Argos get run over by Stanback and the Als to fall into a tie for first in the East

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The Argos may have achieved themselves an enormous favour in a battle for first place in opposition to the host Montreal Alouettes on Friday night time.

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As an alternative, they threw the CFL’s East Division into disarray following a dreary efficiency in what was their largest sport of the season.

A win and the Argos would have unofficially wrapped up first within the East and with it a bye into the divisional last.

However with their 37-16 beatdown, the Argos have arrange a three-team race that additionally consists of Hamilton, host group for this 12 months’s Gray Cup.

The Als and Argos each have 6-4 data, however Montreal has the tiebreaker as a result of it outscored the Argos of their two-game season collection. The Als have video games remaining in opposition to Saskatchewan, twice in opposition to Winnipeg and wrap up the season with a sport in opposition to Ottawa. The Argos shut out their last 4 with dates in opposition to B.C., Ottawa, Hamilton and Edmonton.

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The best way they performed Friday night time, the Argos could be hard-pressed to beat any group.

QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson wasn’t good, throwing 4 interceptions — one on the ultimate play of the sport that the Als returned for a pick-six — and turning the ball over on a fumble, however he wasn’t the one wrongdoer.

Als QB Matthew Shiltz was given an excessive amount of time within the pocket, the Argos couldn’t cease the run — William Stanback rumbled for 203 yards on the bottom — and their secondary was fairly suspect.

There was no run sport to talk of for the Argos, whose solely possibility was to air it out, taking part in proper into Montreal’s arms.

Toronto scored first on a Boris Bede discipline objective, however as soon as once more left too many performs out on the sphere within the sport’s opening interval.

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Slowly however certainly the Als started to take management the road of scrimmage on each side of the ball.

The second quarter proved Toronto’s undoing.

Kurleigh Gittens Jr. continues to come back of age because the second-year Canadian receiver was one of many few vibrant spots for the Argos, whose three-game win streak got here to an abrupt finish.

For Montreal, the win was its fourth straight.

Since Chris Jones joined the Argos as their defensive advisor and de facto co-ordinator, they’ve proven a knack for forcing turnovers. Towards Montreal, no turnovers have been compelled.

As soon as the Als survived Toronto’s opening salvo, Montreal emerged because the superior group.

Antonio Pipkin, Montreal’s former quarterback, rushed for each of Toronto’s majors.

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Following his second operating landing, MBT was picked off because the Argos tried a two-point convert when they need to have merely kicked the additional level.

It was rendered moot given how simply Stanback gashed the Argos’ run defence and the way besieged MBT was in directing an offence that was fairly pedestrian.

The Argos started the night time nicely by successful the battle of discipline place.
Toronto’s challenge was producing factors. All of the guests may muster within the sport’s opening quarter-hour was a discipline objective when the Argos may have simply scored 10 factors.

Their lack of end got here again to hang-out them in a wild second quarter that will see the Als rating three touchdowns.

Montreal’s first main got here when Eugene Lewis threw Treston Decoud to the bottom ultimately zone by pulling on the Toronto defensive again’s hair.
Inexplicably, no problem flag was thrown by the Argos.

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“We missed that one,’’ head coach Ryan Dinwiddie advised TSN throughout an interview simply earlier than the beginning of the second half.

Clearly, Lewis interfered with Decoud, who sports activities dreadlocks.

There could be three lead adjustments within the quarter, however the sport modified when Toronto’s secondary yielded massive performs on primary breakdowns in communication.

As soon as the Als’ passing sport was established, it allowed Stanback to get unleashed. He scored Montreal’s third main of the quarter when he transformed on third and one.

TOUGH BREAK FOR ARJEN

Arjen Colquhoun grew to become the newest Argo to undergo an damage in a season marred by too lots of them. The veteran Canadian defensive again harm his left leg on particular groups with three minutes left within the opening quarter.

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The Windsor native wanted to be carted off on a stretcher.

Sadly, accidents have dogged Colquhoun throughout his four-year run within the CFL. He appeared in 24 video games throughout a three-year span in Edmonton earlier than signing as a free agent in Toronto.

The Argos had two backups within the again finish, Colquhoun and Canadian rookie Josh Haggerty, who has began at free security as an damage substitute.

Two weeks in the past, veteran long-snapper Jake Reinhart harm his elbow on a grotesque play.

The Argos went into the night time with 18 gamers on the injured record.

ARBUCKLE SCRATCHED

To the shock of nobody, Nick Arbuckle was scratched from the roster within the hours main as much as kickoff. The primary-year Argos QB hasn’t performed in additional than a month.

He’s appeared in 5 video games, making 4 begins and main the group to 2 wins.

Arbuckle has thrown extra interceptions (6) than touchdowns (5).

His final begin got here in Regina when the Argos misplaced to the Riders on Sept. 17.

Talking of interceptions, MBT was picked off within the second quarter by Als defensive again Monshadrik Hunter on an overthrow.

The Als parlayed the choose right into a landing to take a 7-3 lead.

fzicarelli@postmedia.com