Dinwiddie properly on his option to turning into biggest coach in Argos historical past

It was someday late on Gray Cup Sunday night time that Ryan Dinwiddie went from being a superb soccer coach to an important one.

Possibly an all-time nice in Toronto, having received his second Gray Cup championship of the previous three seasons.

Don Matthews received two Gray Cups with the Argos, again to again, when Doug Flutie performed quarterback higher than anybody has ever performed within the Canadian Soccer League and possibly he’s the very best coach in historical past. Earlier than most of us had been born, Lew Hayman received three Gray Cups with the Argos.

Dinwiddie now has two. In 4 seasons as a head coach. With three first-place finishes. And one record-breaking common season. And with a special beginning quarterback every season and two Gray Cup wins with two totally different starters who remind no considered one of Flutie, McLeod Bethel-Thompson and Nick Arbuckle.

It wasn’t one play or one second that decided the 41-24 Argos victory on Sunday. Actually, it was every little thing, particularly every little thing that occurred within the second half towards the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Former NFL coach Joe Gibbs used to speak about this when he coached the Washington Redskins. In regards to the which means of second halves of video games. The higher coaches, he used to say, alter at halftime, win video games within the second half. The way in which Gibbs received his Tremendous Bowls.

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The second half is the place Dinwiddie shone on Sunday. The Argos scored 9 factors on three subject targets within the first half. The second half, and particularly the fourth quarter, was pure Argos dominance and excellence.

Excellence was the best way through which Dinwiddie dealt with Arbuckle, his journeyman beginning quarterback, shrinking the playbook for the advantages of his restricted QB. Arbuckle accomplished passes to 9 totally different receivers, two of them working backs, considered one of them a particular teamer, six of them inside or exterior cross catchers. He moved the ball round. He fell into no patterns.

One landing cross was thrown to the rookie Canadian Kevin Mital. He by no means scored a landing through the season.

An enormous landing cross was thrown to the Canadian Dejon Brissett, who caught solely 14 passes throughout a principally injured season. He caught three for 45 yards and a rating on Sunday.

In between all that, the Argos picked off Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros 4 instances, a few of these coming as a result of Collaros was taking part in within the second half with an injured finger and a glove on his throwing hand. A few of them coming as a result of the Argos all however eradicated the large play Winnipeg receivers Kenny Lawler and Nic Demski from the sport. The Argos secondary that regarded so weak towards Ottawa and Montreal in earlier playoff matches was excellent towards the Bombers.

Excellent was additionally how the very best Argo, Wynton McManis, performed the sport. He led the group in tackles, nearly scored on an interception, did nearly every little thing you are able to do as a linebacker to make a distinction in a soccer recreation.

On the opposite aspect, the legend, Willie Jefferson, nearly did the identical McManis factor did. He sacked Arbuckle twice, rushed him a number of different instances, knocked a ball out of his palms and picked off a cross within the recreation. These had been all highlights that may be proven when Jefferson will get his Corridor of Fame induction sooner or later. Jefferson would have been the MVP of the sport had the Bombers received. However the last quarter ended up as Toronto 24, Winnipeg 11. The second half rating: Toronto 32, Winnipeg 14.

The extra spectacular cumulative complete of two Toronto-Winnipeg Gray Cups prior to now three years: The generally doubted Dinwiddie 2, the nice Mike O’Shea, getting the Bombers 5 straight Gray Cups, on the verge of a dynasty, 0.

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The problem for any head coach in any sport stays the identical each season. How do you get your group able to play? How do you get your gamers to be your greatest gamers when it issues most? How do you get essentially the most out of your roster? How do you beat a group, on this case, the Bombers, who’ve been the very best CFL group for the previous 5 seasons?

Start with the problem of Dinwiddie altering the playbook for Arbuckle. Arbuckle isn’t the swashbuckler at quarterback that Chad Kelly occurs to be. He’s not a creator on his personal. He doesn’t have an enormous arm. He’s restricted and Dinwiddie understands that deep down as a result of as a quarterback himself, he was nearer to an Arbuckle than he ever was to Kelly.

Nobody Argos receiver had greater than 45 yards by way of the air. Little David Ungerer caught 4 passes, the identical as huge Makai Polk caught. Damonte Coxie, perhaps the very best Argos receiver, ended up with three catches for 29 yards. Similar numbers of yards and one much less catch than Coxie managed. He walked away with the MVP.

Dinwiddie now has two Gray Cups. This shouldn’t be the top of that quantity. Bob O’Billovich received a Gray Cup teaching in Toronto, so did Pinball Clemons and Adam Rita and Marc Trestman and Scott Milanovich. All of them received one. They by no means obtained a second one.

Dinwiddie has two wins over O’Shea. That’s two huge wins. Two unlikely wins. This win establishing his lofty place in Argo historical past.

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