By Griff Bordignon
Entering Week 1, Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwiddie stated, “We’re going into the hornets’ nest.” His prediction for the Argonauts came true in a 28-10 season-opening loss to the Alouettes.
The Montreal crowd was electric and loud throughout the entire game, creating a challenging atmosphere. The Als’ defence, spearheaded by Canadian defensive end Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund, relentlessly pressured QB Nick Arbuckle, recording three
sacks and two interceptions.
Despite the defensive onslaught, Arbuckle showed resilience with several strong throws,
including a fourth-quarter drive that culminated in a DaVaris Daniels touchdown to bring the game within striking distance. However, the team fell short, starting with an 0-1 record for the first time since 2019.
Here are my thoughts on the game.
O-line woes
The team that produced the CFL’s last two Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman award
winners looked uncharacteristically disjointed, struggling to protect Arbuckle and surrendering consistent pressure throughout the game. This culminated in a controversial forced fumble recovered and returned for a touchdown by Adeyemi-Berglund — a pivotal play and ruling that ultimately delivered a crushing blow to the Argonauts’ hopes.
After the game, head coach Ryan Dinwiddie expressed his displeasure with the offensive line’s performance.
“I want them to show up, they were sleepwalking all day,” he said. “Everybody says
we’ve got one of the best lines in the league, that sure didn’t happen tonight. That was one of our key points going into this game, it starts up front and that wasn’t the case, so we got beat.”
“A lot to learn from and I had to hand it to them. No one did a good job, I didn’t feel like I called the best game, so I’ll take the blame there for not having the guys ready to play as well.”
Defence did all that it could
All offseason, questions swirled around the Argonauts’ defence, particularly the
defensive line after all four starters from last season departed for Alberta teams or the
NFL. Players like Derek Parish were highlighted as key figures needing to step up and he delivered in the season opener, recording one sack and three tackles.
Following his strong performance, Dinwiddie was generally complimentary about how Parish
handled the challenge in his first game of the year.
“I thought he had a high motor, did some decent things. One time I thought
he got held, he got tackled to the ground and [Alouettes quarterback Davis] Alexander got outside the pocket,” he remarked.
“We’ve got to keep our lanes. I thought Alexander on second-and-long about five times he moved the chains with his legs or extended plays and found a throw. We’ve got to do a better job on second-and-long. Those guys were on the field the whole game, they got tired.”
How to move past a weak start
The Argonauts need to flip the switch quickly as they prepare for their home opener on Saturday, June 14 against Calgary.
Before the week of preparation begins, the team will be receiving their 2024 Grey Cup championship rings. While that moment is undoubtedly exciting, many players seem to have already moved past it since their celebration last November.
After the game, Damonte Coxie reflected on the significance of the rings and the team’s mindset moving forward.
“All those things are great but it was last year. This is probably the last time we even mention it as a team, for real, for real,” he said.
“Pinball always says, ‘Whatever you did yesterday, if it still excites you, you ain’t did nothing today.’ We’re grateful for the opportunity to host this and have everything, but at the same time, we’re about this year and we’re moving forward one step at a time, one play at a time.”
Guidance and reassurance after a loss
After a game like Friday night, Argonauts fans and players naturally turn to their leaders,
especially the quarterback for guidance and reassurance.
In the wake of a performance that left a sour taste for everyone involved, from the locker room to the coaching staff and the stands, Arbuckle delivered a statement that should
lift spirits and refocus the team. His words offered the resolve and optimism needed as
the Argos set their sights on bouncing back with a win.
“It’s part of pro football. I think we have a veteran team, a lot of really good veteran
leadership. We know how the CFL works and how one game, especially during the
season, does not define your season in any way,” he said.
“We’re going to make sure we go in, watch the film, we’re critical and critique our mistakes. We also understand there was a lot of good things that came out of this, a lot of things we did well. Seeing how close we were to making a lot more plays, it being a much different game. I think that’s one of the things if you’ve been in the league long enough you know that even these losses, they never look as bad on film as you think they might. There’s a lot of good takeaways to take from it. We’re going to make sure we stay positive moving forward and correct those little minor details we need to change the results of some of those plays.”
Week 1 is behind the Argonauts and all eyes turn to Saturday’s home opener
against the Calgary Stampeders. The Boatmen will be eager to claim their first win of the
season, while Calgary will be looking to spoil the Argos’ banner-raising celebration after losing their last two visits to Toronto.
Fans attending the game at BMO Field on June 14 will have an extra incentive: the first 10,000 attendees receive a replica Grey Cup ring. Stay tuned to see how the showdown unfolds.
