Toronto Argonauts clinch second in East Division with home win over Ottawa Redblacks

Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly (12) rushes past Ottawa Redblacks defensive end Lorenzo Mauldin IV (94) to score a touchdown during first half CFL football action in Toronto on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Chad Kelly threw three touchdown passes and ran for another as the Toronto Argonauts held on for a 38-31 win over the Ottawa Redblacks to clinch a home playoff game on Saturday afternoon.

Toronto (10-7) clinched second in the East Division with its third straight win. The Argos will face Ottawa (8-8-1) in the opening round of the CFL playoffs Nov. 2 at BMO Field.

The Redblacks, who have reached the post-season for the first time since 2018, have lost five straight.

Kelly finished 31-of-43 passing for 331 yards and three TDs. He also ran 10 times for 25 yards and a touchdown before giving way to Cameron Dukes late in the fourth quarter.

Ottawa starter Dru Brown completed 23-of-31 passes for 400 yards with four TDs and an interception. He hit Bralon Addison on a 32-yard scoring strike at 2:30 of the fourth to cut Toronto's lead to 38-12 but the two-point convert was unsuccessful. 

Ottawa got the ball at the Toronto 42 with 11:58 remaining after James Pierre recovered Janarion Grant's fumbled kickoff return. But on the next play, Tavarus McFadden intercepted Brown at the Argos' five-yard line before a season-high BMO Field gathering of 20,487.

Ottawa made it very interesting late in the fourth.

Brown hit rookie Nick Mardner with a six-yard TD pass at 12:21 then found Justin Hardy on the two-point convert. Then after Kene Onyeka recovered the onside kick, Brown found Hardy on a 14-yard touchdown toss and Addison on the two-point convert at 12:56 to make it a 10-point game.

Amazingly, Ottawa recovered another onside kick - this time via Jaelon Acklin - at the Toronto 52. Lewis Ward's 38-yard field goal with 1:12 remaining cut Toronto's lead to 38-31.

Toronto's Daniel Adeboboye recovered the ensuing onside kick at the Ottawa 42. The Argos failed to get a first down but punted, where the Redblacks took possession at their 12-yard line with 30 seconds to play.

Ottawa had a last gasp from its 37 with two seconds to play. Brown completed his final pass, leading to a series of laterals before offensive lineman Dariusz Bladek was tackled. Still, the Redblacks outscored Toronto 25-0 in the fourth.

Dejon Brissett, with two, Ka'Deem Carey and Makai Polk scored Toronto's other touchdowns. Lirim Hajrullahu booted five converts and a field goal.

Addison also had two touchdowns for Ottawa.

Kelly and Brissett combined to finish a 13-play, 82-yard march on a 10-yard TD pass at 13:13 of the third. It put Toronto ahead 38-6 and came after Hajrullahu connected from 36 yards out at 3:44.

Brown's seven-yard TD pass to Addison at 12:23 of the second cut Toronto's halftime lead to 28-6. Addison put the finishing touches on a five-play, 75-yard march but Benji Franklin blocked Ward's convert try.

Toronto was dominant to that point, scoring touchdowns on its first four possessions. Kelly completed his first 12 passes for 238 yards and two TDs while also running for another before finishing the half with three straight incompletions.

Still, Toronto rolled up 297 net offensive yards, converted nine-of-15 second-down chances and held the ball for over 19 minutes. Polk had three catches for 104 yards and a TD.

Brown was 10-of-13 passing for 123 yards, much of that coming on the scoring drive. But Ottawa had only 113 net offensive yards and ran half as many offensive plays (19) as Toronto (38).

Kelly's 47-yard TD pass to Polk at 4:57 extended Toronto;s lead to 28-0. It followed a 29-yard TD strike to Brissett 14 seconds into the second that was set up by Wynton McManis's fumble recovery.

Kelly's one-yard run at 14:12 of the first put Toronto ahead 14-0 and culminated a 14-play, 98-yard march. Carey opened the scoring with a one-yard TD run on third down at 5:07.

It was the seventh play of the 91-yard drive that followed Ward's missed 43-yard field goal try.

UP NEXT

Toronto: At Edmonton (6-11) on Friday night.

Ottawa: Hosts Hamilton (7-10) on Friday night.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2024.