DAVID ALTER
Argonauts.ca Columnist
David Alter is a reporter and sportscaster for Toronto’s Sports Radio THE FAN 590. David covers the Argos and has covered football at every level dating back to 2003.
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You can’t blame Head Coach Jim Barker for feeling a little sour on Cleo Lemon after a costly interception late, which ultimately led to an Alouettes’ victory.
“You can’t throw interceptions,” exclaimed Barker. “You can’t throw interceptions in key times of the game on key parts of the field. We’ve talked about it all year long.”
The Argos held a fourth quarter lead before Montreal took a few drives deep into Toronto territory. One of them resulted in a chip-shot field goal from Damon Duval. Lemon threw away the ball in the end zone, which Barker called a ‘rookie mistake’ to help set it up. Lemon then overthrew James Robinson with the game tied giving Montreal excellent field position in the final minutes to put away the game.
“Hopefully we learn from this, I thought he made great strides through the game, I thought he played well,” said Barker about Lemon. “But, at the end of the game, we can’t do what we did. You’re never going to beat the Grey Cup champions when you play like that.”
The Argos defence did an excellent job of holding Montreal’s offence in the final minute, which led to Damon Duval missing a 36-yarder and a bizarre series of punts back and forth as the Argos frantically tried to push the game into overtime by not conceding a single. Montreal would eventually get a touchdown after the melee, and win the game. Here’s why this could be a good thing for the Argos.
All year Barker has talked about Lemon being the guy who will carry the Argos through to the playoffs. The Boatmen have reached their initial goal of being in the post-season. In life, you tend to learn more from your mistakes if they actually cost you something than if you went unscathed.
Had the Argos forced OT and came up with a win, while Lemon’s mistakes would, no doubt, be brought up when the team reviewed film, it wouldn’t be a focal point heading into the final game of the regular season.
“It was all on me; it was all my fault and I take the blame for it and I have to better,” said Lemon in the locker room immediately after the game. “It’s one of those things where, in the fourth quarter, you’ve got to make plays. That’s how I’ve pride myself my whole career. I come to the stadium to make plays and when it’s time to make plays I want all the pressure on me. I’m going to take all the blame, it’s all on me.”
With the loss, the Argos will have to visit Hamilton, Montreal and if they can get there, Edmonton if they want to win a championship. With nothing left to play for position-wise in the final week, the Argos can use the time to rest up some of the walking wounded like Cory Boyd, who can use a little bit of a break as he has been playing banged up. Chad Owens became just the fifth player in CFL history to achieve 1,000 yards in both kickoff and punt returns a single season. Both Boyd and Owens deserve what should feel like a bye-week, or at least play in just a quarter or two this week in Montreal. If not for rest then to avoid getting hurt before the playoffs begin.
This is a great week to work on the offence, try different things with little risk and find out exactly what is not working before the games start to take on great magnitude.
Those who are Argo supporters, and don’t like their chances heading into the CFL East Semi-Final at Ivor Wynne, I’ll just say this: Sure, the Ticats swept the Argos in the season series. Sure, the Ticats appeared to be the superior team throughout the season. Last I remember, the Ticats swept the B.C. Lions in last year’s season series before the CFL East Semi-Final, and we all know how that turned out.
This week, it’s all about working out the kinks so that come playoff time a desire to win combined with a good aptitude for the offensive playbook should be what propels this team past Hamilton on November 14 and into the East Final on November 21 in Montreal, and eventually to Edmonton. The time is now to get things right, because after this week it’s a three-game season to glory.