Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca
HAMILTON — Not unlike Brandon Banks, Alex Green or Luke Tasker, consistency eluded the Toronto Argonauts throughout a 42-28 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Monday’s Labour Day Classic.
The Boatmen battled back from various deficits throughout the game, even owning the lead throughout much of the second half in front of 24,221 fans at Tim Hortons Field. But in the end, a sputtering offence and a late surge by the Ticats sent the Argos to a second consecutive defeat, dropping them further in the East Division standings while falling to 3-7.
Despite some positive signs, in the end, the Argos’ efforts weren’t enough.
“I don’t think we’re a long way off,” said Trestman, now in his second season coaching the Argos. “I think we showed some things we did better, particularly coming back and not only tying the game but getting the lead. We showed some backbone and some ability to make some plays.
“There were some things we can hang out hat on, but we lost this game as a team. In all three phases I don’t think we played well enough to win.”
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The loss marked the Argos’ fifth straight to the Ticats on Labour Day. The slow start is familiar territory for a team that opened up 3-8 last year before going on to win the Grey Cup — proof that the Argos’ recent woes aren’t anything that can’t be overcome — although this time around things are different.
Last season the other teams in the East had worse records, and this time there’s no Ricky Ray to lean on, the veteran quarterback being injured and, for now, out of the picture.
“We have a core group of veterans here who know what it’s like to be in this position and to achieve something like we did last year,” said linebacker Bear Woods. “We don’t look to the past, but we did set a standard that we can learn from and continue to help each other grow. We just have to be more consistent.”
“Our team is very well aware of what our record was after 11 games last year,” echoed Trestman. “And we’re in a position to do that, but we’re an entirely different team. Right now we’ve got to continue to find ways to get a little better.”
The Argos took better care of the football on Monday night, giving it away only once while winning the turnover battle 2-1. Other areas of the stat sheet were a different story, however, with the defence allowing 539 yards, more than 300 yards clear of the Argos’ 220.
James Wilder Jr. didn’t get opportunities in the second half, finishing with 47 rushing yards on 11 carries to go with 42 receiving yards, most of which came in the first half.
In his fourth career start, McLeod Bethel-Thompson completed just 48 per cent of his passes, throwing for 163 yards on 14-of-29 passing, including a critical interception to Mike Daly in the second half.
The Argos erased a 14-0 deficit early in the game, thanks in part to an interception by Alden Darby, starting at SAM linebacker in place of the injured Cassius Vaughn. Short-yardage quarterback James Franklin scored on a sneak, then again on a pass to offensive lineman Ryan Bomben to knot things up.
A missed field goal by Zack Medeiros followed by a long scoring drive by the Ticats gave Hamilton the lead at halftime, but the Argos responded in the third when Green’s fumble was scooped up and run back 100 yards by Darby for his second touchdown of the season.
The Argos took the lead on Franklin’s third touchdown of the game, another quarterback sneak, but the Ticats responded with 21 unanswered points, including fourth-quarter touchdowns from Green and Banks.
Trestman was quick to credit the Ticats after the game.
“They played a heck of a football game. There was ebb and flow to it, we had the lead in the fourth quarter and they took over the lead and extended the lead and they deserve credit for that,” he said. “They played a really good game and made some plays when they needed to make plays and I congratulate them.”
For a team going into Week 12 with the second-worst ranking both on offence and defence, the numbers do not flatter the defending Grey Cup Champions, nor to they hint at any turnaround.
Of course, much like a year ago, things can change fast. A win on Saturday puts the Argos right back in the East Division playoff picture, with plenty of time to make a charge in the East.
It’s worth noting, at this point, that the crossover could be in play, with only two teams in the East currently slated to make the post-season and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers poised to cross over.
The Argos are hoping it won’t come to that.
“There’s nothing more that the men in this locker-room can do,” said Bethel-Thompson. “This team works harder and is more together and is a family, and there’s nothing more that they can do. They’ll keep leading the way, and they deserve better, and we can get it.”
“Look around, is any team that far off?” added Woods. “This is the CFL, this is professional football. The worst team, record-wise, is just a slice from being the best team. Look at tonight. In the first quarter everyone thought the game could be over, absolutely not. This is professional football, you’ve got to be consistent.”
