Shawn Lemon (40) and Cleyon Laing (90) of the Toronto Argonauts during the game against the BC Lions at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, BC, Saturday Nov. 4, 2017. (Photo: Johany Jutras)
RELEASE THE HOUNDS
In the 2017 season the Toronto Argonauts recorded sacks as easily as Oprah gave away cars, ‘You get a sack! You get a sack! You get a sack!’” The Argos finished the season with 50, tied for first in the league with Calgary.
This year the notches on the helmet haven’t been coming as frequently for the Double Blue D. The group has amassed just five sacks to date, the second-lowest total in the league.
Cleyon Laing leads the way with three, while Frank Beltre and Shawn Lemon have chipped in with one each. It’s been frustrating for Lemon, who had eight sacks in just a dozen games last year, but he gives props where they’re due.
“In three of our four games we’ve played against two of the best quarterbacks in the league,” Lemon said of Bo Levi Mitchell and Mike Reilly. “They understand where they want to go with the ball and they get the ball out as quick as possible. We just can’t get frustrated as rushers and change up the plan, we have to what we’ve been doing and good things will happen for us.”
The D-line is down a player with Dylan Wynn serving a suspension for a hit on C.J. Gable last week, meaning Ken Bishop will start. As a rookie last year Wynn took a starting job when Bishop was hurt.
What does Bishop bring to the front four?
“He’s a starting defensive tackle anywhere else in the league,” said Lemon. “He’s a very explosive guy, very quick, fast twitch, so I’m excited to see him start this week.”
Winnipeg has a very good offensive line, so it will be a chore getting to Matt Nichols, but the Argos front four are up for the challenge.
BATTLE OF THE BACKS
At the beginning of the season there was much discussion about history being made this year by two running backs that will meet at BMO Field today.
There has never been a running back to record 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season. Argo back James Wilder Jr said he could hit that mark and uses it as motivation. Others proclaimed Andrew Harris could pull off that elusive accomplishment.
As they entered Week Six, Harris led the CFL with 449 rushing yards and added 142 more through the air. After five games that pro-rates to 1,616 yards rushing but just 511 yards receiving, well off the 1,000-yard pace.
Wilder has played one fewer game than Harris and so far has 222 yards rushing and 187 receiving. He’s on pace for 999 yards rushing and 842 receiving.
Neither is on pace to hit the 1,000/1,000 mark, but it’s still worth tracking throughout the season.
AC ON SJ
Argo receiver S.J. Green moved up the CFL’s list of all-time receivers last Friday. He passed five players, including former Argos Jeff Boyd, Darrell K. Smith and Bobby Taylor, and now sits in 36th place with 8,324 yards.
With an 89-yard performance he can pass four more on the list, Fred Stamps, Andy Fantuz, Joe Poplawski and his former teammate Jamel Richardson.
Few people know both Green and Richardson as well as Anthony Calvillo. The Argos Quarterbacks Coach was Montreal’s QB when each receiver starred with the Als.
Is there a common link between the two?
“You look at the size,” Calvillo told Argonauts.ca. “They’re both very physical and they mastered their craft. Jamel played for many years, S.J. has played for many years as well. They both take great pride in what they do.”
Green enters the game just 16 yards behind his teammate of six years.
ONE GIANT LEAP FOR ARGOKIND
On Sunday, July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and ‘Buzz’ Aldrin became the first two men to walk on the moon. The Apollo 11 mission brought people around the world together, glued to the televisions to watch one of the most historic events in history.
The Toronto Argonauts almost missed it.
Head Coach Leo Cahill’s crew was in Calgary to play the Stampeders the next day in their final pre-season game. That meant they had an off day to enjoy the moon landing, correct?
Not so fast.
“Leo wanted to practice,” recalled Pete Martin, a linebacker on that team. “We had to go up and say, ‘Leo, they’re going to put a man on the moon!’, so he moved the practice.”
Cahill had no problem with moving the workout, he was just so focused on football that watching the pre-Michael Jackson moonwalking slipped his mind.
Armstrong’s one small step for man didn’t happen until late in the evening, so the Argos would have been safe anyway, but Martin, who would remain with the team as their long-time radio colour analyst and Alumni Association President, remembers the event well.
“We were staying at the Palliser Hotel,” recalled Martin, “Tom Wilkinson was my roommate. He had become a pretty big deal, so I basically acted as his press secretary.”
“Wilkie chewed tobacco,” chuckled Martin, “He turned on the TV set, got a garbage can and set it at the foot of the bed. He laid a pillow at the bottom of the bed with his head hanging over and just spit his tobacco juice in the garbage can while he watched the TV.”
And that is how the future five-time Grey Cup winner and his roomie, who still bleeds Argo blue, watched history take place.
The quarterback would be traded to Edmonton a year later and continue his Hall-of-Fame career, before eventually experiencing another lunar event.
He lost his starting job to a guy named Moon.