The Double Blue is practicing at Lamport Stadium as they prepare for a rematch with the Ticats this Friday night at Tim Hortons field.

Double Blue Injuries Open Door For Two Former Argos

In Week 9, the Argos lost starting defensive halfback Shaq Richardson and long snapper Jake Reinhart to injury. However, no official word has been announced on their long-term status. Both players are expected to miss significant time moving forward.

With Richardson and Reinhart on the shelf, the Argonauts have swiftly moved to bring back two former Argos to help at their respective positions.

Double Blue Bring Back LS Max Latour & DB Maurice Carnell IV

The Toronto Argonauts Football Club announced they have signed Canadian LS Max Latour and American DB Maurice Carnell IV today.

Max Latour, 29, played six games for the Argos last season and the East Final; after starting long snapper, Jake Reinhart was lost for the year due to injury. The Quebec native and Sherbrooke alum previously spent time with Ottawa in 2021 and played three games for the Blue Bombers in 2019.

Maurice Carnell IV, 27, spent training camp with the Argos this season after being signed by the club in April but was injured during camp. The 5’10, 180lb DB spent parts of 2019-2021 with Hamilton, playing in one game for the Ticats in 2019. Carnell spent a week with the Argos at the start of the 2018 season after two seasons at North Alabama University (2016-2017). The San Diego native played 23 games for the Lions, notching 64 tackles, six interceptions, and 20 pass breakups. Before his time in Alabama, Carnell played two seasons (2014-2015) at Grossmont College in California.

The Argos also announced today the release of American QB Khalil Tate.

Reinhart, one of the CFL’s best long snappers and Toronto’s longest-tenured player, has been down this road. His recent injury is the same elbow that required surgery this off-season. A beloved player by his teammates, kicker Boris Bede, paid tribute to Reinhart on the field when he kicked a 51-yard field to beat Hamilton at the final gun in their building 24-23 last season. Nik Lewis’s favorite kicker, Bede, held up Reinhart’s #58 after making one of his many clutch kicks for Toronto.

The Argos’ depth in their secondary will be tested if Shaq Richardson misses significant time. Richardson, who injured his groin while playing special teams coverage against Hamilton, is one of the best all-around defensive backs in the CFL.

Maurice Carnell IV, a standout during training camp and the preseason, will help fill the void in the back end of Toronto’s defense and special teams.

The versatile CFL rookie Robert Priester could be called upon to fill Richardson’s shoes as he did last week against the Tiger-Cats. Priester, who started at SAM linebacker in place of Chris Edwards earlier in the year, has seen playing time at safety/halfback and has excellent experience as a cornerback. Priester is the Argos 2022 version of Dexter McCoil. A player who can play at a high level at several different positions.

Limiting Andrew Harris’s Workload

On some positive injury news, RB Andrew Harris hurt his wrist late in the Ticats game, but early indications are that the injury does not appear serious. However, he didn’t practice today. Expect Toronto to tread carefully with Harris moving forward.

Harris, who is tied for second in the CFL in rushing yards (471) with Stampeders tailback Ka’Deem Carey, leads the league with 111 carries in seven games played. Andrew’s former running mate in Winnipeg, Brady Olivera, is second with 107 carries but has accomplished that in nine games.

Opposing teams have recently planned to stop Andrew Harris at all costs, especially after he had two separate 100-yard plus outings against the Bombers and Riders.

The Boatmen do not have a bye week until mid-September (Week 15). So it’s possible that we could see more of AJ Ouellette and rookie Daniel Adeboboye in the coming weeks to help lessen Andrew Harris’s workload.

Battle Of The QEW Part 2 Argos Notes

The Boatmen bought themselves some breathing room in the East with their comeback victory over the 2-6 Ticats in Week 9. But the 4-3 Argonauts are not out of the water yet. They will get an ornery Tigercats team in the Hammer this week before returning to BMO to face the Calgary Stampeders. Then it’s another back-to-back series against Hamilton. How the Argos fare in this four-game series could determine whether or not they can win the East again.

EAST DIVISION STANDINGS

Week 10 Injury/Practice Report

The big story coming out of Hamilton is that Dane Evans did not practice on Tuesday due to a shoulder injury. Matthew Shiltz took first-team practice reps in his stead. Bralon Addison, who suffered an Achilles injury last Saturday, figures to be on the shelf for quite some time. The Black and Gold are black and blue at the moment in some key spots.

Injuries are starting to catch up with Double Blue as well. Specifically on their offensive line. Toronto was without their top three starting offensive tackles against Hamilton last week. Trevon Tate and Isiah Cage are out for a long time. Dejon Allen (back) was on the one-game injured list last week. Toronto is hoping to get him back by Friday.

The Argos started an all-Canadian line against the Ticats, which is a testament to the front office and the team’s overall depth. But the last two weeks have produced mixed results at best. Toronto has allowed eight sacks, and the running room has been hard to come by.

Philip Blake, a natural guard, has toughed things out playing at left tackle. And rookie first-round pick Gregor MacKellar, although he has shown some glimpses of brilliance, has had growing pains playing guard for the first time in his young playing career.

Toronto’s front office would love to add an OT but quality ones who can start immediately aren’t readily available. If a trade happens, an offensive tackle seems likely to be a target. But for now, Double Blue has to make do with the players they have in-house.

An area that could be stronger for the Argonauts is the Wide Receiver position. Although Brandon Banks missed practice today for personal reasons, he is expected back for Friday’s game. Kurleigh Gittens Jr., DaVaris Daniels, and Markeith Ambles have led the way in the receiving corps. But Eric Rogers has returned to Toronto’s lineup. Cam Phillips has emerged in his second year in Canada with three touchdowns in his last four games. And Juwan Brescasin is inching close to making his 2022 season debut. Toronto has seven quality starting options at wide receiver/slotback.

Ryan Dinwiddie In Back To Back Games

The second game of a back-to-back is always fascinating in terms of schematically how CFL teams respond after the first meeting. Hamilton has an edge at home this Friday, and they can use what they saw in Toronto to their advantage in the 2022 Battle of the QEW rematch.

However, earlier this season, Ben Grant from Xs and Argos made a strong case for Ryan Dinwiddie’s track record in follow-up games against the same opponent. It’s a small sample size, but the Argos head coach is 3-0 in back-to-back rematch games. Will Ryan Dinwiddie, who is the last coach to beat Mike O’Shea’s Bombers at full strength in the same scenario, be able to repeat his early success in the second leg of home-and-home games?