Can Argos Repeat?

While the starting quarterbacks for both the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets were healthy scratches, DeShaun Watson wasn’t needed on the night for the Dawg Pound. In a quasi-home game, the Browns triumphed 21-16 as the team now readies for a true home date vs. the Washington Commanders this coming weekend.

While the NFL is in preseason, up north in Canada, the CFL’s in the midst of week nine. It’s in the province of Ontario where we’ll focus today.

Toronto Argonauts Flew Out of the Gate

Last season, under the leadership of former starting quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson, the Toronto Argonauts won their third Grey Cup championship in a decade. That November night, the Argos narrowly bested the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 24-23.  This was the club’s 18th Grey Cup.

2022 Grey Cup Champions. #PullTogether pic.twitter.com/h8matGK7Dz

— Toronto Argonauts (@TorontoArgos) November 21, 2022

With Bethel-Thompson leaving to go to the USFL’s New Orleans Breakers, who’d step up under center (centre) in 2023? The Argos had the nephew of a great quarterback ready to go this year.

Enter Chad Kelly. The nephew of Buffalo Bills great Jim Kelly, he exited last season as the backup, but found himself as QB1 after Bethel-Thompson’s departure.

Heading into week nine’s games, the Argos raced out of the gates to a 6-0 start. To find the last time that Toronto began a regular season at 6-0, you’d have to go back to 1935. World War II was still four years away at the time.

Kelly Goes Out in Week Nine

Prior to the Aug. 4 contest between the Argos and Calgary Stampeders, Chad Kelly had thrown for 1,505 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions on the season. In the first half of the game, however, Kelly suffered an ankle injury, costing him the rest of the night.

This leaves Argos head coach Ryan Dinwiddie in a bind. Toronto has one more ballgame left to play before they have their third and final bye of the 21-week season.

“I think Chad and (defensive back Adarius Pickett) can be back next week,” Dinwiddie told the press Friday night after the Argos’ 20-7 loss. “We’ve got a nine-day week, so attack the rehab there and then we’ve got to be smart.”

Having watched the game live, the Argos looked lost after Kelly left. This team is at its best when Kelly is at his best, so maybe another week could be beneficial.

Toronto Must Give Ouellette the Ball

Toronto’s running game is predicated by two bruising backs, starting with AJ Ouellette. An alum of the Ohio University football program, he’s been in Toronto for his entire CFL career, including a stopover in the Browns organization in the NFL after the CFL’s 2020 season was scrubbed by COVID-19.

Exiting week nine, he ranks No. 1 on the team in terms of rushing yards (459) with four touchdowns. In Friday’s loss, he was limited to just 29 yards on seven carries while being kept out of the end zone.

Ouellette hasn’t scored in a month. He’s a guy who can make any opponent pay if he gets the tiniest sliver of daylight. If the Argos feed him the ball, he can find pay dirt regularly.

Andrew Harris Can Run the Rock, Too

Not to be outdone by AJ Ouellette, his teammate Andrew Harris is a pretty decent halfback in his own right. Harris, a former member of the Blue Bombers and BC Lions, eclipsed the 10,000-yard plateau last season for the Argos, but it appears that opposing defenses have figured him out in 2023.

So far this year, Harris has been limited to just 139 yards on 29 carries and one touchdown. Most troubling for him is the fact that he’s been limited to single digits in three of the last five games.

All it takes is for the defense to be caught sleeping. If Harris gets in the open field, he could be gone.

Robertson Daniel is a Ball-Hawk

Defensively speaking, the Argos have been buoyed by Robertson Daniel, an alum of BYU. When the opposing quarterback puts up the pigskin, there’s a good chance it might come down in his hands for an interception.

Thus far in 2023, he’s picked off four passes, including three INTs on July 3 vs. BC, with one returned for a touchdown. This is a guy whose eyes zero in on the ball as soon as the quarterback throws it.

He hasn’t picked one off since that July 3 contest. He’s due for a fifth interception.

Final Thoughts

In football, even the best teams can’t win every single game. The Argos are in good shape to get back to the Grey Cup Playoffs on a November Saturday afternoon at BMO Field in Toronto.

As long as they stay hungry and stay healthy, they’re winning the Grey Cup for a 19th time this year.