Pickett believes remaining games will be important to Argos' playoff success

The Toronto Argonauts have accomplished all of their regular season goals with six games remaining in the CFL season.

Toronto (11-1) has already clinched the East Division after securing a come-from-behind 23-20 victory over the Montreal Alouettes on Friday night.

With the divisional title, the team secured a bye in the first round of the playoffs and a spot in the Eastern Conference Final at BMO Field on Nov. 11.

Despite having nothing to play for on paper, the team believes its remaining games will be integral to finding success in the postseason.

"Each game is intricate to the success we want to have in the postseason," Argonauts defensive back Adarius Pickett told TSN1050's First Up on Wednesday. "You want to go into the playoffs spiraling up and making sure we're going in the right direction."

The Argonauts will be hosting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 16, who currently sit tied for second place in the East with the Alouettes

The following week Toronto will have a showdown with the West Division-leading Winnipeg Blue Bombers in a rematch of last year's Grey Cup Final.

"In these games, there's always room for improvement and things we can be better on," said Pickett. "You watch the film and see some mistakes that you made and try to get those things fixed up. But [our mindset is] that we're trying to go 1-0 each week. Our overall record is what it is but our goal is to go 1-0 each week."

Pickett, 27, joined the Argonauts as a free agent in the off-season after playing two seasons with the Alouettes. The 5-foot-11 defensive back led the Argos with 13 tackles against the Alouettes last Friday and is now tied for second in the league in that department.

The Argos defence has averaged the third fewest points in the CFL and are the league leaders in sacks and limiting rushing yards on the season. They also rank fourth in the CFL in forcing turnovers and are second in interceptions.

Pickett had an idea that the Toronto defence had a chance to be elite this season, but he has been pleasantly surprised how well things have gone.

"I know after signing and adding me to the defence that was already there that it was going to be really special," said Pickett. "I didn't really know what our offence was going to be like, but having Chad Kelly at quarterback, A.J. [Ouellette] at running back, and all the playmakers we have at receiver, we have a really talented team."

Pickett said that all that talent has been boosted by the team's undeniable chemistry

"In the locker room, the vibe is always there and it kind of feels like it's a party all the time," said Pickett. "Whether it's practice or in a meeting, the guys on the team likes to have a great time. There's a lot of energy on the team and we're a really close-knit group on and off the field."