It was a big game featuring teams riding two-game win streaks with first-place repercussions in the East resting in the balance.
Get used to these backdrops as the CFL season officially reaches its post-season push.
Both the Argos and host Redblacks are worthy of the CFL playoffs, even though there were stretches Saturday when neither looked ready for the big stage.
Still, it was a decent game that came down to the final minute as the Argos held on for a 24-19 win.
Argos QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson started well, but finished poorly. His Ottawa counterpart and former Argos teammate, Nick Arbuckle, started poorly and finished well, but failed twice down the stretch to finish off a game-winning drive. He even took a late penalty deep in Toronto’s end for intentional grounding before trying to use his legs on third down, only to come up short.
Toronto won because its defence made big-time plays in key moments just when the Redblacks appeared primed to rally for a rare home triumph.
Eventually, MBT will have to play a complete game from start to finish before the Argos can be considered as contenders for the Grey Cup.
For now, they’ll have to live with his play, which alternates from good to average to below average, as was the case when he overthrew an open Kurleigh Gittens Jr., from his own end zone following the Arbuckle turnover on downs.
MBT also threw a pick in the fourth quarter that shifted momentum.
At the same time, he did throw for 365 yards in helping the Argos improve to 7-5 as they enter their final bye of the season before returning to Ottawa for a Sept. 24 meeting.
“He was playing an awesome game until he was late on the throw to DaVaris (Daniels),’’ said head coach Ryan Dinwiddie of the interception. “He knows he has to get better from time to time, but he’s still playing good football.”
MBT’s two touchdown drives were both efficient and dominant, including an 11-play 85-yard work of art in the first quarter that gave the Argos a 10-0 lead on A.J. Ouellette’s two-yard TD plunge.
It was the first rushing major this season for Ouellette, who has run hard out of the Argos backfield as the replacement for injured Andrew Harris.
“He’s Mr. Consistent,’’ said Dinwiddie of the third-year back. “I don’t know how many tackles he broke. He’s making it work.
“Kudos to A.J. on all those runs because they were not blocked cleanly. I’m very proud of the way he’s running. He’s doing a great job for us. You can tell he’s from Ohio because he’s a downhill runner.”
The Boatmen, however, are not a running team. Their offensive identity is their passing game, which puts the onus squarely on the shoulders of MBT, whose arm strength can’t be questioned.
Dinwiddie also has been quite aggressive lately in his playcalling, which helps explain their current three-game win streak.
Still, as well as the offence moved the ball, the zero fourth-quarter points cannot be tolerated down the stretch of the season, and especially in the post-season.
“It was unfortunate we couldn’t get it going in the fourth to seal the game,’’ said Dinwiddie.
Defensively, it was a team effort. Most of Ottawa’s damage came off intermediate routes that led to large gains produced after the catch. When the defence did bend, it refused to break.
“They willed us to a win,’’ said Dinwiddie of his D.
With six games left and a four-point bulge on the Als, the Argos control the East.
“We don’t even look at the standings,’’ said Dinwiddie. “We don’t care. We want to take each game, one at a time.”
They’ve won the season series against the Ticats and can do likewise versus Ottawa with a win in the rematch. A split of their schedule-ending home-and-home against Montreal would earn them the tiebreaker over the Als.
Only a complete implosion will deny the Argos their second straight playoff berth, perhaps even a second trip in a row to the East final.
SACK ATTACK
Argos’ Shawn Oakman had a sack negated following a video review on Ottawa’s second series. The 6-foot-9 lineman then produced a sack that did count on the following play. On the overturned sack, Oakman apparently tugged on Arbuckle’s jersey when the QB was taken down to the turf, akin to a horse-collar motion. It looked like Arbuckle did duck his shoulder before contact.
In the second quarter, Redblacks’ Lorenzo Mauldin sacked MBT, and though there was no jersey tug, the Argos threw a challenge flag, but the play stood.
Either way, there’s no consistency from the officials, whether it was Saturday’s game or any CFL game, for that matter.
BRIEFLY
Three Argos starters — rush end Shane Ray, who had been playing at a high level because he was finally healthy, left tackle Dejon Allen and middle linebacker Henoc Muamba were lost in the opening half. According to Dinwiddie, Allen was battling back spasms before kickoff. Ray hurt his knee, but “could have returned, there was no structural damage,” said the coach.” There was no immediate word on Muamba’s condition …The 10 first-quarter points represented a season-high for the Argos … Boris Bede opened the game with a 51-yard field goal, but missed from the same distance on the final play of the first half as the Argos led 13-6 … Ouellette’s TD was only the fourth rushing score of the season for the Argos and first for a running back. The previous rushing TDs were fashioned by backup QB Chad Kelly (two) and Monday’s aborted Philly Special that saw Brandon Banks cross the end zone on a reverse … Gittens had a career afternoon, securing eight of his 12 targets for 161 yards and a touchdown.
fzicarelli@postmedia.com
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