Category: Canadian Football League

Unlikely hero Nick Arbuckle leads Toronto Argonauts to Grey Cup victory

A career backup quarterback led the Toronto Argonauts to victory in the Grey Cup

There are unlikely heroes in sports. You can add Toronto Argonauts quarterback Nick Arbuckle high up on the list.

The Argos quarterback Chad Kelly shattered his ankle in a semifinal meaning it was up to Arbuckle on Sunday against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup.

Despite having beaten Winnipeg twice since July 27 — the Bombers’ lone two losses since that date — Toronto came in a double-digit underdog.

Nobody told Arbuckle, who threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns as Toronto won the CFL championship, 41-24. He was named Grey Cup MVP.

Why was Arbuckle such an unlikely hero?

Per the Toronto Star:

Arbuckle, 31, had started 25 games in his CFL career.

He had thrown only 1,017 regular-season passes, with 27 touchdowns and 32 interceptions, and produced an 87.0 quarterback rating over stops with Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Ottawa again, and Toronto again. He didn’t have a contract before this season and was only signed by the Argos when Kelly was suspended for half the season.

Before the Grey Cup, Arbuckle had started one playoff game … in high school.

He was a backup and played tight end that year. His chance came in the playoffs and his team lost.

“I remember that a lot,” Arbuckle told the Star.

He will remember the 2024 Grey Cup a lot more.

Argos get punt blocked by Blue Bombers in Grey Cup, keep football due to ‘loose ball interference’

Loose ball interference came into play in the Grey Cup

The rules North of the Border are different than in the NFL when it comes to the CFL.

The strangest of plays took place at the end of the third quarter on Sunday in the Grey Cup.

Winnipeg blocked a punt by Toronto. In the scramble for the loose football, a Blue Bomber blocked/pushed an Argo out of the way.

Out came the penalty flag. The officials huddled and announced that even though Winnipeg had blocked the punt and recovered it, the possession would go to Toronto.

The call was “loose ball interference.” Sounds like something out of a Toronto Raptors game.

Edmonton Elks close season with win in overtime on a one-point rouge

The Edmonton Elks close their season with a win on a rouge

The Edmonton Elks aren’t going to the CFL playoffs. However, they ended their season in CFL-style.

The Elks finished 7-11 with a 31-30 victory in overtime over the playoff-bound Toronto Argonauts on Friday.

How does one win a game by one point in overtime? With the CFL specialty, a rouge.

The Argonauts closed with a rush and tied the game to end the fourth quarter with a late field goal.

They missed a field goal in overtime, setting the stage for Edmonton.

The Elks could have gone for a field goal to win the game. The announcer commented a field-goal attempt would have been seven yards or so closer than the punt.

However, Jake Julien, who once tried out for the New England Patriots, drilled the kick out of the back of the end zone and there was joy in Edmonton.

CFL reinstates Argonauts QB Chad Kelly on ‘last chance agreement’

The CFL has reinstated Chad Kelly of the Toronto Argonauts

The CFL has reinstated Toronto Argonauts QB Chad Kelly on a “last chance agreement.”

Kelly, who has found trouble every stop on his football career from college to the NFL to the CFL, must abide by the agreement … or else.

Per the league:

On May 7, the CFL levied a suspension for a minimum of nine games against Mr. Kelly, based on the findings of a thorough third-party investigation into allegations made against him. Over the course of his suspension, Mr. Kelly was required to attend psychological assessments and mandatory counselling sessions conducted by an independent expert in the field of gender-based violence. Mr. Kelly served the ninth game of his suspension on August 9.

The CFL received Mr. Kelly’s final assessment on August 10, and the league immediately began a thorough review process of its findings. The CFL sought guidance from an expert who specializes in gender-based violence and met with the psychologist and counsellor who worked with Mr. Kelly. He then took part in an in-person discussion with Commissioner Randy Ambrosie.

The ongoing mandatory conditions surrounding Mr. Kelly’s reinstatement reflect the need for him to demonstrate a continued commitment to upholding league standards. These conditions are confidential and will not be disclosed.

The Argonauts, who are currently 5-4 and in third place in the CFL East, weighed in with a statement:

Kelly released a statement:

“I am sorry for my actions and the impact it has had on many people personally, the Toronto Argonauts and the CFL,” Kelly said in a statement issued by the Argos. “I recognize that this is just one step in the process of bettering myself, but it is an important one, and I am committed to doing what is needed to be a better teammate, colleague and person.

“With that commitment in mind, I have accepted the League’s conditions of reinstatement, including its ‘Last Chance Agreement.’ ”

This sounds like an idea the NFL and NFLPA should get think about knocking off from the CFL.

James Letcher Jr. returns missed FG 128 yards for Alouettes touchdown

James Letcher returned a missed field goal 128 yards for a Montreal TD

This return of a missed field goal might have gone through different area codes. James Letcher Jr. of the Montreal Alouettes caught a Brett Lauther field goal attempt in the back of the end zone on Friday night.

The third of four missed field goals by Saskatchewan’s kicker proved incredibly costly. Rather than concede a rouge — one point — Letcher got on his horse and never stopped in the fourth quarter.

One hundred and twenty-eight yards later, Letcher had given the Alouettes the lead. After the PAT, it was 20-17 for Montreal, which went on to win the game, 27-24.

The return didn’t set a team record. Trent Guy returned a missed field goal 129 yards in a 2012 win over the Toronto Argonauts.

And there is video proof:

CFL suspends Argos quarterback Chad Kelly for minimum of nine games

CFL 2023 Most Outstanding Player Chad Kelly hit with long ban

The Toronto Argonauts hopes to win the Grey Cup in 2024 were jarred on Wednesday when the CFL announced it has suspended quarterback Chad Kelly for a minimum of nine games.

The ban comes because Kelly violated the league’s Gender-based Violence Policy

Per the CFL:

Mr. Kelly will be required to undergo confidential assessments by an independent expert and attend mandatory counselling sessions conducted by a gender-based violence expert.

Both the counselling sessions and the assessments must be satisfactorily completed before the CFL will consider Mr. Kelly’s reinstatement. If he is unable to satisfactorily complete those sessions and assessments, the CFL reserves the right to modify his discipline.

CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie made a statement on the decision.

“Players are the ambassadors of our great game,” said CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie. “They are expected to be leaders in the locker room and role models in the community. It was important that we performed our due diligence to properly review this matter from all points of view. That in-depth investigation found that Mr. Kelly unequivocally violated the CFL’s Gender-based Violence Policy.

“Mr. Kelly’s suspension is the direct result of his behaviour. The addition of mandatory counselling focuses on his need for self-reflection and understanding of his actions. He must take full advantage of this opportunity for personal betterment in order to return to the CFL.”

Kelly was the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player in 2023. He led the Argos to a 16-2 record in the regular season.

Tom Brady narrates hype video for Ohio State-Michigan

Tom Brady pumps everyone up for Ohio State-Michigan

FOX Sports called one on of its biggest names to narrate a hype video for “The Game” on Saturday.

Tom Brady hasn’t found his way to the broadcast booth yet but he had time to fire folks up for Ohio State-Michigan at the Big House.

“Two states. Two schools. Their stories, their histories aligned forever.”

Brady was at Michigan from 1996-99 and the Wolverines won  three of four games in those seasons.

Montreal Alouettes win Grey Cup on late touchdown pass

The Montreal Alouettes won the Grey Cup over Winnipeg

The Grey Cup was a thriller on Sunday in Hamilton and the Montreal Alouettes came away with their first CFL championship since 2010.

The Alouettes toppled the favored Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 28-24, when Cody Fajardo found Tyson Philpot with a 19-yard touchdown pass with 15 seconds left.

The Alouettes, who ended their season with eight straight wins, went 83 yards on their championship-winning march.

Fajardo was named the Grey Cup MVP. He threw for 290 yards and 3 touchdowns while completing 21 of 26 passes.

Per the Montreal Gazette:

A team that was without an owner until March and saw numerous free agents depart because of the franchise’s uncertainty, won its last eight games following a narrow mid-September defeat to Toronto. In the process, the Alouettes beat the best team in the East Division — the Argonauts in last weekend’s division final on the road — then stunned the Bombers, first in the West Division with a 14-4 record.

Those were Montreal’s only two victories against teams with winning records.

 

Montreal Alouettes execute perfect onside punt

The old onside punt worked for the Montreal Alouettes

The Montreal Alouettes were looking at second-and-extra — consider it second-and-long — on Saturday against Hamilton.

Time to go into the bag of tricks and bring out the onside punt.

The pass has be thrown forward, the receiver catches the football and makes sure his “kick” goes beyond the original line of scrimmage.

And when it works, it works, giving Montreal a first down.

Credit Cole Spieker with the perfect onside punt.