Next Game
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ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF
TORONTO — The old adage goes “no excuses”, but it would be fully justifiable to hear some huffs and puffs coming from the locker room of the Toronto Argonauts these days; only 72 hours separate two crucial games in their 2012 schedule.
Aside from the physical ailments that follow a hard fought game that can typically take a few days to heal, there is the mental aspect of the game of football that can be just as detrimental to the result. All of these factors are being taken into consideration by the coaches this week, as there was only one day of practice leading into their Wednesday night matchup against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
“Its tough,” stated Argos QB Ricky Ray. “Usually, it takes about four or five days for your body to feel normal for game time once again. Now, you have to push through your typical routine because of the short week.”
“We are trying to keep our players as fresh as possible,” said Head Coach Scott Milanovich. “They had a hard fought game on Saturday, so we are going to do as little as we can to try and prepare properly while keeping in mind we want our players to still be able to play fast.”
Milanovich said preparation started immediately after the final whistle on Saturday night in Hamilton. “I came back and was able to watch most of the offence on Saturday night into Sunday morning, went home to sleep for a few hours, and came right back in to solidify the game plan for Wednesday night.”
Although the Argos only have three days between games, Ray is quick to point out that the Bombers are not necessarily in the greatest of situations themselves.
“They are in a tough spot themselves because they were required to travel to Edmonton on Friday, travel back home, and then travel here to Toronto all in four days.”
The ride back home likely felt a bit longer for Winnipeg, licking their wounds after a 42-10 thrashing at the hands of the Eskimos. Sitting at 0-3 and playing their fourth consecutive road game, it would be easy to count out the Bombers on Wednesday; however, the Boatmen learned first hand how dangerous a winless team could be in Week 3.
“Week to week its difficult to win in this league because of how close the games are and the parity of all the teams,” said the CFL’s second leading passer Ray. “We know they are going to be hungry because they are looking for their first win, but we are going to be just as hungry because were coming off a tough loss.”
The last time these two teams met, the Argos went into Canad Inns stadium and handed the Bombers a 27-22 loss on October 28, 2011. Fans still looking to acquire tickets for Wednesday nights’ matchup can click here for all the information you need.