1242475--toronto-argonauts-shuffle-offensive-line-to-face-calgary-stampeders

Bob Mitchell
Sports Reporter


With the Argo offence stuck in first gear for the past six quarters and a nearly non-existent running game, there has been plenty of blame to go around.
QB Ricky Ray took his share. Tailback Cory Boyd was released. Even coach Scott Milanovich can’t escape criticism.

The offensive line has also taken some hits from Milanovich — and Boyd, now an Edmonton Eskimo, who suggested linemen didn’t always open the necessary holes for him.
On Wednesday, Milanovich announced the end of an all-Canadian experiment on the O-line, with former left tackle Wayne Smith likely moving to guard and six-foot-seven, 295-pound import Tony Washington taking over as Ray’s blindside protector for Saturday’s game in Calgary. Washington played there before his training camp release last season.

Centre Jeff Keeping stays put. Marc Parenteau or Joe Eppele will start at guard. Chris Van Zeyl remains at right tackle.
“Absolutely (the offensive line) can take some blame, but there is blame to be spread around, including me,” Milanovich said after practice at Holy Trinity Catholic High School in Oakville. “Everybody has to be accountable.

“When we went all-Canadian at training camp, we felt they were the best five guys. We don’t believe that is the case any more. Tony is going to get his shot. He’s an athletic guy who brings a very physical presence, and hopefully brings some physicality to our offensive line.
“We’re not going to change everything but piece by piece, one guy here and one guy there, will bring a little bit more for us. We’re hoping that makes a difference.”
The big change on offence came Sunday, with Chad Kackert replacing Boyd as tailback.

“Nothing changes as far as the running game (and) opening holes,” said Van Zeyl, who was fined an undisclosed amount by the CFL this week for an illegal chop block on Lions defensive end Keron Williams in last Monday’s 18-9 loss at the Rogers Centre. “We’re still going to be blocking the same way. The holes have been there (but) absolutely everybody has to share the blame.

“As an offence, every little piece of the puzzle has to be working together to get the job done. When we’re failing, it’s on everybody. There has been a little bit of shuffling for Calgary. The scheme works. We’re just not executing it properly.”

Keeping also said the line won’t change its style with Kackert — who hasn’t played since the season opener — running the ball.
“We’re not looking behind us, so it doesn’t really matter who is behind us,” said Keeping, who won the centre job from Parenteau, a free agent from Saskatchewan, at training camp. “We have a job to do. It’s based on assignments. They don’t change based on who our running back is.
“We just have to get back to coming off the ball hard and playing physical. Our defence played great against B.C. We obviously need to put up more points. We take a lot of pride in what we do, so we have to do a better job.”

Smith says moving from tackle to guard won’t be an issue because he’s played there before.

“We’re going to put the pieces together. We’re going to be a pretty good O-line,” Smith said. “My job is to open the hole and whoever runs through it, runs through it. Kackert and Boyd have two different running styles, but at the end of the day I have to focus on doing my job. I’m going to do it whether it’s Cory in there or Chad.”
Ray is coming off one of the worst games of his career — sacked four times, with three interceptions and a fumble. He generated little offence in the second half of Toronto’s 23-20 win over Montreal and the loss to the Lions. Although he runs a predominantly pass-oriented offence, Ray insists a strong running game is very important.

“You don’t always have to go and run for 100 yards,” Ray said, “but to be effective you have to be able to pick up those second-and-short situations. It just takes a lot of pressure off the quarterback. It keeps the D-line from pinning their ears back and coming all the time.

“The best running games are ones where you bust a big one and it changes field position really fast. With Chad and his speed, hopefully we’ll be able to bust one and help our offence out. But obviously, to get five yards a carry would be nice. You just can’t have negative plays. You can’t run the football and be in second-and-11 all the time. You have to be getting positive yards at second and four, and if you can throw in a couple of big runs that change field position, that’s huge.”

[RoRoYoBoat]

If Washington does his job, Smith at guard is an improvement. Line should be better after a few games.

I would think this means Durie moves to SB2 or WR2 and Johnson moves to FB. One of Mann or Inman comes out.

[NelsonP204]

I really like the explosiveness that Inman brings to the offense in terms of his big play ability. Washington could be a major upgrade and hopefully Eppele will play to his potential and hope stabilize the line. Calgary is a good opponent to have the new look line start against since they do not seem to present a huge pass rushing threat. In looking at Kackert's college hi-lites he seemed to get most of his big running play on the draw. This is something I don't think that Boyd has the outside speed and patience to run as well. Also, Kackert looked very natural catching out of the backfield. I think that with some of the changes the offense will play much better this week.

[AngeloV]

If Washington does his job, Smith at guard is an improvement. Line should be better after a few games.

I would think this means Durie moves to SB2 or WR2 and Johnson moves to FB. One of Mann or Inman comes out.

Or Williams comes out of the secondary and Black or Boulay move in.

[Skinny G]

Some more info on the O-line for the Calgary game:

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/C.../20107536.html

Washington finally getting his chance

It was just a matter of time; and Tony Washington’s time appears to have come. Finally.

This is a comeback that has been almost a decade in the making.

It has taken the 6-foot-7 giant more than a year, from the Calgary practice roster, to the Argonauts’ practice team this spring, to making his CFL debut Saturday protecting quarterback Ricky Ray’s blind side.

It has taken him nearly half a lifetime to live past a moment of indiscretion.

“Tony Washington will be starting at left tackle,” head coach Scott Milanovich said Wednesday, as the bye-week rebuild on the offensive side of the Argonauts’ roster continued.
Washington’s past is controversial and unusual. In a second-chance league, he is the ultimate second-chancer. Washington needed special clearance from Canadian immigration just to get into the country.

In May 9, 2003, Washington pleaded guilty to having consensual sex with his biological sister, Caylen. He was 16, she was 15. Although there are understandable extenuating circumstances, like 716,750 other Americans, Washington is a registered sex offender.

There was no rape. Both he and his sister came from abusive pasts in broken homes. He grew up in the projects on the wrong side of the river from New Orleans. “I was never taught to be good,” he once told ESPN.

In that same interview he admits what they did was wrong, even though at the time neither he nor his sister understood it was wrong: Two adolescents in a troubled world looking for love when they didn’t even know what love was.

It is a misstep that still haunts Washington. It cost him a chance to be drafted by the NFL. Now, wherever he goes, it is what people whisper. It is what the media wants to ask him about — and it is something that, almost a decade later, he no longer wishes to discuss.

He just wants to find a home, a place to play football, and peace. And, in a curious way, the Argonauts may now need him, as much as he needs the Argonauts.
Where Milanovich’s juggling act leaves everybody else on the offensive line is debatable although Washington lined up mostly with Andrew Jones at guard, Jeff Keeping at centre and Wayne Smith and Chris VanZeyl on the right side.
It ends Toronto’s experiment with an all-Canadian line and how this impacts former first-round draft pick Joe Eppele will be interesting to watch. “Smith will play, we’re just sorting out where. We want the best five guys on the field,” Milanovich said. “When we went Canadian in training camp it wasn’t as much because we wanted to go five Canadians as it was they were the best five guys at the time. That isn’t so much the case right now. Tony is going to get his shot. He’s an athletic guy who brings a very phsyical presence to our offensive line.”

In checking the O-line depth chart through the season so far, the one thing I noticed was that Andrew Jones has apparently been starting at left guard the past few games. Gagne-Marcoux had been the starter out of training camp. I wonder what impact that change has had as well.

[paulwoods13]

In checking the O-line depth chart through the season so far, the one thing I noticed was that Andrew Jones has apparently been starting at left guard the past few games. Gagne-Marcoux had been the starter out of training camp. I wonder what impact that change has had as well.

Actually, LG has been a rotating cast. CGM started the season but Parenteau and even Keeping also saw a fair bit of action there before Jones started the past two or three games. Eppele was benched partway through the last game at RG and I believe he was also pulled for a while in the game before that. I'm guessing Smith moves to RG (which is where he played with the Ticats early in his career, I believe) and either Jones or Parenteau will play LG. I'm assuming the Argos will dress eight o-linemen this week in case there are any problems with Washington or any other aspect of the new unit. St. Pierre clearly won't play as he has been placed on IR.

[RoRoYoBoat]

Or Williams comes out of the secondary and Black or Boulay move in.

That would work too but considering how well the defense has been playing I would try and avoid disrupting that.

[paulwoods13]

Another option is to remove one of the extra DEs. They've been dressing seven and playing six (five imports) regularly. It's clear that a constant rotation to keep guys fresh is a big priority for Jones but I wonder if they might be able to do without one of the backups. Could give Robinson a few snaps in relief of Foley.

[1argoholic]

I click on the link to read the O line story and above it is a story of a womans body parts found in a park and in the Credit River not far from Erindale practice facility. At Eglington and Mississauga Rd area. WTF is going on in this messed up world.

[OV Argo]

Another option is to remove one of the extra DEs. They've been dressing seven and playing six (five imports) regularly. It's clear that a constant rotation to keep guys fresh is a big priority for Jones but I wonder if they might be able to do without one of the backups. Could give Robinson a few snaps in relief of Foley.

There's plenty of options; can't see Robinson playing any on D though, nor Lee.

Interesting that a lot of other CFL teams are seeing a number of their young NIs / draft picks getting some playing time on O and D - not so much with this Argo team.

Tough decision on the 7 only NIs need apply for playing time?

[Will]

Depth Chart

Washington-Smith-Keeping-Parenteau-Van Zeyl

No changes to the receiving corps.

Defensively, Flemons is out and Mr. Kuale is playing DE. Pacino Horne is also back in the lineup.

[Argoriffic]

Interesting... from that depth cart above^ it looks like Mo Mann is going to dress tonight, wonder how many touches he is going to get.. he is a talent...

[paulwoods13]

Interesting... from that depth cart above^ it looks like Mo Mann is going to dress tonight, wonder how many touches he is going to get.. he is a talent...

I don't think he will dress. The depth chart shows all 46 players on the active roster, but only 42 can dress. By my count, three imports and one NI have to sit. The NI will be either the eighth o-lineman (CGM, Jones or Eppele) or DE Lee. The three imports will likely be Mann, Cohen (assuming he is still not healthy) and one other d-lineman (Flemons or Summers, I imagine). If they do sit two d-linemen, I think it's more likely that an o-lineman sits than Lee.

[gilthethrill]

I will have to tune into TSN radio for the pre-game show to see what the 42 man line up is. I am eager to see Washington play. I fully expect the O to have a game without the penalities & move the ball well against a good Calgary D.

Trying not to look ahead to Edmonton who suddenly employ the starting qb (via trade) & starting rb (salary dump, right Damien) of the leagues' worst Offence from last year. If Jyles is hurt, would be nice to face KJ.

[1argoholic]

I'm pumped and I can get pissed if I want to should the need arise. My Stampeder wife is on The Sunshine Coast at a writers fest or snoozefest as I call it. Let's go you double blue we need a big win after two weeks off. Run like hell Chad!