Bart Andrus has a wealth of pro football experience, but all he could come up with in the wake of being shut out was to promote Cody Pickett to No. 1.
One year ago, Don Matthews made the controversial decision to bench starting quarterback Kerry Joseph in favour of rookie Cody Pickett, who clearly wasn't ready.
Now, first-year head coach Bart Andrus has reprised the move.
Joseph was supposed to be Andrus' guy when he took the job in the offseason. Andrus, the offensive guru with the National Football League background, was supposed to devise all the creative schemes that clearly weren't employed last year for Joseph in his first season with the team. But now it appears the move to bench Joseph is part of a collective decision by management and, quite likely, ownership, who must be embarrassed by the pathetic play of the team, in particular the offence. Six games into the season the Argos (2-4) are in danger of missing the playoffs for the second year in a row - and the second year with Joseph as the starter.
Let's just call Joseph the fall guy for a variety of issues that are currently impacting the Argos.
To start, Joseph has yet to be used to his strengths. His best plays - and there haven't been many in recent games - have been on the run, sprinting for his life. Too often this year, he has been locked in the pocket instead of being employed in more creative schemes, such as zone reads, sprint outs and option plays involving the running back.
Andrus started out with a one-back scheme and of late has employed a two-back scheme, but not enough has been made of smash mouth football, pounding the ball on the ground and involving feature running back Jamel Robertson, the most effective weapon at this point in the Argos' anemic offence.
But there's more to it than just the schemes, the offensive line is porous. High-priced free-agent offensive tackle Rob Murphy has struggled and has been getting beat one-on-one while the left guard spot is under construction. If Joseph consistently has opposing players bearing down on him, in particular from the blind side, it's hard to allow plays to develop.
So if a team is struggling with pass protection, go with the run.
The receiving corps is changing from one game to the next because of injuries and ineffectiveness. But the Saskatchewan Roughriders overcame the very same thing. So why are the Argos sputtering?
This isn't all Joseph's fault. This was a player who was voted the Canadian Football League's Most Outstanding Player two years ago, totalling more than 5,000 yards with his passing and rushing. He played for Saskatchewan at the time and had onetime Argo offensive co-ordinator Kent Austin as his coach and co-ordinator. Austin knew had to use Joseph having worked with him one year in Ottawa. Austin is the same guy who was fired by the Argos midway into the 2006 season, signed with Saskatchewan in 2007 and guided them to a Grey Cup in one year and then found his alma mater, Ole Miss, calling to offer him the offensive co-ordinator's job.
Austin identified Joseph's skill set - and let's be honest, the Roughriders had a better collection of talent than the Argos, notably on the offensive line - to make him effective. He has been lost in transition and translation in Toronto because of personnel issues and schemes.
This is not to say Joseph is a future Hall of Famer, but he is effective used in a certain way.
The Argos ran Michael Bishop out of town because he bombed in the 2007 Eastern Final after going 11-1 in the regular season and ownership couldn't stomach him as the starter in clutch games. The Argos acquired Joseph, with the owners' blessing, figuring he could take the team to the next level.
The Argos have regressed badly since.
To think Pickett will solve the Argos' woes is blissful thinking when you consider the personnel issues are still a concern. Pickett has not proven himself to be the starter, having done little last season in that role and showing only marginal ability last time out in relief.
The Argos need more than Pickett to fix their problems.
