Argos hope win over Alouettes a sign of things to come

The reigning Grey Cup champions hail from Montreal, but the power might just be shifting in the CFL’s East Division.

The Toronto Argos have a formula for success, and they executed it to perfection last week against the Alouettes: turnover-free football, with elite special teams and a defence that can flip a game on its head.

In Thursday’s 37-18 win over previously undefeated Montreal, Toronto got a pick-six from Wynton McManis and a timely kick return touchdown from Janarion Grant – his second in as many weeks – allowing quarterback Cameron Dukes to pace the offence and get the Argos back in the win column.

“It’s huge,” head coach Ryan Dinwiddie said on Tuesday. “We looked at the analytics…any time you have a return touchdown, you win 80-something per cent of your games, so that’s big for us. And then, getting those turnovers on defence. We get a lead now, and [Dukes] can manage the football, and doesn’t feel like he’s got to put it on his shoulders to win.”

Last year, the Argos led the CFL with a plus-27 turnover ratio en route to going 16-2, and in wins over BC and Edmonton to start the season, Dukes accounted for eight touchdowns (six passing, two rushing) without an interception. That trend was reversed against Montreal and Saskatchewan in Weeks 4 and 5 – he threw five interceptions in a pair of losses, and Toronto turned the ball over seven times.

Last week’s win over the Alouettes was a different story – Dukes was able to lean on the contributions from Toronto’s defence and special teams, completing 16-of-20 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown.

“It’s the ultimate team game that we play,” Dukes said. “When you get help from all sides in scoring, it takes a lot of pressure off the offence and makes you more comfortable on the field, knowing that you’ve got more leeway to play with.

“I think I was getting behind the chains a little bit,” he added, referring to the turnover issues in the two previous losses. “I kind of got out of the mindset of managing those situations, and tried to force things that didn’t need to be forced.”

The numbers haven’t been flashy – Dukes is averaging a shade over 200 passing yards per game – but he’s used his mobility to escape pressure and extend plays, including on his lone touchdown pass in Montreal, when he rolled left and threw against his body to Damonte Coxie in the corner of the end zone.

With Dukes behind centre, Toronto is 3-2, and has won five of his seven career starts, dating back to last season.

But then there’s the elephant in the room.

Reigning CFL Most Outstanding Player Chad Kelly is due back from his suspension for violating the league’s gender-based violence policy, perhaps as early as next month. If Kelly completes his mandated counselling and is cleared following an independent assessment, he could be eligible to return from his minimum nine-game suspension as early as Week 12 against the Roughriders.

The Argos have stood alongside Kelly throughout the suspension, with the intent of restoring him as the starting quarterback if and when he’s allowed to return.

Dinwiddie didn’t contradict that notion on Tuesday, but did admit the team has little control over the situation, at least currently.

“It’s out of our hands, out of Chad’s hands,” he said, adding Kelly won’t be at practice until Toronto gets “more clarity from the league.”

“He’s in touch with the coaches…he’s come by and seen the guys,” Dinwiddie added. “We’re not totally kicking him out of the building. He’s back in New York, working with his trainer, trying to get physically ready for this season.”

Until then, Dukes remains the man.

Next up is a trip up the QEW to face Hamilton, which is 0-5 – one of two remaining winless teams, alongside the Elks, who fired head coach and general manager Chris Jones after their latest loss on Sunday.

It’s Dukes’ first shot at Toronto’s rival as a starting quarterback, and though he understands the hype surrounding the Argos and Tiger-Cats, it’s also just business as usual.

“There’s significance in that game, with the rivalry and with them being right down the road,” he said. “But at the end of the day, it’s another game for us. Another opportunity to go 1-0. We want to win every week, so that’s our focus.”

For Dukes, it’s also another chance to show he deserves to be a starting quarterback in the CFL.

“Every single day, that’s what I’m looking forward to doing,” he said. “Just proving people wrong, and proving those that believe in me right.”