WINNIPEG — The Toronto Argonauts’ defence got here to play on Friday evening. The Argos got here away with a 14-11 victory in a defensive showdown with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers within the opening recreation of Thanksgiving Weekend offered by Purolator to punch their ticket to the playoffs and produce Winnipeg’s eight-game successful run to a halt.
The Argos’ defensive unit produced two turnovers and 7 sacks at Princess Auto Stadium to quiet a normally environment friendly offence and sweep the season sequence with the Bombers. Folarin Orimolade had two sacks of his personal in addition to a game-sealing interception to ice the sport within the remaining seconds of the fourth quarter.
On offence, Toronto’s Chad Kelly threw for 203 yards and a landing, whereas Makai Polk led his workforce’s receivers with 82 yards on 4 catches. David Ungerer III had Toronto’s solely landing of the day with a 13-yard seize within the first quarter.
Zach Collaros went 23-30 for 249 yards and an interception within the loss at dwelling. Brady Oliveira totalled 105 yards from scrimmage on 21 touches and Kenny Lawler led his workforce in receiving, going for 108 yards along with his six receptions.
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Carey burst by way of a gap for a 21-yard acquire on Toronto’s first possession. Fellow operating again McMahon caught a go for a 17-yard pickup. From the pink zone, Kelly had time within the pocket to select Ungerer on a slant route for his first receiving landing of the 12 months.
The B0mbers started the ballgame with back-to-back two-and-outs after Collaros was dropped at the turf Orimolade for an eight-yard loss. With yards laborious to come back by on offence, an enormous play on particular groups by Brian Cole gave the house workforce the ball after being pressured to punt. Cole pressured a fumble out of return specialist Janarion Grant and recovered the ball as properly to present Winnipeg the ball at Toronto’s nine-yard line. With two scoring alternatives on Toronto’s doorstep, Terry Wilson Jr. was unable to jam into the top zone, leading to a turnover on downs on the one-yard line.
Oliveira helped the Bombers to only their second first down of the ballgame with an enormous 26-yard run by way of the center. Winnipeg’s operating again was stopped on an ensuing second-down play, leaving Sergio Castillo to try his first area aim of the evening from 42 yards out. His kick flew broad left, leading to a single as Toronto went into the second quarter up 7-1.
After Winnipeg’s defence got here up with a cease on third down the house workforce’s offensive unit acquired their first landing of the sport. Collaros’ deep ball to Lawler good for 49 yards set the Bombers up inside Toronto’s 20. A few performs later, Collaros was introduced down by Brinkman for an eight-yard loss, leading to Castillo’s 26-yard area aim. Toronto’s Lirim Hajrullahu would knock in a few area targets of his personal to present the Argos a 13-4 benefit on the break.
Simply when issues had been starting to click on on offence for the Bombers after the interval, an premature fumble misplaced by Collaros introduced any potential momentum shift to a halt. Mark Milton tackled the scrambling Collaros and Wynton McManis got here up with the unfastened soccer.
One play after the turnover, Kelly linked with Polk for a 39-yard completion deep down the appropriate facet of the sphere. The Argos ultimately acquired the ball to Winnipeg’s aim line, however Kelly was stuffed on a third-down quarterback sneak because the guests turned it over on downs.
The Bombers would put collectively one other productive drive on offence however couldn’t end it off with a rating. This time it was as a result of a missed area aim as Castillo hit his 48-yard try off of the upright to maintain the rating at 13-4 early within the fourth quarter.
The house workforce lastly acquired their first factors of the second half and first landing of the evening courtesy of Wilson’s sneak on the aim line. Lawler drew a defensive go interference name in the long run zone to convey the offence to the one-yard line and from there, Wilson snuck in on his second try to make it a 13-11 recreation with 4:18 to go within the contest.
After the Argos had been pressured to punt for the third time within the second half the Bombers had the possibility to supply a game-winning drive with 2:27 on the clock. Collaros was sacked for a seven-yard loss on second down, mentioning a vital third-and-long. Scrambling out of the pocket with no choices deep, Collaros was pressured out of bounds by McManis simply shy of the first-down marker, handing possession again to the away workforce as Toronto would maintain on for a 14-11 win.
The Argonauts return dwelling for a gathering with the Ottawa REDBLACKS on Saturday, October 19 in Week 20. In the meantime, the Blue Bombers may have the week off earlier than going through off in opposition to the Alouettes in Montreal on Saturday, October 26.
