Photo: Gord Weber/3DownNation. All rights reserved.
Chad Kelly was efficient on Saturday afternoon in Ottawa, completing 78.1 percent of his passes and throwing just seven incompletions. Unfortunately, four of those were caught by the Redblacks.
That’s a hot topic when assessing the quarterback’s performance in Toronto’s 44-24 victory at TD Place. With the Argonauts waltzing to their first win in commanding fashion, it was Kelly’s interceptions, three of which came in the second half, that put the result in jeopardy.
Head coach Mike Miller has no problem broaching that subject with his star player.
“(The conversation will be) the same one it’s been throughout our five years together. We have to continue to manage game situations and be smart with the football. We always have great conversations about that stuff, and we understand that football is tough, playing quarterback is tough,” he said post-game, still damp from his inaugural Gatorade shower.
“We’ll go in, we’ll look at it, we’ll dissect each play, we’ll talk about the management of it, we’ll talk about the game situation. We look at it from all angles, learn from it and grow, whether it was a good play or a play that wasn’t so good. It’s all about learning and getting better for the next one, the next opportunity, and that’s what we’ll do this week.”
In his second game back from injury, Kelly recorded his second consecutive 400-yard passing performance. He finished the game with 424 yards through the air and four touchdowns, much of it courtesy of a blazing hot start.
Though he did toss one ball into the middle of the field that safety Alonzo Addae got underneath late in the second quarter, the 32-year-old seemed in complete control while Toronto built a 34-16 lead. Everything changed on the final play of the third quarter, when linebacker Lucas Cormier dove to pick off Kelly. The Argos quarterback forced the ball into harm’s way on each of the next two series as well, with backup safety Scott Hutter snagging both interceptions — the first two of his seven-year CFL career.
The Redblacks failed to turn the tide with the takeaways, settling for two field goals. They added a safety on a subsequent drive to cut the lead to 10 points. Nevertheless, Kelly understood that mistakes put the result in jeopardy.
“I gotta clean some turnovers up,” he acknowledged. “I had to try to find the one-on-one matchups. They did a really good job of trying to set it to the boundary and then kind of come back across to the field, so I’ve got to see a few of those, and don’t force it down the field if it’s not there. I’ve got to work through my progressions.”
Despite his early success, the first half was no walk in the park for Kelly. The Redblacks’ defence was able to harass him, delivering a couple of notable hits. At least two of those, including a goal-line stop by Nyles Morgan, were to the head and neck area, causing his helmet to be ripped off. Another, after being chased down by Aidan John, saw his head bounce off the turf. The Argos QB remained seated for a moment after that play, gathering himself before continuing. No roughing the passer penalties were assessed during the game.
Miller indicated that he was unaware whether Kelly, who has a history of concussions stemming from a four-interception performance in the 2023 East Final, was ever evaluated for a potential head injury in the game. The first-year head coach was told his quarterback was “good to go” and continued to place his trust in him. He also dismissed the suggestion that Kelly was being targeted by Ottawa.
Kelly departed the press area of his own volition before 3DownNation was allowed to ask questions regarding his health and performance.
Miller was unconcerned by the difference in Kelly’s decision-making between the first and second half, attributing it to the performance of the defence and the natural flow of the game.
“I think it’s a play to play, quarter to quarter, half to half, game to game thing,” he said. “Give credit to (Ottawa defensive coordinator) Will Fields; they did a nice job on defence, they made some good adjustments, and then we had to adjust back.”
“Chad made some great throws, some big plays that definitely helped flip the fields and push this out to a lead, but there are always going to be some plays, some throws he’d like to have back. We continue to learn from it, grow, and are very proud of the way he works, his toughness, and how generous he is with his teammates.”
Through two games, Kelly sits third in the CFL for passing yards with 869, surpassed only by the two quarterbacks who have appeared in three contests. His seven touchdown passes rank second, and he has proven capable of pushing the ball down the field with a league-leading 11.1 yards per attempt. However, his five interceptions now top the charts as well — three more than any other quarterback.
The rash of turnovers hasn’t shaken Miller’s belief in his signal caller, nor will it change Toronto’s approach moving forward.
“I say this with pride: he gives us a chance every week. Continues to see the field well. He makes adjustments every week and every day in practice, too,” he insisted.
“Nothing changes. We’re process-driven, we’re one day at a time, and that’s our focus, and that’s how we are. It’s all about responding, and very proud of how we responded today as a team.”
Kelly and the Argonauts return to action on Friday, June 26, when they visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders for their first “home” game — one of three displaced to other cities by the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Kickoff at Mosaic Stadium is slated for 9:00 p.m. EDT.
