DON LANDRY -Argonauts.ca Columnist
TORONTO – Football, at the strategy level, has often been compared to chess. Each move meticulously mapped out, each piece, having strict assignments and capabilities, sprung into action at the behest of the chess master, with strategies being re-forged as the game progresses, in response to an opponent’s own moves.
If Argos pass defenders are chess pieces, the difference is that for any given game, a knight could be asked to become a rook. A bishop to become a king, or vice versa.
In the world of the Chris Jones defence, a pass defender might play corner one moment, half back the next. A linebacker goes back to safety. The safety goes to corner.
“You never know what to expect,” said third-year defensive back Evan McCollough. “You might be playing one position and then when Day 3 comes (when that week’s practice sessions get really focused), you might be playing somewhere else.”
In two games since returning from an ankle injury, McCollough has racked up an interception and 7 tackles, playing both corner and half. He has no preference as to where the defence sees him lining up. In fact, he believes the uncertainty is helping, making him a better student of the game.
“It’s good for me because I’ve got to know every position on the field.
When it comes right down to it, when I watch film, I’ve got to watch everybody because I never know who I’m going to be matched up on,” he said.
| Younger All Over The Field |
|---|
Chris Jones has Jordan Younger and his secondary playing all over the field. Younger leads the team with 2 INTs. |
With the 2012 Argos, the notion of interchangeability continues to come to the fore, with Jones asking players in his secondary to wheel in and out of positions from game to game, not just because of injury, but because of scheming. As well, a player’s position in any given game may well depend on who that week’s opponent has where, in its receiving corps.
“More so than anything, it’s where they try to attack and where we try to put people to do the job that we’re asking them to do,” said Jones, explaining what he most cares about when scheming for an upcoming opponent. “Some people are strong at putting their hands on people, some are better at moving around and having good feet. So we try to make sure that we’re asking them to do something that they physically can do,” he added.
That’s why most of the Argos defenders have shifted around from game to game, not really being glued to one spot.
An example if this would be week one, when the Argos travelled to Edmonton to open the season against the Eskimos. Patrick Watkins, seen an awful lot at half back during training camp, lined up at corner on the very first play. Why? Because Watkins stands 6’5″ and the Eskimos had 6’6″ receiver Greg Carr in at wide receiver.
Ahmad Carroll has played corner and half, same thing for Jalil Carter.
Jordan Younger is mostly found at safety, moving from that spot from time to time due to injury elsewhere. But, he’s even bumped up to linebacker, switching spots with Brandon Isaac, who has dropped back into the rover spot, at times. So it goes in the Argos secondary, where it might seem more prudent just to call everyone a “defender,” rather than trying to affix a more detailed label.
“The more you can do the more valuable you are to your organization,” said Younger, adding that he’s really feeling at home in the free safety spot.
“I like free safety because I’m always around the ball. You can play corner and have a boring game if they don’t really come at you. But at free, they can’t really avoid you.”
It comes as a bit of a surprise that the Argo pass defence, at this point, is the stingiest in the CFL, at least as far as yardage given up goes. The unit has yielded just 210 yards per game. Add a league leading 6 interceptions and you have a partial portrait of a group that might be ahead of its time, considering all the new faces that it boasts. Younger and McCollough are the only two who had any CFL experience heading into the season.
“WIth people playing more than one position it is doubly hard to learn the defence,” offered Jones, when asked if multi-tasking is, at times, too daunting. “But at the same time, you should never get caught not knowing what to do.”
McCollough and Younger, standing side by side after practice, shed a little more light on the demands of Jones’ defence, when they talked about in-game position switches.
“You never go into a game knowing that you’ll play one spot, even in the middle of a game,” began McCollough. “First half you could be playing field corner and in the second half you could be playing safety, or half back.”
“Coach Jones might see a match up that he likes,” added Younger, “or see a match up he doesn’t like and he might switch people. Match bigs on bigs, quicks on quicks. Whatever it is, we’ve got to be ready to play.”
If it at all sounds a bit complicated and unsure, it doesn’t seem to be that way for the players.
“They seem to be having a pretty good time,” said Jones. “But ask them.”
“It’s fun,” said McCollough. “Regardless, you’re covering somebody. It’s just ‘you’ve got this guy, and he’s got you.”
About midway through practice on Tuesday, Argo QB Ricky Ray took a snap, dropped back and went through his reads against the Argo defence. Primary receiver? Covered. Secondary receiver? Covered. Third choice, fourth choice? Covered, and covered. Ray tucked the ball and jogged toward the line of scrimmage, signifying time was up and he’d have had to run with it in a game. Much hooting and hollering ensued in the Argo secondary with someone calling out: “Throw it any way, Ricky! Throw it anyway!”
“Any time you can fool a good quarterback, it’s exciting,” said Younger.
“It never gets tired.”
As to whether that happens on a regular basis, he said: “Honestly, not.
Ricky’s super smart and he plays against us everyday, so he knows our tendencies better than anybody.”
“We have our times, we have our times,” chimed in McCollough.