Toronto Argonauts get one up on Ryan Dinwiddie (& seven other thoughts)

Photo: Gord Weber/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The Toronto Argonauts beat the Ottawa Redblacks by a score of 44-24 on Saturday afternoon at TD Place to earn their first win of the season.

Here are my thoughts on the game.

Was Kelly being targeted?

Chad Kelly took several high hits in the first half, including two that knocked his helmet off. One of those initially drew a roughing the passer penalty, but the flag was later picked up by head referee Andre Proulx.

Head coach Mike Miller said post-game that he was not given an explanation for why the officials changed their minds.

Despite a strong overall performance, four of Kelly’s seven incompletions were intercepted by Redblacks defenders, including two by Scott Hutter. Those are plays he’s capable of cleaning up, but the hits took also stood out, particularly a wrestling-style takedown by Nyles Morgan on the goal line that went unpenalized. If a flag had been thrown, this game would’ve been over a lot sooner than it was.

Football is a violent game, but quarterbacks still need a level of protection similar to that of goalies in hockey. Without it, there’s no telling how far defenders might push the line.

When asked whether the Redblacks were targeting Kelly, Miller dismissed the possibility.

“We have a lot of respect for the Redblacks, ” he said. “We understand how they’re going to play football, and that’s how we try to play; we’re going to play very physical.”

Someone missed the memo

In what was billed as a “White Out” by the Redblacks, new Ottawa head coach Ryan Dinwiddie clearly missed the memo, as he showed up to coach this game in black. That ended up being a bad omen, as it turned into a funeral for the Redblacks. Two arm punts and multiple stalled drives from Jake Maier saw them fall to 0–2 on the year.

Dinwiddie’s reunion with his former team was a major storyline entering this game, though it appeared to be cordial for all parties. Many of Toronto’s players and staff remain close with their former head coach, including Miller.

“We learned things about each other, and he does an outstanding job,” he said. “That offence is very potent, and again, they play very physical, and we just have nothing but the utmost respect for him and the entire Redblacks organization.”

Competition at running back?

I’ve talked before about Sam Hicks and his impact early, but another Argonaut rookie provided a spark in Ottawa. Burlington, Ont., native Isaiah Smith rushed six times for 22 yards. After having one of the league’s worst running back groups in 2025, the Argonauts now have two reliable options in the backfield.

Miller said post-game that he’s pleased with Smith’s development and how he’s gone about his business, crediting running backs coach Ka’Deem Carey for the work he’s done with the group.

With the defence looking better than last week, Kelly throwing for over 400 yards in consecutive games, and a much-improved, healthier offensive line supporting a more balanced run game, the Argonauts look ready to quiet the doubters.

Need to keep your emotions in check

I planned to highlight how well the offensive line played, but that was overshadowed by Dakoda Shipley’s two misconduct penalties, which resulted in an automatic ejection.

Football is emotional, but shoving a player from behind after an interception, especially in a tight game, can’t happen. It cost the Argos momentum and left the line short-handed. Shipley has to keep his emotions in check in those key moments.

Miller addressed this to reporters post-game, revealing that he spoke to Shipley and stated that he was disappointed by his actions, but that he remains confident in him going forward.

Trainers get their steps in

It was a busy day for the Argonauts’ training staff, who were called onto the field multiple times to attend to injured players. The most notable was defensive back Robert Priester, who exited in the first half.

“I have somewhat of an idea (of the severity of the injury), but until I talk to our medical people, I don’t really like to speculate,” Miller said. “We’ll hold that comment for now.”

Injuries were a major factor in the Argonauts’ struggles last season. If Priester or others miss extended time, it won’t help their chances of improving on last year’s 5–13 record.

Did a monster day for Mital end in disaster?

Kevin Mital once again eclipsed the 100-yard mark, finishing with eight receptions for 178 receiving yards. His strong performance was overshadowed when he left the game with an injury in the second half.

Argonauts fans were left holding their breath as Mital remained on the ground in visible pain and was attended to by the team’s training staff. However, he was made available to the media post-game and provided me with a positive update.

“Just a cramp, nothing serious,” he revealed.

It appears that Mital dodged disaster and looks to carry on his fantastic start to the year.

A “home” game

The Argonauts will look to build off their first win of the season as they head west for the next three weeks. The trip will include two “home” games, relocated to other stadiums due to the FIFA World Cup at BMO Field. Up first are the defending Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders, a team that the Argonauts lost two heartbreakers to last season, including one decided by a last-second special teams miscue.

Mistakes like Kelly’s four interceptions won’t do them any favours against a Roughriders defence that thrives by capitalizing on turnovers. However, if the Argonauts can clean that up and come away with a win, it could mark a turning point as they aim to stay afloat before returning to BMO Field on August 6.

Griff can’t get enough of football. He’s the man that keeps fans up to date on everything Toronto Argonauts.