Toronto Puts Together Historic Blowout Win Over Ottawa to Advance to Eastern Finals

The Toronto Argonauts scored 38 points in the second half to pick up a 20-point win over the Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday and advance to the Eastern Divisional Finals.

Jun 18, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly (12) throws a pass against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the second quarter at BMO Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

After a slow first quarter, the Toronto Argonauts went off the rest of the way to pick up a 58-38 home playoff win over the Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday.

Argos quarterback Chad Kelly had a near-perfect 18-of-20 performance for 358 yards and four touchdowns. The defense created two interceptions with one being taken back for a major. Despite being outgained in yardage, Toronto scored three touchdowns out of four trips to the red zone, which made the difference in the game.

The Redblacks got a third straight 400-plus-yard game from quarterback Dru Brown with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Bralon Addison and Kalil Pimpleton were both over 100 yards receiving in the loss. Their defense picked up three sacks on the Argos.

Toronto advances to the Eastern Divisional Finals next week for a rematch with the Montreal Alouettes. Ottawa's season ends after making the postseason for the first time since 2018.

3 Takeaways From Argos Playoff Win

1. Chad Kelly Gets Part One of Redemption

Jun 18, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly (12) throws a pass against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the first quarter at BMO Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

After Kelly was mocked for his high turnovers in the playoff loss to the Alouettes last year and his suspension to start the season, he took a much-needed step in the right direction for redemption. It's unheard of to see a quarterback complete 90% of his passes in a pressure playoff game, but Kelly rose to the occasion and made great throw after great throw. He gets praise for another week, but the ultimate redemption will be to put up similar numbers against Montreal.

2. Ottawa's Future Looks Bright

FILES: Ottawa Redblacks head coach Bob Dyce Photo by Frank Gunn /The Canadian Press /

The start of the Redblacks season far exceeded expectations as they were 8-3-1 at one point. Their performance dipped at the end of the season, largely because of a lack of a running game and the absence of star defensive player Adarius Pickett. Ottawa went 1-6 without Pickett to close the season and went multiple games without 100 rushing yards. Brown is the franchise quarterback for now and the pieces are in place for a better 2025 season if the Redblacks can stay healthy.

3. Can the Argos Pull Off Upset Over Alouettes?

Nov 11, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Montreal Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo (7) runs with the ball against the Toronto Argonauts in the second half at BMO Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Last season, the Argos were a team of destiny as they were supposed to coast to the Grey Cup before they ran into the buzzsaw that was Montreal. The difference between this year's team and last year's is what they have defensively with the best pass rush in the CFL. The Alouettes have not been the same over the last month as they were at the beginning. While Montreal will be favored, Toronto looks like a team that could pull off an upset on the road.

Up Next

Toronto Argonauts at Montreal Alouettes (Eastern Divisional Final)

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