Arbuckle leads the way as Argos exact sweet revenge by beating Bombers
Author of the article:
Frank Zicarelli
Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive lineman Willie Jefferson, right, forces the fumble as he sacks Toronto Argonauts quarterback Nick Arbuckle during first half CFL football action in Toronto, Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021. Photo by Cole Burston /THE CANADIAN PRESS Article content The Nick Arbuckle era as Toronto’s newest starting quarterback didn’t go exactly as planned, but he did lead the team to a win.
AdvertisementStory continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article contentIn the bottom line world that is pro football, teams and players are judged by the amount of wins and not how many poor reads, bad throws or lack of ball security are produced.
Saturday’s return of CFL football to BMO Field went as well as possible, even though the announced crowd of 9,866 can be best described as a complete and utter embarrassment.
Mind you, MLSE does nothing to promote the Argos, a good team with potential to be very good, but so much will depend on how Arbuckle develops and if this unit can play clean football.
The Argos won the game, 30-23, exacting some revenge over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who downed the Boatmen last week in the Peg.
Arbuckle was fine, but he’ll have to be much better with Edmonton coming to town for a Thursday night matchup.
AdvertisementStory continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article contentAt least he got his feet wet as Toronto’s starter to produce a 300-yard passing game.
And it’s hard to quibble when a completely new team begins a 14-game season at 2-1.
D.J. Foster was good at running back, but it was Toronto’s defence that set the tone early and emphatically, an aggressive and talented group that has yet to play a complete game.
A week ago, the unit gave up two big plays on a night when the offence managed to put together one scoring drive.
Offensively, the Argos were way better Saturday, even though the line of scrimmaged showed cracks and too many footballs hit the ground.
The Argos ran the ball with Arbuckle looking to Eric Rogers and DaVaris Daniels before Daniels left one play into the second half with a suspected concussion on a vicious, violent and careless hit.
AdvertisementStory continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article contentToronto dominated time of possession and should have blown the Bombers out of the stadium had it not been for a scoop and score and a breakdown in coverage in the second quarter.
For the first time in three weeks, the Argos lost the coin toss.
In games versus Calgary and Winnipeg, both on the road, the Argos won the toss and decided to defer.
In the return game versus the Bombers, the visitors won the toss and decided to defer.
For the first time this season, the Argos offence was on the field first, allowing Arbuckle to get his feet under him.
Foster and Daniel Braverman were used in the return game with Braverman fielding the kickoff and returning it 38 yards, the longest return by the Argos this season.
Arbuckle would roll to his left and delivered a perfect strike to Rogers.
AdvertisementStory continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article contentLater in the series, Arbuckle made a poor throw to Rogers on second down, a throw Arbuckle should have completed.
Toronto attempted a 52-yard field goal with Boris Bede hiting it straight through the uprights as the home side took a quick 3-0 lead.
Momentum continued as the Argos’ defence forced a quick two and out.
Head coach Ryan Dinwiddie dialed up some creative plays, including a slotback option by Daniels, on Toronto’s second possession as the offence drove the ball to Winnipeg’s 10.
A great call by Dinwiddie on second and long featured a run play by Foster, who weaved his way into the end zone.
Defensively, the Argos were stellar.
On Winnipeg’s second series, they forced another second and long, only this time a hurried throw by Zach Collaros, who lost his first game as Winnipeg’s starter, was tipped, allowing Dexter McCoil to produce his first interception as an Argo.
AdvertisementStory continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article contentThe turnover led to a field goal and a 13-0 lead.
The Argos got the ball back when their defence forced a third successive two and out.
The opening 15 minutes were dominated by the Argos in every facet, by far the best quarter of the season and arguably the best period in years given the quality of the competition.
Winnipeg ran six plays and generated eight yards.
The Argos, who accumulated 115 yards, had possession for 11 minutes and 35 seconds.
The Argos were on the move again to begin the second quarter.
Then came one of those inexplicable breakdowns.
Completely unblocked, Jackson Jeffcoat came off the right edge to strip the ball from Arbuckle.
Toronto’s left tackle Dejon Allen looked completely lost and totally unaware of the snap count in allowing Jeffcoat a clear path to the backfield.
AdvertisementStory continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article contentJesse Briggs scooped up the ball and ran it back untouched for an 83-yard touchdown.
The Argos were poised to take a 20-0 lead.
Instead, Winnipeg cut into the lead and made it a 13-7 game.
To their credit, the Argos did engineer a field-goal drive following the defensive score.
Momentum, though, had shifted and field position began to change as well.
The Argos punted for the first time with five minutes left in the opening half.
Winnipeg finally had field position and moved inside Toronto’s side of midfield for the first time.
Darvin Adams froze cornerback Jamal Peters, who left Adams wide open for a 51-yard touchdown reception.
Two plays, in a nutshell, did in the Argos in the first half, one on either side of the ball.
AdvertisementStory continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article contentAll of a sudden, the Argos were clinging to a 16-14 lead.
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Peters then bailed out the Bombers with a careless penalty on a late hit along the sideline next to Winnipeg’s bench area.
It was Toronto’s first penalty of the half, but it came at an inopportune time with the Bombers deep in their territory.
Toronto’s defence did force a punt, but Winnipeg dodged a bullet.
When the Argos did regain possession, they took over from their own 47 yard line.
They benefited from a pass interference call, which led to a 35-yard receiving major by Daniels.
In back-to-back weeks, the Argos have produced 100-yard rushing games by two separate running backs.
The Argos went the entire 18-game season in 2019 without having a single 100-yard rusher.
fzicarelli@postmedia.com
Share this article in your social network AdvertisementStory continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 Thanks for signing up! Comments Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notificationsâ€"you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.
0 Response to "Arbuckle leads the way as Argos exact sweet revenge by beating Bombers"
Post a Comment