Elite athletes often talk about how losses hurt more than wins are enjoyable, and you can put Wynton McManis in that category.
The 30-year-old Argonauts linebacker, who has been easing back into action from a knee injury, finds himself in unfamiliar territory with the team he joined in 2022. The Grey Cup defending champions, an abysmal 2-7, are feeling pressure to lock in and win. It can make emotions run high, especially for vocal leaders such as McManis.
“I started to tear up, honestly,†he said about an impassioned speech he gave to teammates following a 46-42 loss to the Ottawa Redblacks at BMO Field last Saturday.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
“The team needed to understand it. I hurt, and we need everybody to hurt. There’s a lot of passion, a lot of work that goes into this game. I’m not healthy, I’m hurting, but you’re going to have to drag me off the field; I’ll never take a play off. So if we can just get all 24 guys on the field feeling that way and leaving it all out there then, you know, we’ll be all right.â€
The offence has been mostly there, with 31 points or more in five games this season. Scoring has been up across the CFL with an average of 53.9 points per game, the highest mark since 2008.
But stopping the other team from scoring has been more difficult.
ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ was up 22-1 on Ottawa in the first quarter on Saturday, then outscored in each of the final three. A fortnight ago against the Montreal Alouettes, the Argos went scoreless in the final quarter and squandered a double-digit lead.
Heading into Week 11, they have allowed a league-high 11 big plays on special teams, four of them touchdown returns. They have also yielded the second-most sacks (22).
The challenge for head coach Ryan Dinwiddie and his staff is to improve on a “disappointing†defence while ensuring the offence stays sharp.
“Defensively we’ve got to make sure we are aggressive,†the coach said. “I told those guys: If we get beat playing aggressive, I’m totally good with that. But getting beat while playing soft and letting them kill us a slow death, we can’t have that … You can’t sit back and be afraid to make mistakes.â€
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
They have chances to bounce back with a road matchup against the Edmonton Elks on Friday night kicking off a crucial three-game stretch before a bye week in mid-September.
“We know their backs are against the wall, they’re fighting for the standings along with us,†Dinwiddie said of the 2-6 Elks. “We’re just focusing on one game at a time, but we know where we are at. We’ve got to go (at least) 7-2 to finish the season.â€
The Argos have beaten the Elks in four of their past five encounters. They hope to keep that success going, and for McManis it starts with minimizing mistakes, playing with passion and grit, and learning to move on fast from one game to the next.
“This is pro sports and we’re in the business of winning,†said McManis. “It hurts immediately after the loss and we come and we watch film, but after that it’s time to put it away. After you go over the corrections and watch it, you’ve got to flush it.â€
Gilbert Ngabo is a ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½-based sports reporter for the Star.
Follow him on Twitter: .
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation