Toronto Argonauts put on notice by Ryan Dinwiddie after loss to Roughriders

TORONTO — Ryan Dinwiddie sat at the podium following the Toronto Argonauts' 39-32 loss and it was clear the head coach had reached a boiling point.

He had just finished talking to the players and made it clear that he was not going to accept the standard of play that he had been seeing.

“I’ve never really got after those guys, this is the first time I’ve had to after a game. Pretty embarrassed by it. I thought it was selfish play, selfish penalties,” Dinwiddie said after the game with fans at the BMO club watching. “I told those guys, ‘Someone’s going home tomorrow.’ Heads are rolling. I ain’t putting up with that stuff no more.

“I think that might open up some eyes. We gotta come and do the work. These guys are getting paid, this is their job. They need to come here with some purpose. It’s coaches as well. It’s not a good atmosphere right now. We’ll get it fixed. We’re men and we’re pros, we get paid to do this, but I’m not happy right now.”

This game was certainly an exciting one for those watching — 12,025 were in attendance at BMO Field — but you can bet that both head coaches weren't too thrilled with how the game was unfolding.

Both teams combined for 29 penalties for 307 yards with Toronto accumulating 129 yards. Discipline went out the window as players were guilty of a good number of post-whistle penalties.

"I'm pretty embarrassed by it," Dinwiddie said about the penalties and chippiness of the game. "They (Riders) were chirping all game … we got involved in the chirping game and it cost us. 

"We had selfish penalties, that's the one thing I hate. It isn't about you, it's about the team. We aren't even close to being there. We don't know how to not lose games. It's not about winning games, (it's) not losing games."

Fortunately for the Riders, the penalties did not cost them the victory but it's certainly something they will take as a learning lesson.

"That goes to show you in this league you make it really tough to win when you're giving away free yards," Roughriders head coach Corey Mace told the Canadian Press. "We obviously have to get better at that … but to walk out of here with a win on a short week, we'll feel good about that."

What happened on the game-winning touchdown?

The Argos looked to built up some momentum late in the game.

Brett Lauther missed a 33-yard field goal that should have put the game pretty much out of reach.

The Argos would take advantage and drive all the way down the field with Kevin Mital securing his first touchdown of the season.

Then came the ensuing kickoff.

Sometimes teams have a decision to make, kick it deep and let your coverage team keep the returner from breaking free for a big run or ... kick it high and short so that it's not returned as far but sacrifice a bit of field position.

Toronto decided to kick it deep to Mario Alford and he took all the way back for a 99-yard touchdown, pretty much sealing the victory for Saskatchewan.

A stunned Argos crowd mixed in with scattered Roughriders fans were trying to process what they were seeing.

Up in the press box we had the replay of the return come through and it was clear that there was a missed block in back as Dinwiddie pointed out (he said No. 43 which looks to be the case) but that wasn't the only issue.

The Argos only had 11 players on the field.

As we were heading down the elevator I heard someone say, "only 11 on the field," and couldn't figure out what that meant. Then it was pointed out to me by Sportnset colleague Patrick Hannon that there were only 11 players on the field for the return which generally is not a position you want to be in.

That's certainly an error on many levels. Dinwiddie mentioned that it was a blatant mistake as the team had a chance to huddle up which is usually when the first count happens and a strategy can be had.

However, usually someone up in the Argos coaching box is supposed to count and try to radio down if there aren't enough players on the field but obviously that didn't happen.

Then comes the other issue...should Toronto have kicked it to Alford in the first place?

He already burned the team earlier in the game on a punt return that put his team in great position for a touchdown and is one of the top returners in the league.

If Toronto decided to kick it high or away from Alford in order to keep the ball from being returned, it puts pressure on Saskatchwan to get into field goal range. Considering Lauther missed a 33-yard field goal and missed three kicks last week in Hamilton, it might've been worth considering.

The good and bad from Arbuckle

With some wondering if the Argos would consider a change at quarterback, Arbuckle was once again back under centre. An understandable decision given their two other quarterbacks don't have a lot of experience, especially with the playbook.

On the first drive of the game, Arbuckle showed poise and gave some hope that maybe he was heading in the right direction. He found Kevin Mital for a big 41-yard catch, which set up a touchdown pass to Dejon Brissett.

However, it continued to be a struggle for the offence to put together drives with three-straight punts followed by a turnover on downs at the one-yard line.

The only other touchdown the Argos had in this game came off a turnover that set them up at the goal line for a quarterback sneak.

Arbuckle certainly had a better night against Saskatchewan than in his first two games of the season but there were certainly missed opportunities.

After completing a 36-yard pass to Damonte Coxie to get in the redzone, Arbuckle got stripped of the ball and fortunately was able to jump on it. That would lead to a field goal and another drive that ended with three points scored instead of at least six.

Then we saw the Arbuckle put together a drive late in the fourth quarter to tie the game. Dinwiddie was certainly complimentary of his quarterback and it's hard not to be given he gave his team a chance in the end.

However, it can't be missed that the team is 0-3 and are so banged up defence that the offence needs to step up.

What's the answer?

Arbuckle has to get the ball out quicker. It was working on a few drives where the running game provided him the check-down options to keep the ball moving forward.

He cannot get into a position where he is trying to hold on and wait for a play to develop because he isn't going to be afforded enough time.

Which takes us to...

A rough night for the offensive line

Over the years, the Argos have prided themselves on the play of their offensive line.

In 2023, the unit allowed just 19 sacks, a pretty impressive number, but then in 2024 that number doubled to 40.

Against Saskatchewan, Arnuckle was taken down four times which increased the total to nine on the season. In comparison, the Roughriders have allowed two sacks on the season.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that the Edmonton Elks (seven sacks) and Ottawa Redblacks (six sacks) who have also struggled out of the gate have allowed a high number of sacks.

“I thought we got beat up front,” Dinwiddie said about the play of the offensive line. “We’ve got one of our guards who’s 280 pounds. I don’t know what he did all off-season.”

“We had one six-yard hitch where we didn’t even have time to throw that. Week 1 and Week 3, I thought our O-line got physically beaten. … We have a veteran O-line, it doesn’t look like it right now.”

With Arbuckle, the Argos are dealing with a passer who isn't as willing to take off and run with the ball like Chad Kelly and Cameron Dukes were. This obviously means more situations where the offensive line has to stand in and try to buy their quarterback time.

Toronto could also count on the running game to take pressure off the quarterback and the offensive line.

Unfortunately, the Argos have found themselves trailing in all three games this season which has led to them needing to throw more than pass. plus they are averaging just 4.0 yards per carry, which is the second-lowest mark in the league with Ottawa at 2.41 yards per carry.

Sure they don't have Ka'Deem Carey at running back anymore but Miyan Williams has shown that he is capable of contributing but Dinwiddie said that there is room for improvement.

You can be sure that Dinwiddie and offensive line coach Kris Sweet won't be accepting many more of these performances going forward.