Bombers-Argos tilt loses lustre

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This article was published 26/09/2023 (773 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The most highly anticipated game of the 2023 CFL regular season is starting to lose its lustre.

Just days before a Grey Cup rematch between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts Friday night at IG Field, the visitors have called an audible.

Having already clinched the East Division with a CFL-leading 12-1 record, Toronto appears to want to take some of the shine off this weekend’s affair by fiddling with its lineup. Most notably, according to reports out of Argonauts practice on Tuesday, star quarterback Chad Kelly has been taken out of the starting lineup and replaced by No. 2 pivot Cameron Dukes.

The news has created quite the stir for CFL fans who were hoping to see an instant classic between the two best rosters in the three-down loop. It’s a game that has been sold-out for weeks, as it’s the first and only time the two clubs will meet in the regular season.

Meanwhile, the Bombers, many of whom predictably downplayed the hype around the game when talking after Monday’s workout, aren’t nearly as bothered with what’s happening in Toronto.

“It shouldn’t,” Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said after Tuesday’s practice, when asked how Toronto’s lineup affects what they do. “They’ve earned the right to make whatever decision they want.”

O’Shea added: “In football, in pro sports, in any kind of business, if you don’t execute your plan then sometimes it doesn’t work out the way you want. So, our job, no matter what happens, no matter what their roster looks like, is to go out and execute.”

If any team understands what the Argonauts are going through right now, it’s the Bombers. Winnipeg clinched the West the previous two years, both times with weeks remaining in the regular season, allowing for them to juggle their lineup.

It can be a bit of a balancing act trying to weigh the importance of keeping players healthy against making sure they don’t get too complacent by limiting their playing time. While most teams would switch positions with the Argonauts, it’s not as if it comes without its challenges.

“You got to find a way to manage it, and I’m not envious of Osh and what he’s had to do in previous seasons, or what he might have to do this year depending on how things go,” Bombers QB Zach Collaros said. “It’s a tough balance and I’m sure (Argonauts head coach Ryan) Dinwiddie is trying to figure it out over there.”

It’s unclear whether the Argonauts plan to rest players other than Kelly, but it wouldn’t be surprising if other key players also got some rest. After sealing the East following a win over the Montreal Alouettes in Week 15, Toronto sat a couple starters last week, including running back A.J. Ouellette, while still managing to turn in a 29-14 home victory against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

“So, our job, no matter what happens, no matter what their roster looks like, is to go out and execute.”–Mike O’Shea

It’s a bit of a different story with Kelly sitting out, though, as there isn’t a more important position on the field. Kelly has been playing an incredibly high level in his second CFL season and first as a starter, averaging the third-most passing yards (261.1) per game and throwing the third-most TD passes (21) to put him in the conversation for the league’s most outstanding player.

Kelly was also instrumental in earning the Argonauts a narrow 24-23 victory over the Bombers in last year’s Grey Cup, meaning any chance for payback this week for his performance last November seems unlikely. Kelly entered the game late for an injured McLeod Bethel-Thompson and led Toronto to a game-winning drive before falling a vote short of being named the game’s most valuable player.

“Yeah, I’d say so,” receiver Nic Demski said when asked if he’s over losing what would have been a third straight Grey Cup win for the Bombers. “Obviously, some of that lingers in the back of your mind to start off the year, but we’re already three quarters of the way this season and we’ve got a whole new goal of winning the 2023 Grey Cup.”

As for Dukes, he’s about as inexperienced as they come. The 25-year-old is playing in his first season in the CFL after spending the 2022 campaign — his first out of college — with the Vegas Knight Hawks of the Arena Football League, where he threw for 1,100 yards and 27 touchdowns in eight games.

The Kentucky native has seen action in one game this season, replacing an injured Kelly midway through a Week 9 loss to Calgary. He finished the game completing eight of his 15 passes for 63 yards and an interception.

“They’re not watered down with Kelly out, they’re still a good team,” Bombers defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat said. “So, no matter who’s at quarterback, they’re going to come to play. It’s on us to execute and play a good game.”

The Bombers also have plenty of other things to focus on, including finishing atop the West for a third straight year. At 10-4, Winnipeg is tied with the B.C. Lions, and with only four games remaining in the regular season each one will be pivotal to where they finish in the standings.

“They’re not watered down with Kelly out, they’re still a good team.”–Jackson Jeffcoat

It’s been a couple years since the Bombers have been in this tight of a race. With a game against B.C. set for next week to determine the winner of the season series — and first tiebreaker, if it comes to that — there’s a feeling it will go down to the wire.

“It feels tighter this year, for sure, but that’s what makes it fun,” Demski added. “When you play professional football, you live off competitiveness, so you want that competitive nature, especially in the West. While you can say it’s different from years prior, all we’re focused on is 2023 and not what’s already happened.”

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton