Argos Hold On Against Bombers, Clinch Home Playoff Game

ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF

WINNIPEG – The Argos continue to sit atop the East division, but heading into week 17 action they had yet to clinch a home playoff game.  A win over the Bombers would clinch a home playoff game with Hamilton still in the hunt for first in the East.

The Bombers received the opening kick and QB Max Hall proceeded to drive Winnipeg straight down the field.  Completions to new starter (and former Jacksonville Jaguar) WR Mike Sims-Walker set up the passing attack while RB Will Ford handled rushing duties.

Hall drove the Bombers into the red zone but was unable to punch in for the major, settling for the field goal and the early 3-0 lead.

The Argos first offensive possession would not start out how the Boatmen had hoped. QB Ricky Ray threw his second interception of 2013 looking for SB Romby Bryant down the field.

However, LB Robert McCune had his QBs back on the Bombers first play following the INT. “Hammer” came up with an interception of his own to put the offence back on the field.  A few completions lead to a Swayze Waters FG to tie the game up at 3-3.

Both teams exchanged stunted drives in the first quarter, highlighted by a perfect coffin corner punt by Waters that rolled and stopped right on the 1-yard line; That’s a punt Waters will tell his grandchildren about.

On the next Bombers punt, the Argos executed a perfect fake hand-off on the return and WR Julian Feoli-Gudino took the return into Winnipeg territory for excellent field position.

Ray then found CFL YAC leader Andre Durie on the dump pass, and as Durie is prone to do, he turned a short pass into a big gain for the touchdown.  A great start for the Double Blue who have struggled to start football games recently.

After one quarter, the Argos lead the Bombers 10-3.

Toronto struck first in the second quarter after a pass interference call on Winnipeg set up the Argos on the 1-yard line.

Back-up QB Zach Collaros came in for the short yardage play and instead of trying to plunge it in, he rolled to the right and found a wide open Dontrelle Inmann for his fifth TD.  17-3 Argos early in quarter number two.

The Boatmen got another takeaway late in the second quarter as the Argos D-Line teamed up on a scrambling Max Hall.

Shane Horton would make initial contact on Hall to jar the ball lose with Kiante Tripp getting secondary contact to send the ball to the ground.  Khalif Mitchell eventually recovered the football and the Argos offence once again took the field with good field position.

Ray and co. were unable to get into the endzone but did tack on another field goal extending their lead to 20-3.

Finally, the Bombers looked like they were going to find the endzone but a back-to-back series of wild events kept the Bombers off the board.

First, Corey Watson dropped a sure fire TD.  Then looking for a wide open Bombers receiver, Hall threw the ball into the field goal upright.

Then on the ensuing FG try, K/P Sandro DeAngelis aborted the kick only to have holder Justin Renaud pick up the ball and look to the endzone.  The ball was knocked down, and the Bombers came away with no points.

On the drive to end the half, the Argos methodically drove down the field and added a field goal before the end of the half, taking a 23-3 lead into the locker room.

Turnover struggles would continue to plague the Bombers as their first drive of the second half would result in a turnover on downs.  Trying to plunge for the first, the Argos line stopped backup QB Jason Boltus in his tracks for the takeaway.

The Offence went two-and-out however, and punted back to the Bombers.

Hall and the Bombers finally found the endzone on their next drive after a long pass completion to WR Clarence Denmark set up the Bombers on the goal line.

Will Ford took the delayed handoff and plunged into paydirt to cut the Argos lead to 23-10.

Both sides continued to struggle on offence as multiple two-and-outs allowed the Bombers to hang around the football game even though neither side was able to put up points.

Not until midway through the 4^th frame did the first points go up as Hall found WR Rory Kohlert who made an acrobatic catch for the touchdown.

Then the Bombers got a little tricky.  On the ensuing kick-off Winnipeg went for the surprise onside kick and DeAngelis recovered his own kick to completely swing the momentum and put the Bombers back on offence.

Though the Bombers would not score on that drive, they forced the Argos into another two-and-out and got the ball right back.

The Argos defence, needing to make a stand, got off on the right foot as Kiante Tripp came free through the line and absolutely crushed Hall.

Hall got up but during the commercial break, the Argos committed an unsportsmanlike penalty to give the Bombers a fresh set of downs.  The Bombers eventually came away with a field goal to cut the Argos lead to three.

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With just two minutes left in the game, the Argos had the chance to kill the clock and drive for the dagger TD.

Ray found SB Jason Barnes for a huge catch and the Bombers added to the gain with a roughing the passer penalty on Ray.

Though the Boatmen could not get the TD, Swayze Waters connected on a field goal to push the Argos lead back to six.

With one minute left to play the Bombers had a chance to drive for the win but on a third down play, Hall’s pass to Watson was broken up by LB Demetrice Morley and the Argos took over on downs and knelt out the game.

With the win, the Argos secure a home playoff game (either the Eastern Semi-Final or Eastern Final). Playoff tickets are  available via ticketmaster here.

The Argos host the Bombers in week 18 for our annual CFL Pink game.  Use promo code “ARGOSPINK” for a 30% discount on tickets with a portion of sales going to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.