TORONTO - Arkee Whitlock scored two second-half touchdowns as the Edmonton Eskimos beat Toronto 22-19 on Friday night, eliminating the Argonauts from playoff contention for the second straight year.
The win, while ugly, was a big one nonetheless for Edmonton (7-8), which moved into a third-place tie with B.C. in the West Division. The Eskimos also went ahead of Winnipeg and Hamilton (both 6-8) in the crossover playoff scenario.
Edmonton registered its first win at Rogers Centre since 2005, a span of three games, before an announced gathering of 26,515.
Whitlock's 53-yard TD run at 5:41 of the fourth put Edmonton ahead 22-12. He also scored on a four-yard scamper to give the Eskimos a 15-9 advantage at 11:45 of the third. It came one play after Andrew Nowacki recovered Jason Carter's fumble on a punt return and put the Eskimos on the Argos' four-yard line.
Toronto made it interesting with Kerry Joseph's two-yard TD strike to Jeff Johnson at 12:55 -- the home team's first passing touchdown in seven games -- to cap a smart 102-yard, nine-play drive. But Edmonton drove to the Argos' 38-yard line and punted, giving the home team possession at its five-yard line with 12 seconds remaining.
And there was no miracle comeback as Toronto (3-12) suffered its fifth straight loss. The game script was a bitterly familiar one for the Argos under first-year head coach Bart Andrus -- the defence played well enough but showed signs of being overworked as the CFL's worst offence (with Andrus serving as the offensive co-ordinator) again struggled to muster any consistency.
Joseph was the victim of three dropped passes in the first half, all of which killed drives. And while he did lead the Argos on an impressive march late, Joseph's two second-half interceptions snuffed out promising drives.
And miscues on special teams also contributed to the loss.
The Argos also continued their struggles against West Division rivals, falling to 0-7 this season. They haven't beat a Western club since claiming a home victory over Edmonton on July 20, 2008, a span of 13 straight contests.
Whitlock's long run in the fourth at least injected some life and flow into a game that, for the most part, desperately lacked both. Neither offence was especially effective with the ball, a byproduct of an encounter between two last-place teams that between them have just one win in nine games.
And the two teams combined for five turnovers, with Toronto recording three.
Fred Stamps had Edmonton's other touchdown. Noel Prefontaine added the converts and a single.
Medlock's 27-yard field goal to end the second earned Toronto a 9-8 half-time lead. Medlock's boot capped a 50-yard, seven play drive that began at the Argos' 40-yard line with 56 seconds remaining.
Ray's 63-yard TD pass to Stamps at 4:18 of the first was the half's biggest play. It came after Toronto settled for a Medlock field goal after Willie Pile's interception on the second play from scrimmage put the Argos on the Edmonton 23-yard line.
Toronto's anemic offence mustered just 112 total first-half yards, the bulk coming on its final drive to close out the half. But the Argos did lose starting offensive linemen Jeff Keeping (shoulder) and Brian Ramsay (knee) on their opening possession and three times receivers dropped very catchable passes to halt drives.
Edmonton wasn't much better, rolling up 157 total yards but Ray was 11-of-15 passing for 120 yards. Joseph was 9-of-19 for 93 yards.
Notes: Receiver Reggie McNeal, kick-returner Dominique Dorsey, linebacker Ray Fontaine and defensive lineman Walter Curry didn't dress for Toronto. Kicker Derek Schiavone and receivers Efren Hill, Jamaica Rector and Skylar Green were Edmonton's scratches. ... Coming into the contest, Ray was one of five quarterbacks to throw for more than 400 yards against Toronto since 2003, passing for 414 yards Aug. 20, 2005. The others are Kevin Glenn, Joseph, Danny McManus and Anthony Calvillo.
