June 18, 2015

Preview: Harris under centre again as Argos face Als

Adam Gagnon/Johany Jutras

CFL.ca Staff

MONTREAL – The Toronto Argonauts enter their pre-season finale with at least one question answered about their opening roster.

The team placed Ricky Ray on the six-game injured list early Tuesday morning meaning that Trevor Harris is now the man under centre for at least the start of the season.

Head coach Scott Milanovich said that Harris will play as much as the first half but it is contingent on how long the first-team offensive line stays on the field. Once they are done for the night, Harris will be too.

“It’s a little bit different knowing that you’re going to play but it’s just a different feeling. It’s not any different in preparation or the way that I study my game plan or watch film or anything of that nature,” said Harris on the difference between being a starter and backup. “It’s just about being more prepared every day and being ready to do the reps physically as opposed to just mentally.”

There had been some doubt lingering around Toronto’s backup quarterback situation, especially once the team signed former Als pivot Adrian McPherson following their pre-season loss to the Bombers. Milanovich is hoping to allow for McPherson to have a few snaps in the game.

“I’d like to get him some reps. It’s almost unfair to him because he hasn’t been here for very long but he does have some familiarity with the offence,” said Milanoivch, referencing to the time the two spent together with the Als. “I won’t be expecting a ton of precise execution but he’s looked good.”

The narrative for the Alouettes at quarterback is much clearer. Jonathan Crompton is the team’s starter and has been since taking over the duties mid-season last year. Still, the length of his leash remains a mystery and he could lose his spot should he struggle initially. Waiting in the wings are Dan LeFevour and the talented but unproven Brandon Bridge. With LeFevour now healthy after missing the pre-season opener, it will be of note to see how backup duties are split between him and Bridge in this game.

Toronto and Montreal come into the game following opposite results in their first exhibitions. The Alouettes easily brushed aside the REDBLACKS to open with a win while the Argos had a valiant fourth quarter comeback against the Bombers fall short. It was the Argos first pre-season loss in 10 games.

Still, both teams are using their final exhibition outing as a time to review the mistakes they make and study them in the film room before wins and losses begin counting in the standings.

“First you want to win the game, just like any other game, and from there you want to see on film the things you’ve been working on. You’re working on particular skills and techniques, you want to see those translate in the game time,” said Argos centre Jeff Keeping, who will be making his pre-season debut. “From there, win, see your technique on film then always level of effort, chasing the ball and doing the things you want to see that are going to help your team win.”

Calvillo transitions to coach

>> Read: Anthony Calvillo is trading in his helmet for a headset as he enters his first season as receivers coach with the Alouettes.

While many of the eyes on the Argos’ transcation report were on Ray, there was another name on the list that could prove important to the Boatmen’s offence. With news that running back Curtis Steele could miss a significant amount of time because of a knee injury, the team brought back Lyle McCoombs, who was initially a victim of the first round of camp cuts.

The running back situation in Montreal is equally as murky. The battle for the starting job remains a four-horse race between Brandon Whitaker, Brandon Rutley, Tyrell Sutton and Stefan Logan and this game could be one of the last opportunities for each to show why they should be the featured back. Whitaker comes in as the incumbent but all four received a relatively equal workload in last week’s game.

With a full training camp for Cory Underwood and the re-acquisition of Ricky Foley, the Argos defence is looking to improve on its middle-of-the-pack performance from last season. Milanovich is pleased with its progression but understands it’s not real yet.

“They’ve got to play somebody in a real game and show that they can’t make mistakes, they’re not going to cut people loose, they’re going to make the interceptions that they’re making in practice and all that stuff. I’m not down on them, I’m high on what they’ve done but they haven’t proven a thing yet.”