The Toronto Argonauts are getting hot at the perfect time.
Back-to-back wins over the teams that will host the Eastern and Western Finals have the Argos filled with confidence as they prepare to host Ottawa on Saturday. It’s a chance to clinch second place in the East, meaning they’d host the Redblacks in the Eastern Semi-Final.
One of the reasons for the club’s success has been the play of the defensive line. The group recorded seven sacks against Winnipeg – two shy of the club record – after having recorded the same number against the BC Lions three games prior to that.
In that four-game span they’ve totalled 17 sacks, while helping limit opposing running backs to an average of 53 yards per game, with two of those games featuring Brady Oliveira and William Stanback, the league’s two leading rushers.
It is likely no coincidence that the defence, particularly the defensive line, has stepped it up with Jared Brinkman back in the lineup.
He was injured in a game in Hamilton on July 20. It looked to be a serious leg injury as he was helped off the field by teammates. It did keep him out of the lineup for six games, but the native of Iowa City, Iowa been back for the last three and had a stellar outing last week in Winnipeg.
“I felt I had a really good game,” Brinkman told Argonauts.ca “But I think I’ve still got a lot more in the tank. I’ve just got to prove that and keep going so we can keep getting these dubs (wins).”
Brinkman has a perfect build for a defensive tackle. At 6’2”, 290 pounds he plays low to the ground and can combine his football savvy with his background as the Iowa high-school state heavyweight wrestling champion to get off an opponent’s block.
He also has one other thing going for him, he might be the strongest player on the team.
Against Winnipeg the Argos dressed a whopping nine defensive lineman, four tackles and five ends, each player bringing something different to the mix.
“We’ve got such a deep unit on d-tackles, we’re all a little different,” said Brinkman. “We’re all really good against the run. We’re going to put our head in there, we aren’t going to get moved around. Whether it’s the length, the power, it’s just a little different so teams have to prepare for all of us.”
The biggest player on the line is Jake Ceresna. He’s listed at 6’5”, 295, but seems even bigger than that when you stand next to him. His unique combination of size, speed, and power can overwhelm an opponent, especially when the Cortland State product is fresher than the player across the line of scrimmage from him. The heavy rotation allows him to get that extra in-game breather.
“It’s the best,” Ceresna said to Argonauts.ca. “Being able to rotate keeps us fresh, keeps us healthy. Dressing four d-tackles was great for me too because I got to take a little more rest, so I was fresher for my plays. I think it made a big difference.”
Brinkman agrees with his teammate, knowing how important it is to be able to get some mid-game rest.
“It’s huge,” he explained. “When you’re out there you want to be going 100 miles-per-hour, and we know that if we’re tired, we can tap our heads and we have a guy that’s going to come out and do the exact thing, go 100 miles-per-hour. We just want to be playing fast out there, and when we’re fresh we can do that.”
Opponents also must prepare for one wrinkle other teams can’t throw at them. In the Winnipeg game, the Bombers occasionally looked up to see Brinkman next to Ralph Holley at tackle, with Ceresna lined up at end. Playing three natural tackles adds to the difficulty of running the ball, something the Bombers found out.
Ceresna played a lot of end in Edmonton, but has lined up almost exclusively in the middle this season. Being able to use his flexibility is a major advantage to the Double Blue, and it also puts Ceresna in his happy place.
“It makes me feel good,” said the New Fairfield, Connecticut native. “I feel comfortable whenever I’m moving outside and inside and flowing with the game. I felt good, I felt comfortable doing that the last two years in Edmonton.”
When the Argos played the Redblacks in Ottawa September 7, they didn’t record a sack while giving up six. Since then, they’ve recorded 17 while giving up just four. It’s that kind of line play on both sides of the ball that has the Boatmen sailing into the playoffs with a strong tailwind.