ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF
TORONTO — TORONTO — Each week, argonauts.ca showcases one of the marquee matchups for fans to watch out for before the Argos next game. Now, the obvious choice would be to conduct a comparison between two of the league’s elite tailbacks in Cory Boyd and Avon Cobourne but there is no doubting what those two bring to the table. This week, we take a look at two defenders who help set the tone for their respective defenses.
Ten years into the league and Kevin Eiben shows no signs of slowing down. The 30-year-old Canadian is tied with Edmonton’s Maurice Lloyd for second in the league with 37 defensive tackles and has also added two early season interceptions to his stats line.
Eiben, who has been near the top in the CFL in tackles over the past number of years, is on pace for the second best season of his career with 111 defensive tackles in his sights.
His ability to snuff out plays between the tackles and constantly hustle to the ball are not his only assets, especially when facing a veteran QB such as Anthony Calvillo. Eiben will play in his 24th career game against the Als Saturday night and has seen more creative Montreal offences thrown at him than any other member of the Argonauts.
Alouettes LB Chip Cox always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Whether he steps in front of a receiver or the ball just manages to find a way into his hands, Cox has an uncanny ability to make a big play at the right time. The veteran defensive back-turned-linebacker recorded two interceptions against the Saskatchewan Roughriders last week, both off tipped passes.
After recording a career-high 81 defensive tackles in 2009, Cox is on-pace to edge out last year’s total by three tackles. Last week, he recorded a season-high 8 tackles against the Riders and is a prototypical cover linebacker who can also step up and fill gaps when opposing teams try to beat the Alouettes on the ground – a method of attack that the Argos will undoubtedly rely on this week at Rogers Centre.