Game Thread - Ottawa Redblacks vs. Toronto Argonauts - Saturday August 9 @ 3:00 pm

[RichK]

All these tight competitive games ought to suggest that this team is better than its record indicates.

[Unplayable]

To me, one telling stat about this team is a note made by the TV analysts that in games won/lost in the last 3 minutes of the game, the Argos are 0 and 5. This is due to failures of both the "good" offence and defence, with a sprinkling of inept special teams play.

This team is not better than its record in any of the three phases. A valid question is not can they make the playoffs, but rather can they win even one more game the rest of the year since they will be playing teams who do have a chance to make the playoffs. In 1981 the Argos only managed to win 2 games, and had a total of one eastern team all star (Cedric Minter) other than their punter. Has anyone seen any All-Strars this year?

[argolio]

To me, one telling stat about this team is a note made by the TV analysts that in games won/lost in the last 3 minutes of the game, the Argos are 0 and 5. This is due to failures of both the "good" offence and defence, with a sprinkling of inept special teams play.

This team is not better than its record in any of the three phases. A valid question is not can they make the playoffs, but rather can they win even one more game the rest of the year since they will be playing teams who do have a chance to make the playoffs. In 1981 the Argos only managed to win 2 games, and had a total of one eastern team all star (Cedric Minter) other than their punter. Has anyone seen any All-Strars this year?

The '81 team had a -254 point differential (16 games). This year's team is -35 through nine games and has already scored more points than the '81 team. I think there's too much talent on this team to collapse to a 1981 level.

[RichK]

To me, one telling stat about this team is a note made by the TV analysts that in games won/lost in the last 3 minutes of the game, the Argos are 0 and 5. This is due to failures of both the "good" offence and defence, with a sprinkling of inept special teams play.

This team is not better than its record in any of the three phases. A valid question is not can they make the playoffs, but rather can they win even one more game the rest of the year since they will be playing teams who do have a chance to make the playoffs. In 1981 the Argos only managed to win 2 games, and had a total of one eastern team all star (Cedric Minter) other than their punter. Has anyone seen any All-Strars this year?

Coxie and Chatfield are two fairly obvious choices. McManus has been less outstanding than usual since he is playing hurt, and it shows.

Incidentally, while we are 2-7 without our regular starting QB, Montreal is 1-4 without theirs, and yet you don’t hear anyone crying about how bad the Als’ coaching and personnel is now.

[paulwoods13]

Ryan Dinwiddie with an honest assessment of his team right now, have to appreciate the honesty but some of the blame also lands on him and his coaching staff.
Accountability starts when you look in the mirror.

https://3downnation.com/2025/08/10/weve ... to-ottawa/

Am I the only one who finds it odd how Dinwiddie talks smack about his team, but then does little about it? Weeks ago he made a "someone's going home" threat, and the only player who paid a price was a backup d-lineman (Hergott) who got demoted to the PR. Who are these "pretenders who like to talk a big game, and don't show up on game day"? And what's being done about them? One might almost think the coach is trying to deflect blame away from himself and/or his fellow coaches.

[paulwoods13]

Steve Coady wrote an amazing stat on Twitter: "Since week 2, the Argos have lost 5 games, in those 5 losses they have scored 32, 38, 25, 31 and 42 points. In any normal world of football, you should be, at worst, 4-1 in those 5 games."

For all of the issues with the o-line and a non-existent running game, this year's failures are not on the offence.

I can't help but wonder what might have been had Dinwiddie's apparent choice for DC, Brent Monson, been signed instead of allowed to walk. I grant that Hamilton's defence has not been great this season, but it has been a lot better than Toronto's.

[ARGO57]

To me, one telling stat about this team is a note made by the TV analysts that in games won/lost in the last 3 minutes of the game, the Argos are 0 and 5. This is due to failures of both the "good" offence and defence, with a sprinkling of inept special teams play.

This team is not better than its record in any of the three phases. A valid question is not can they make the playoffs, but rather can they win even one more game the rest of the year since they will be playing teams who do have a chance to make the playoffs. In 1981 the Argos only managed to win 2 games, and had a total of one eastern team all star (Cedric Minter) other than their punter. Has anyone seen any All-Strars this year?

Coxie and Chatfield are two fairly obvious choices. McManus has been less outstanding than usual since he is playing hurt, and it shows.

Incidentally, while we are 2-7 without our regular starting QB, Montreal is 1-4 without theirs, and yet you don’t hear anyone crying about how bad the Als’ coaching and personnel is now.

If memory serves me correct the Argonauts were 5-4 last season with a raw rookie (Cameron Dukes) at the helm, difference being the surrounding talent was far superior to this Argos team.
Defence nowhere near last year’s level, same for the O-line, special teams , running backs etc etc.
Two years of players moving on has certainly taken its toll on this team and it certainly shows.

[ARGO57]

Steve Coady wrote an amazing stat on Twitter: "Since week 2, the Argos have lost 5 games, in those 5 losses they have scored 32, 38, 25, 31 and 42 points. In any normal world of football, you should be, at worst, 4-1 in those 5 games."

For all of the issues with the o-line and a non-existent running game, this year's failures are not on the offence.

I can't help but wonder what might have been had Dinwiddie's apparent choice for DC, Brent Monson, been signed instead of allowed to walk. I grant that Hamilton's defence has not been great this season, but it has been a lot better than Toronto's.

The Monson situation was a head scratcher, by all accounts he had all but agreed to join the team but couldn’t come to financial terms, I wonder what Eiben thought about being plan B as DC?
I believe the Argos lost 7 of 12 defensive starters from last years Grey Cup team which is almost impossible to recover from.

[AngeloV]

Steve Coady wrote an amazing stat on Twitter: "Since week 2, the Argos have lost 5 games, in those 5 losses they have scored 32, 38, 25, 31 and 42 points. In any normal world of football, you should be, at worst, 4-1 in those 5 games."

For all of the issues with the o-line and a non-existent running game, this year's failures are not on the offence.

I can't help but wonder what might have been had Dinwiddie's apparent choice for DC, Brent Monson, been signed instead of allowed to walk. I grant that Hamilton's defence has not been great this season, but it has been a lot better than Toronto's.

Funny thing is, I don’t think Monson’s defence in Hamilton has been good at all. Take away the return TD’s and returns that set up short drive TD’s (not to mention the 3 TD’s our offence has given up) and I think the Argos would have less points against than Hamilton. And Calgary’s defence sure looks a lot better this year than it has in years. In short, I don’t think Monson would hav made a difference.
To me, special teams is the biggest difference between Hamilton and us. They get big returns and TD’s and we give them up.

[paulwoods13]

The Monson situation was a head scratcher, by all accounts he had all but agreed to join the team but couldn’t come to financial terms, I wonder what Eiben thought about being plan B as DC?
I believe the Argos lost 7 of 12 defensive starters from last years Grey Cup team which is almost impossible to recover from.

Not just Plan B but Plan B/C since he was again required to be a co-DC.

It's worth noting that last year, the Argos lost quite a few starters from the defence that had helped them go 16-2 in 2023: Barlow, Hendrix, Peters and Pickett (plus Muamba who didn't play any games in 2023). They survived those losses as well as the later release of Oakman. But so many losses over two years was too many, it seems.