ARGOS TRAVEL TO EDMONTON WITH HOPES OF CAPTURING PLAYOFF BERTH
The Toronto Argonauts (7-8) travel to Edmonton on Saturday, October 14, with another shot at locking up a playoff berth against the Eskimos (8-6).
Last week, the Argos came up just short against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, downed 27-24 by a field goal in the dying seconds of the game.
The Esks return home after snapping a six-game losing streak with a 42-24 road win over the Montreal Alouettes.
In the last meeting between the two teams, the Double Blue came out on top, earning their first win over a West Division opponent behind a breakout performance from running back James Wilder Jr., who racked up 257 yards from scrimmage. A late-game stand by the defence in the red zone sealed the deal for the Argos.
Storylines:
Playoff scenarios: The Argos can clinch a playoff berth and home playoff game via the following outcomes: A Hamilton (vs. CGY) loss on Friday night or a Toronto win (at EDM) on Saturday. A win by Toronto paired with a loss by Ottawa (at SSK) on Friday would clinch the East Division title and Home-Field advantage in the East Final on Sunday, November 19. The Eskimos can also lock up a playoff spot with a win and a BC loss (at WPG).
Bear Woods’ return: After being a late scratch against the Riders in Week 16, Bear Woods is poised to make a return to the lineup this week against Edmonton. Woods currently leads the Argos and ranks fifth in the CFL in tackles (79).
Ray’s Edmonton homecoming: Ricky Ray is easily one of the most prolific passers in Argos franchise history, but his time spent in Edmonton will never be forgotten. Ray leads both the Argos and Eskimos franchises in all major career passing categories and is the only quarterback in CFL history with 100+ passing touchdowns with two teams. With 176 passing yards against his former team, Ray would set his highest single-season passing total as an Argo. He is currently on-pace to throw for 5,000 yards in a single season for the fifth time in his career.
Green on career pace: After suffering a devastating season-ending knee injury last season, SJ Green has returned to the field even stronger in 2017. Acquired in an offseason trade with the Alouettes, Green has been an outstanding presence in the Argos offence. With three games remaining, he sits just 19 yards and six catches shy of setting career-highs while his eight touchdowns lead the team and rank T-2nd in the league.
Sack attack: The Argos currently rank first in the CFL with 45 through 15 games. Victor Butler is the league-leader in sacks (9) while eight other Argos players have multiple quarterback takedowns. The last time (and only time) Toronto led the league in sacks was in 1997; Eric England was the last Argo to lead the CFL in sacks with 14 in 2003.