VANCOUVER 鈥� There鈥檚 a long list of things the Toronto Argonauts must do if they hope to upset the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Sunday鈥檚 Grey Cup game.
Near the top is containing explosive Bomber running back Brady Oliveira.
The Argos are planning a more-is-better strategy when it comes to preventing Oliveira from running wild at B.C. Place on Sunday.
鈥淭he thing with Brady is that he is so powerful,鈥� said Kevin Eiben, who shares Toronto鈥檚 defensive co-ordinator duties with Will Fields. 鈥淗is legs are built like tree trunks.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to have more than one guy on the tackle. We鈥檝e got to swarm the ball.鈥�
Defensive tackle Jake Ceresna may be the first point of contact with Oliveira. He said proper attire is a must.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to tighten your chin strap a little more and make sure you got your mouthpiece with you, because he runs the ball hard,鈥� said Ceresna, who had 28 tackles, eight sacks and a forced fumble this year.
鈥淗e runs the ball hard. He鈥檚 not an easy guy to tackle. He鈥檚 slippery, elusive.鈥�
At five-foot-10 and 222 pounds, Oliveira is built like a fire hydrant. What he lacks in speed he compensates with brute force. He can make a tackler miss with a slick move or leave cleat marks on their chest running over them.
Oliveira led the CFL with 1,353 yards and 239 carries this year. He鈥檚 also dangerous as a receiver, making 57 catches for 476 yards and a touchdown.
鈥淵ou can never forget about him,鈥� said Toronto linebacker Wynton McManis, rolling a toothpick around his mouth as he spoke. 鈥淗e鈥檚 great in the pass game, catches the ball really well out of the backfield.
鈥淥nce he catches the ball, he鈥檚 a running back. Then his instincts just kick in. A tough player to deal with.鈥�
Oliveira was named the CFL鈥檚 Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian at Thursday鈥檚 CFL Awards. He joins Jon Cornish, Russ Jackson and Tony Gabriel as the only players to win both awards in the same year.
Toronto defeated Winnipeg twice this year. One game went to overtime. Both were decided three points or fewer. Oliveira had a combined 25 carries for 160 yards and 12 catches for 92 yards in the two games. He didn鈥檛 score a touchdown. He also fumbled once.
Oliveira did some muscle flexing in the Bombers 38-22 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in last weekend鈥檚 West Final. He rumbled for 119 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries and added 22 receiving yards on two catches.
During the season, Winnipeg was third in the league averaging 111.7 rushing yards a game. The Argo defence was second in allowing 85.1 yards a game.
Safety Royce Metchie said one of the best ways to stop Oliveira is to not let him get started.
鈥淲e need to get as many guys to him as we can every play,鈥� said Metchie, who led Toronto with 87 tackles, plus had an interception and forced two fumbles. 鈥淥nce he gets rolling, it鈥檚 tough to get him down.
鈥淚f we can get to him early and wrap him up, that would help us as the game goes on.鈥�
Oliveria is an emotional player. He leaps up after a big run, slapping himself on the helmet.
Eiben said one player isn鈥檛 going to stop Oliveira.
鈥淓verybody has got to get to the ball and make sure when we get there, we are pushing him back,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e gets a lot of yards after contact. We鈥檝e got to get at least three guys on the contact and try to push him backwards.鈥�
The Argos are also good at forcing a team to put the ball on the ground. Toronto was third in the league with 20 forced fumbles during the regular season and recovered four fumbles in the win against Montreal.
鈥淲hen you do make contact, try to get the ball out of there,鈥� said Eiben. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been doing a great job of getting that ball out and turning turnovers into scores.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 going to be a big emphasis this week. Let鈥檚 create some turnovers.鈥�
Argos quarterback Chad Kelly will miss the Grey Cup after suffering a gruesome leg injury in the win over Montreal. That has made Toronto a heavy underdog heading into Sunday.
McManis said a strong showing on defence can give the underdog some teeth.
鈥淲e can make a statement,鈥� said McManis. 鈥淲e can come out, be physical, change the game. That鈥檚 our plan.鈥�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 15, 2024
Jim Morris, The Canadian Press
