The Winnipeg Blue Bombers visited BMO Field on Saturday afternoon against the Toronto Argonauts in the Eastern Semi-Final. Dru Brown got the start at quarterback in place of Zach Collaros (Ribs).
Winnipeg got the ball to start the first quarter at the 22-yard line. Quarterback Dru Brown started the game by throwing a 14-yard pass to Dorian Singer. A horse collar penalty on Toronto moved the ball to the 51-yard line. The two would connect again for 16 yards, followed by Brady Oliveira getting two carries for 11 yards to the 32-yard line. Then, Brown threw a high short pass to Ontaria Wilson. Wilson made a one-handed catch before running to his left side to score a 32-yard touchdown. The Blue Bombers took a 7-0 lead with 11:53 left on a five-play drive for 88 yards.
Late in the first quarter, Toronto had the ball on the 40-yard line. Quarterback Chad Kelly threw five passes for 34 yards, plus a defensive pass interference penalty on Winnipeg, moving the ball to the 20-yard line. Then, Kelly threw a touchdown pass right into the hands of Tyler Kahmann, tying the game 7-7 with 2:03 left on an eight-play drive for 70 yards.
With under a minute left, Winnipeg had the ball on the 40-yard line. Dru Brown’s pass intended for Dorian Singer was intercepted by DaShaun Amos for a 19-yard return to the 35-yard line. Toronto’s offense went two-and-out to end the first quarter. Winnipeg’s offense had 82 yards, five first downs, and 2 for 4 on second downs, while Toronto’s offense had 71 yards, five first downs, and 3 for 5 on second downs.
In the second quarter, Toronto kicker Lirim Hajrullahu made a 42-yard field goal to give the Argonauts a 10-7 lead with 14:51 left. Later, Winnipeg would get those points back when kicker Sergio Castillo made a 42-yard field goal, tying the game 10-10 with 8:12 left.
Late in the second quarter, Winnipeg’s offense moved the ball to the 35-yard line. Then, Dru Brown’s pass intended for Dorian Singer was intercepted by Dathan Hickey to the 16-yard line.
Toronto’s offense quickly moved the ball to the 30-yard line before kicker Lirim Hajrullahu made a 37-yard field goal to give the Argonauts a 13-10 lead with 2:20 left. Winnipeg’s offense had the ball on the 40-yard line. Three plays later, Dru Brown scrambled out of the pocket before Toronto defensive lineman Soane Toia smacked the ball out, causing a fumble that was recovered by Shawn Lemon for a 22-yard run to the 29-yard line. Kicker Lirim Hajrullahu made a 28-yard field goal for a 16-10 lead at halftime.
Toronto’s offense had 134 yards, 8 first downs, and 4 for 10 on second downs. Quarterback Chad Kelly went 12 of 19 for 127 yards and one touchdown. Running back Cam Porter had one carry for three yards, and Isaiah Smith had one carry for two yards. Wide receiver Makai Polk made two catches for 49 yards, while Tyler Kahmann made three catches for 29 yards and one touchdown, and Damonte Coxie made four catches for 24 yards.
Winnipeg’s offense had 170 yards, 9 first downs, and 5 for 12 on second downs. Quarterback Dru Brown went 9 of 15 for 124 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Running back Brady Oliveira had 10 carries for 54 yards, and one catch for six yards. Wide receiver Nic Demski made one catch for 42 yards, while Ontaria Wilson made two catches for 36 yards and one touchdown, and Dorian Singer made two catches for 30 yards.
Toronto got the ball to start the third quarter on the 34-yard line. Chad Kelly and company led the offense to the three-yard line before the drive stalled. Kicker Lirim Hajrullahu made a 10-yard field goal for a 19-10 lead with 9:22 left. Later, Winnipeg’s offense moved the ball to the 48-yard line. On third down, Toronto was penalized for too many men on the field, giving the Blue Bombers a first down at the 38-yard line. The offense moved the ball to the 39-yard line, but kicker Sergio Castillo missed a 47-yard field goal wide left with 4:31 left.
Toronto’s offense went two-and-out, and Winnipeg had the ball on the 50-yard line. Two plays later, Dru Brown threw an 18-yard pass to Dorian Singer to the 35-yard line. The offense continued to move the ball to the 31-yard line. On the next play, Brown completed a short pass to Tim White. Toronto defensive back Alexander Teubner hit the ball out, and it was recovered by Shawn Lemon for a 22-yard run to the 48-yard line. Winnipeg’s defense came up big when Michael Fletcher stripped sack Chad Kelly, and it was scooped up by David Reese for a 52-yard touchdown. The Blue Bombers trailed the Argonauts 19-17 heading into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Toronto kicker Lirim Hajrullahu made a 41-yard field goal for a 22-17 lead with 12:23 left. Quarterback Chad Kelly was dealing with a right shoulder injury, and Nick Arbuckle replaced him with 10:43 left in the game.
Late in the game, Toronto returner Janarion Grant returned a 19-yard punt before Nick Hallett stripped the ball, and it was recovered by Thiadric Hansen at the 52-yard line. Winnipeg’s offense moved the ball to the 23-yard line. Then, Dru Brown threw the ball right into the hands of Nic Demski for the touchdown. The two connected again for a two-point conversion.
The Blue Bombers took a 25-22 lead with 44 seconds left on a five-play drive for 52 yards. Winnipeg’s defense shut down Toronto to end the game. The Blue Bombers defeated the Argonauts 25-22. They will play the Montreal Alouettes in the Eastern Final next Saturday. The Blue Bombers are the first crossover team since the Edmonton Eskimos in 2019 to win a playoff game.
Winnipeg’s offense had 292 yards (206 passing yards, 96 rushing yards, 10 yards lost), 16 first downs, 9 for 23 on second downs, no redzone opportunities, and the team was penalized 11 times for 120 yards. Quarterback Dru Brown completed 18 of 30 passes (60%) for 206 yards and two touchdowns, two interceptions. Running back Brady Oliveira had 20 carries for 95 yards and one catch for six yards.
Wide receiver Nic Demski made four catches for 72 yards and one touchdown, while Dorian Singer made four catches for 63 yards, and Ontaria Wilson made four catches for 50 yards and one touchdown. The defense made 40 tackles, two tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one turnover on downs.
Toronto’s offense had 256 yards (218 passing yards, 47 rushing yards, 8 yards lost), 18 first downs, 9 for 22 on second downs, 1 for 3 in the redzone, and the team was penalized seven times for 66 yards. Quarterback Chad Kelly completed 18 of 30 passes (60%) for 193 yards and one touchdown, while Nick Arbuckle completed 2 of 6 passes (33%) for 25 yards. Running back Cam Porter had nine carries for 34 yards.
Wide receiver Makai Polk made three catches for 61 yards, and Tyler Kahmann made three catches for 29 yards and one touchdown. The defense made 37 tackles, one tackle for loss, two sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers visit the Montreal Alouettes in the Eastern Final next Saturday at 3 pm on TSN and CFL+.
