Dinwiddie not sorry for sitting star QB

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This article was published 28/09/2023 (920 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Thanks a lot, Ryan Dinwiddie.

Friday night at IG Field was supposed to be the marquee matchup of the season with the 10-4 Winnipeg Blue Bombers hosting the 12-1 Toronto Argonauts in a Grey Cup rematch.

With Dinwiddie, the head coach of the Argos, deciding to give starting quarterback Chad Kelly the night off since the East Division crown is already clinched, the hype machine is out of gas.

Dinwiddie isn’t apologizing — not that he should.

“The crowd noise and the Winnipeg defensive line,” said Dinwiddie shortly after landing in Winnipeg on why he decided to sit Kelly.

“We’re going silent cadence the whole time and they can jump our cadence every time. They’re good enough when you have normal cadence. That’s one of the things that went into it. We’re going to find another time to sit Chad again and I want to play him for our home games, for our fans.”

That’s not the only reason, though. There’s a strong possibility these two teams will meet in the championship game Nov. 19 in Hamilton. Not giving the Bombers a look at Kelly before then could prove to be an advantage.

Kelly replaced an injured McLeod Bethel-Thompson late in last year’s Grey Cup and led the team to a comeback victory.

“If both of us are lucky enough to get (to the Grey Cup), now they’ve only seen I guess seven, eight minutes from the fourth quarter of the (2022) Grey Cup,” Dinwiddie said. “I mean, they watch film, they’re going to have a good plan for him, but they haven’t seen him live. It’s just a different game when you do that. That was a factor in the decision to sit him as well.”

Defensive lineman Shawn Oakman and linebacker Wynton McManis, two all-star defenders, will also get to rest for Toronto. Defensive back Jamal Peters, receiver Kurleigh Gittens and running back Andrew Harris are out with injuries.

“That’s what they’re saying, they’re the best team, they’re the best team… well bring it on man, where’s your guys at?” said Bombers receiver Kenny Lawler after Thursday’s walk-through.

“I’m the best in the league, so I want to go against the best. To me, as a competitor, I wish they would have those guys in.”

The true battle of the best, and Harris’s return to Winnipeg, would’ve happened if the CFL scheduled the game earlier in the season. The two sides only met once last year, in Toronto, and this is their lone meeting in 2023.

The Argonauts have played the Hamilton Tiger-Cats four times this year.

“I think they should go by the old model where you play everybody out West twice. I think it’s fair for teams because you then you get stuck playing a B.C. or Winnipeg this year, and then other teams are getting Edmonton, and that’s not fair,” said Dinwiddie.

“And I wish this game would’ve been sooner so we could’ve had Chad playing in this game. I think that would’ve been great for all the fans and for the league to see.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

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Taylor Allen
Reporter

Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.

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