The Toronto Argonauts (10-7) hosted the Ottawa Redblacks (8-8-1) from BMO Field on Saturday in their final home game of the regular season. There was a lot on the line in this game. A win by Toronto would clinch a home playoff game against the Redblacks in two weeks.
On the other side, a win for Ottawa would give them a chance to clinch a home playoff game heading into the regular season finale next week. Well, the question was answered on Saturday.
First Quarter:
Ottawa got the ball to start the game from their 49-yard line after returner Kalil Pimpleton returned the opening kickoff for 29 yards. Quarterback Dru Brown began the drive by throwing a 25-yard pass to Justin Hardy to reach the Argonauts’ 36-yard line and that was all they got.
Kicker Lewis Ward attempted a 43-yard field goal but he missed it wide right and returner Janarion Grant returned the missed field goal for 35 yards to reach their 19-yard line with 12:49 left.
Toronto running back Ka’Deem Carey started the drive by running for two yards. Next, quarterback Chad Kelly completed three passes for 88 yards, of which two of them went to Makai Polk for 57 yards to reach the Redblacks’ one-yard line.
After two failed attempts to get into the end zone, running back Ka’Deem Carey rushed up the middle to score the touchdown. Toronto led Ottawa 7-0 with 9:40 left of the first quarter to cap off a seven-play drive for 91 yards in over three minutes.
Ottawa started its next drive from their 35-yard line. Wide receiver Bralon Addison ran for seven yards but they went backward on second down when Dru Brown’s pass to Addison went for a three-yard loss forcing third down. Toronto’s offense returned to the field starting from their 12-yard line.
On this drive, Toronto ate up over seven minutes of the clock. Quarterback Chad Kelly threw five passes for 57 yards and had two carries for 10 yards. Running backs Ka’Deem Carey, Deonta McMahan, and Daniel Adeboboye combined with six carries for 30 yards to reach the Redblacks’ one-yard line. Then, quarterback Chad Kelly scored the touchdown for a 14-0 lead with 24 seconds left of the first quarter capping off a 14-play drive for 98 yards.
Ottawa had the ball on their 54-yard line in the closing minutes of the first quarter. However, quarterback Dru Brown fumbled the ball as he was sacked by Ralph Holley and Wynton McManis recovered it for an 11-yard return reaching the Redblack’s 29-yard line to end the first quarter up 14-0.
Toronto had 189 yards on offense (145 yards passing, 44 yards rushing), 11 first downs, 2 for 2 in the red zone, and the team had no penalties. Quarterback Chad Kelly completed 8 of 8 passes for 145 yards, five carries for 11 yards, and one touchdown.
Ottawa had 29 yards on offense (22 yards passing, 7 yards rushing, 14 yards lost), 1 first down, no red zone opportunities, and the team had no penalties. Quarterback Dru Brown completed 2 of 4 passes for 22 yards, while wide receiver Justin Hardy made one catch for 25 yards, and one carry for seven yards.
Second Quarter:
On the first play of the second quarter, quarterback Chad Kelly threw a 29-yard touchdown right on the hands of Dejon Brissett for a 21-0 lead with 14:36 left of the second quarter. Ottawa quarterback Dru Brown completed a four-yard pass to Dominique Rhymes on second down short of the first down and they punted the ball back to Toronto with 12:52 left.
Toronto quarterback Chad Kelly threw a 10-yard pass to DaVaris Daniels reaching their 37-yard line. For the next three plays, Chad Kelly and running back Ka’Deem Carey combined with three carries logging 14 yards to reach the Redblacks’ 47-yard line. Then, Kelly saw Makai Polk beat Damon Webb before throwing to him for a 47-yard touchdown. The route was on as Toronto led Ottawa 28-0 with 9:51 left before halftime to cap off a five-play drive for 71 yards.
Ottawa quarterback Dru Bown completed two passes for 15 yards, and rushed for a gain of two yards to reach the Argonauts’ 54-yard line then the offense stalled and Toronto got the ball back with 7:20 left before halftime.
Toronto running back Deonta McMahan rushed for two yards to start the next series, while Chad Kelly completed a 7-yard pass to Deonta McMahan and ran for one yard to reach their 20-yard line. For the first time in this game, Toronto tried a flea flicker when Kelly’s pass intended for Makai Polk went incomplete.
It was Kelly’s first incomplete pass of the game and the offense stalled afterward. Punter John Haggerty punted the ball 56 yards to Kalil Pimpleton for a one-yard return on the Redblacks’ 35-yard line with 4:11 left before halftime.
Ottawa running back Khalan Laborn started the next drive with a three-yard run, followed by quarterback Dru Brown completing three passes for 65 yards to reach the Argonauts’ 7-yard line. On the next play, Dru Brown threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Bralon Addison. Kicker Lewis Ward missed the extra point and Ottawa trailed Toronto 28-6 with 2:31 left before halftime.
For the rest of the second quarter, Ottawa defensive lineman Aidan John sacked Chad Kelly for a 10-yard loss, and Toronto defensive lineman Robbie Smith sacked Dru Brown for an 8-yard loss. Toronto had minus two yards on offense and Ottawa had two yards on offense. The Argonauts led the Redblacks 28-6 at halftime.
First Half Stats:
Toronto had 297 yards on offense (238 yards passing, 71 yards rushing, 12 yards lost), 18 first downs, 2 for 2 in the red zone, and the team had no penalties. Quarterback Chad Kelly completed 12 of 15 passes (80%) for 238 yards, two touchdowns, 9 carries for 24 yards, and one touchdown. Running back Ka’Deem Carey had 7 carries for 30 yards, one touchdown, and one catch for three yards.
Wide receiver Makai Polk made three catches for 104 yards, and one touchdown, while Dejon Brissett made two catches for 46 yards and one touchdown. Toronto’s defense had one tackle for loss, two sacks, and one fumble recovery. They dominated the time of possession at 19:07.
Ottawa had 113 yards on offense (123 yards passing, 12 yards rushing, 22 yards lost), 6 first downs, 1 for 1 in the red zone, and the team had no penalties. Quarterback Dru Brown completed 10 of 13 passes (77%) for 123 yards, one touchdown, and one carry for two yards. Running back Khalan Laborn had two carries for three yards.
Wide receiver Bralon Addison made four catches for 32 yards, and one touchdown, while Marco Dubois made one catch for 27 yards. Ottawa’s defense made one sack. Ottawa’s time of possession was 10:53.
Third Quarter:
Toronto got the ball to start the second half from their 47-yard line. Quarterback Chad Kelly completed three straight passes for 43 yards to reach the Redblacks’ 20-yard line. Running back Ka’Deem Carey lost five yards on a rushing attempt and kicker Lirim Hajrullahu kicked a 36-yard field goal for a 31-6 lead with 11:16 left of the third quarter.
Ottawa quickly went two-and-out giving Toronto’s offense the ball back on their 38-yard line. Ka’Deem Carey started the drive with three straight running plays for 24 yards to reach their 52-yard line. Quarterback Chad Kelly completed a 9-yard pass to DaVaris Daniels and ran for one yard reaching the Redblacks’ 48-yard line.
Toronto’s offense continued to march down the field reaching the Redblacks’ 10-yard line before Chad Kelly threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Dejon Brissett for a 38-6 lead with 1:27 left of the third quarter to cap off a 13-play drive for 82 yards in eight minutes.
Ottawa got the ball with 1:11 left of the third quarter. Quarterback Dru Brown threw three straight passes for 30 yards to reach their 45-yard line. On the last play of the third quarter, running back Khalan Laborn rushed for three yards to their 48-yard line down 38-6 heading into the fourth quarter.
Fourth Quarter:
In the fourth quarter, quarterback Dru Brown completed three more passes for 30 yards to reach the Argonauts’ 32-yard line facing third down. On third down, Dru Brown completed a pass to Bralon Addison, who broke several sloppy tackle attempts to score a 32-yard touchdown. They attempted a two-point conversion but did not get it and trailed the Argonauts 38-12 with 12:10 left of the game to cap off a nine-play drive for 95 yards in four minutes.
On the kickoff, Toronto returner Janarion Grant returned the ball for 37 yards before James Peter forced a fumble and it was recovered by Dawson Pierre on the Argonauts’ 46-yard line. However, Toronto got it right back when Tarvarus McFadden intercepted Dru Brown on their four-yard line. Ottawa coach Bob Dyce challenged the play for defensive pass interference and lost the challenge.
Toronto began to substitute players with the game out of reach. Running back Daniel Adeboboye had three carries for 11 yards and quarterback Chad Kelly completed a two-yard pass to Dejon Brissett forcing third down. Ottawa got the ball back on the Argonauts’ 38-yard line with 8:08 left.
Ottawa quarterback Dru Brown completed a short pass to Kalil Pimpleton for 19 yards to reach the Argonauts’ 19-yard line. Wide receiver Bralon Addison rushed for 8 yards and Khalan Laborn rushed for five yards to reach the Argonauts’ six-yard line. On third down, Brown completed a short pass to Khalan Laborn for no yards and Toronto took over on downs.
Cameron Dukes replaced Chad Kelly as the quarterback with 4:57 left of the game. Running back Daniel Adeboboye had two carries for three yards short of the first down. Toronto was at this point killing the clock. Ottawa got the ball back with 2:56 left on the Argonauts’ 12-yard line after Toronto was penalized for illegal participation.
Ottawa quarterback Dru Brown completed a six-yard pass to Justin Hardy, followed by a six-yard touchdown pass to Nick Mardner. They successfully converted a two-point conversion and the Redblacks trailed the Argonauts 38-20 with 2:39 left of the game.
On the kickoff, Ottawa went with an onside kick and recovered the ball on the Argonauts’ 51-yard line. Quarterback Dru Brown completed a 38-yard pass to Kalil Pimpleton to reach the Argonauts’ 13-yard line. On third down, Brown threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Justin Hardy and made another two-point conversion trailing Toronto 38-28 with 2:03 left capping off a three-play drive for 51 yards in 33 seconds.
Ottawa would successfully get another onside kick from their 52-yard line. Quarterback Dru Brown completed two passes for 27 yards then the drive stalled. Kicker Lewis Ward made a 39-yard field goal and they trailed Toronto 38-31 with 1:12 left of the game. The fans at this point were nervous because of how Toronto allowed Ottawa back into the game.
On the kickoff, Ottawa did not get the onside kick. Toronto’s starters returned to the field. Running back Ka’Deem Carey had two carries for three yards taking time off the clock facing third down. Ottawa got the ball back with 33 seconds left from their 12-yard line.
Quarterback Dru Brown completed a 23-yard pass to Justin Hardy before Toronto defensive lineman Derek Parrish sacked him for an 11-yard loss. Next, Brown completed a 13-yard pass to Khalan Laborn giving Ottawa one more play.
On the last play, Brown threw a 35-yard pass to Justin Hardy, and there were several lateral passes but they did not score and the game was over. The Toronto Argonauts defeated the Ottawa Redblacks 38-31 and will host the Redblacks again in two weeks in the Eastern Semi-Final game. The Argonauts have now won three straight games, while the Redblacks losing streak reached five games.
Final Stats:
Toronto had 436 yards on offense (331 yards passing, 117 yards rushing, 12 yards lost), 29 first downs, 3 for 4 in the red zone, and the team was penalized three times for 25 yards. Quarterback Chad Kelly completed 21 of 26 passes (81%) for 331 yards, three touchdowns, 10 carries for 25 yards, and one touchdown. Running back Ka’Deem Carey had 14 carries for 55 yards, one touchdown, and two catches for 14 yards.
Wide receiver Makai Polk made three catches for 104 yards, and one touchdown, while Dejon Brissett made five catches for 67 yards and two touchdowns. Toronto’s defense made 35 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Ottawa had 395 yards on offense (400 yards passing, 28 yards rushing, 33 yards lost), 20 first downs, 3 for 4 in the red zone, and the team was penalized one time for 10 yards. Quarterback Dru Brown completed 31 of 43 passes (72.1%) for 400 yards, four touchdowns, one interception, and one carry for two yards. Running back Khalan Laborn had four carries for 11 yards and four catches for 42 yards.
Wide receiver Kalil Pimpleton made seven catches for 114 yards, while Justin Hardy made seven catches for 102 yards and one touchdown, and Bralon Addison made eight catches for 74 yards, and two touchdowns. Ottawa’s defense made 54 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.
Next week, the Ottawa Redblacks host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday at 7 pm on TSN and CFL+, while the Toronto Argonauts visit the Edmonton Elks on Friday at 9:30 pm on TSN and CFL+. Subscribe to Fubo to watch all of the 2024 CFL Season. Purchase CFL tickets today on StubHub.
