The Toronto Argonauts proved in 2017 that sometimes, it is all about getting hot at the right time of year. They started out slowly, but picked it up in the second half of the season and rode that momentum to their 17th Grey Cup win over Calgary. Can they defend the Cup in 2018?
Toronto Argonauts 2018 regular season win total
Over 8.5
Under 8.5
Odds are courtesy of BetDSI.
What Happened Last Year
The Argonauts were 4-7 to start the season, including a stretch of five losses in six games before their bye week. They came together as a team to finish 9-9, which was good enough for first place in the East Division. The Argonauts edged out Saskatchewan in the East Final before heading to Ottawa for the 105th Grey Cup, where they met the West champion Stampeders.
The Argonauts were down by eight points in the fourth quarter, but true to their season form, they never gave up and came back to win 27-24. Ricky Ray had another great season, throwing for 5,546 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, while S.J. Green had 104 catches for 1,462 yards and ten touchdowns. James Wilder was their leading rusher with 872 yards and five scores for the Argonauts, who were sixth in points scored. Defensively, the Argonauts were fourth in points allowed and led the league in sacks. Linebacker Victor Butler led the way with ten sacks, while defensive lineman Shawn Lemon was next with eight.
What Will Change This Year
Receiver and Grey Cup MVP DeVier Posey is gone, as is Butler, so the Argonauts will have some work to do there. However, the Argonauts are deep at receiver and they will be able to get by. They also picked up James Franklin to be the backup to Ray at quarterback, which is smart as Ray is 38 years old. He played 17 games in 2017 after combining for 12 in 2015 and 2016. Getting Franklin gives the Argonauts the best one-two quarterback punch in the CFL. Signing Taylor Reed was a big move as the Argonauts are very deep at linebacker, and they also re-signed defensive back T.J. Heath. That will help ease the loss of Mitchell White and Rico Murray.
Outlook & Prediction
Having Ray healthy is always good for head coach Marc Trestman and the Argonauts, but getting Franklin as a backup was a solid move. Wilder was upset with the team in the offseason, but he signed a new deal and wants to have 1,000 yards as a runner and a receiver; he has the talent to do so. Losing Butler and his ten sacks will be tough to replace, but the Argonauts might have a more solid defense with Reed and the re-signed Bear Woods in the middle. This team should win the East Division again and depending on how healthy they are, they could repeat as Grey Cup champions. They will definitely come in over 8.5 wins this season.
