After 13 weeks of the CFL season, the Toronto Argos sit one game under .500 with a 5-6 record. And honestly, with the talent this team has, that has to be considered disappointing.
The Argos have found ways to lose games this season that they probably should have won. Chad Kelly is back, they have added some big names back to the defence, and they still have one of the best receiving corps in the CFL. Yet despite all of that, Toronto just hasn’t been able to put everything together consistently.
At 5-6, the season is far from over, but if the Argos want to make another run at the Grey Cup, something needs to change.
So what has gone wrong with Toronto through the first 13 weeks? Here are two areas the Argos need to improve down the stretch.
1. Inconsistent Quarterback Play
Oh Chad Kelly, you are either jumping with excitement after a huge play or throwing the TV remote across the room after a bad decision.
He has the talent to be the best player in the CFL. However, at times, his football IQ gets him into trouble because he is always trying to be Superman.
Kelly is leading the league in touchdown passes, but he is also leading the league in interceptions. He creates some of the biggest chunk plays in the CFL, but he has also struggled at times to convert on second down.
When you are paying him as much as the Argos are, he needs to be better. Kelly is the second-highest-paid player in the CFL, and with that kind of salary comes the expectation that he will play like one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
Now, to be fair to Kelly, the running game has struggled for the second straight year. It has shown flashes, but it needs to be better on a consistent basis. Getting the running game going would help Kelly a lot because he wouldn’t need to throw the ball as often and try to do everything himself.
2. The Kick Is Up and It’s No Good!
Last season Toronto had one of the best kicking units in the CFL, hitting over 90% of its field goals. This season, the Argos have the worst field goal unit in football, only hitting 69% of their kicks. I can think of at least two games where making their kicks would have helped the Argos win: last week vs. the Riders and July 18th vs. the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Now, to be fair, Lirim Hajrullahu struggled to start the season, then pulled a hamstring. Brady Lidster, who is the team’s current kicker, is in his first year in the CFL and has made some great kicks, but also missed some easy ones he needs to make.
Could the Argos Trade for a Kicker?
I do wonder, is this where the Argos go onto the trade market and try to pick up a new kicker? I would be making phone calls to Ottawa about Brett Lauther and Calgary about Jude McAtamney. Ottawa’s season is done, and Calgary really does not need two starting kickers, as René Paredes is back from his injury that kept him out for the first ten weeks.
Can the Argos Turn It Around?
At the end of the day, it is hard to pinpoint the Argos’ struggles on just one or two issues. Football is a team sport, and you can’t put everything on one or two players.
But if the Argos can clean up these two areas, and with the defence really improving from what we saw in the first third of the season, I think this team has a strong chance to make a run to finish the season and head into the playoffs playing some of its best football.
The Argos’ next test comes on Monday when they take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Labour Day Classic. What better way to start turning things around than with a win against your biggest rival?
Want to hear more about the our thoughts on the Toronto Argos, check out our week 13 recap show!
