Toronto Argonauts face harsh reality after loss to Lions
Facing a third and short, Wynton McManis was able to get a hold of Nathan Rourke before the B.C. Lions quarterback was able to use his momentum to spin and secure the first down.
That play in a lot of ways was a microcosm of the Toronto Argonauts season. Just when it looked like the team was going to turn things around, they would come up just short.
Losing 27-22 on Friday night has officially put the Argos season on life support with just three games left, the team can only hope for some luck if they want to reach the playoffs.
Essentially, the Argos have to win out and hope an 8-10 record will be better than the fourth-best team in the West Division, looking to be the crossover team. With the Lions and Blue Bombers both at 8-7, they would have to lose their remaining games along with the Argos winning out.
It's wishful thinking and, unfortunately, a situation the Argos put themselves in following a 2-8 start in their first 10 games. There aren't many teams that can overcome tough starts like that. Even when the Blue Bombers started the season 0-4, they went on an eight-game winning streak and eventually made their fifth-straight Grey Cup appearance.
The team has been trying to hold strong as their playoff odds looked bleak, especially after a heartbreaking loss to the Montreal Alouettes that put second place out of reach.
Now, over the next few weeks, the Argos will likely be looking at what comes next because this is a team that can rebound if the right moves are made, but first, the shortcomings must be addressed.
So what led to Toronto's downfall this season?
It's really tough to pinpoint one thing that's plagued the Argos this season, but the loss against the Lions really put things into perspective.
The Argos allowed four sacks, and the offensive line was guilty of a number of penalties that put the offence into a lot of 1st and 20 or took a big play off the board.
“We were beat up on the O-line and the receivers," head coach Ryan Dinwiddie said after the game. "So I'm proud of their effort and their toughness. It’s a tough loss. But I thought, offensively, too many penalties, too many seconds and longs. But the defensive effort was there. They played good enough football for us to win. I thought special teams did their part, too.”
Through 15 games, the Argos are tied with the Edmonton Elks for the most sacks allowed at 42. They're also dead last in rushing yards, rushing yards per game, and touchdowns on the ground.
Out of all the units that have seen the most regression, it's been the offensive line. Through 18 games last season, the Argos allowed 40 sacks and 19 the year before that.
On top of that, the Argos were capable of rushing for over 100 yards per game, but have averaged just 51.8 yards per game this season.
Gone from the offensive line over the last few seasons are Isiah Cage, Dejon Allen, Gregor MacKellar and Landon Rice, while Dylan Giffen (has been injured), Ryan Hunter (has also missed time with injury, Peter Nicastro, Darius Ciraco and Anthony Vandal are still around.
If there is a priority for this front office during the off-season, it's trying to get the offensive line back to being a group that is a position of strength instead of a weakness.
What will the team do with Chad Kelly?
I've had many reach out to me asking me if the Argos will consider having Chad Kelly play in any of the remaining games and my gut tells me that the quarterback won't see the field in 2025.
When Nick Arbuckle wasn't able to play against the Montreal Alouettes because of a calf injury and Kelly wasn't even considered to come back in a pivotal game, it almost confirmed that he's not ready to play.
Dinwiddie has made it clear that Toronto's record wouldn't dictate Kelly's recovery timeline. However, some also wonder if the team's situation also led to them not feeling the need to rush him.
"There's always hope for him to return," Dinwiddie said back on Sept. 16. "He wants to play, we want to get him out there as well, it's just not there yet.
"I wouldn't rule that out. That's kind of where we're at right now, just taking it day by day."
There really hasn't been any indication as to what needs to be done for Kelly to show that he is capable of playing, but it's clear that there are a lot of decision makers who need to give the green light.
This really comes down to ensuring Kelly is ready to go for 2026 because the team has the Argos have him under contract for one more season and the team has put in a significant investment in him.
So what's the point of having him risk making an uncertain status worse in games that won't change the Argos outlook for 2025.
Potential Argos stream night
With just a few games left in the season, was thinking it would be interesting to do a stream night where fans watch me watch the Argos play, can ask questions or even come online to talk about the team, the new CFL rules and much more.
There's still planning going on, but it might happen on Friday Oct. 10, against the Roughriders. Keep an eye on my socials for more info if/when that happens.