Lucas Palleschi – Argos Admirals Insider
Toronto – Week 13 was a story that encapsulated the persistence of the East. All four Eastern teams were matched against the heavy-handed West, taking three of the four contests. The Toronto Argonauts led the surge, earning a much-needed 40-23 road victory in BC.
Although Week 13 was a success for the Argos, it didn’t change much in the standings. With Hamilton and Montreal both winning, the Ticats remained atop the East division with the Argos and Alouettes right behind them.
Four of Toronto’s remaining six games are at home, three of which against Eastern opponents. Week 15 sees Edmonton come to town, but it’s no secret that the bread and butter of Toronto’s 2014 campaign will be against their division rivals.
With seven games remaining on their schedule, Hamilton has a game at hand over Toronto and Montreal. Simply put, for Toronto to beat Hamilton out of first in the East, they’ll have to retain two more points or one more win than the Ticats by the end of the year. In order for that to happen, Hamilton will also have to lose two games.
For example, if Toronto wins their remaining six (10-8) and Hamilton only wins five of their last seven (9-9) then the Argos will come out on top. This might seem daunting as Hamilton has an easy schedule looking forward, with two of their later matchups against the struggling Ottawa REDBLACKS. The good news is that Toronto faces Hamilton two more times, both at home. If they win both of those games, it will significantly improve their chances to claim top spot over the Tiger-Cats.
Since Montreal and Toronto are tied with the same amount of remaining games, they’ll have to play heads up football. These two teams face identical uphill climbs to best each other, as five of their remaining six games are against Eastern opponents.
The teams face off twice more in Week 17 (TOR vs. MTL) and 19 (TOR @ MTL). Two wins over the Alouettes would not only guarantee four points, it would also give them two matchup and divisional wins, which could be a significant factor in terms of breaking a deadlock for a playoff spot.
In order to beat out Ottawa, Toronto would have to win five games in the event Ottawa would win their remaining seven. But given their 1-10 record, this is highly unlikely.
When all is said and done, Toronto will have to be at their best against Hamilton and Montreal. Eight points are up for grabs, and more importantly, so is a strong grip on the division.
Should both wildcard spots go to the West, every game should be treated as the most important one yet going forward.
————–