Xs and Argos Podcast

The Argos came up one yard short. With Chad Kelly sitting this one out because of his hand injury, Nick Arbuckle stepped in and played well enough to give Toronto a chance to knock off one of the hottest teams in the CFL. But after driving all the way to the BC one-yard line in the final minute, the Argos were stopped on second and third down, ending a 24-17 Lions victory at BMO Field. JB is back alongside Ben Grant for the Xs and Argos Postgame Reaction, and there's plenty to unpack from a game Toronto easily could have won. Start with the defence, because it was outstanding. Nathan Rourke and a dangerous BC offence never reached the end zone. The Lions were forced to settle for eight field goals, several of them after drives stalled deep in Toronto territory. Rourke completed just 15 of 32 passes, and the Argos defence repeatedly kept the game within reach. They also deserved a little better luck. BC put the football on the ground four different times - and recovered every one of them. Instead of potentially game-changing takeaways for Toronto, the Lions kept possession each time and escaped without paying for their mistakes. On offence, Arbuckle acquitted himself very well in Kelly's absence, completing 27 of 33 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns. Dave Ungerer III had a huge afternoon with 12 catches for 124 yards and a touchdown, and Toronto moved the ball well enough to have an opportunity to tie the game in the final seconds. Unfortunately, the turnovers mattered. Arbuckle was careless with one throw that was intercepted, while his second pick came on one of the strangest plays you'll see - a tipped ball that Arbuckle tried to knock down, only for it to land in the hands of a BC defender lying on the turf. And yet, despite all of it, Toronto still had a chance. Trailing by seven, Arbuckle marched the Argos down the field in the final minutes and got them to the BC one-yard line. But on third down, Toronto couldn't punch it in. One yard. Ben and JB break down the defence, Arbuckle's performance, the turnovers, some rotten luck and that final sequence on the latest Xs and Argos Postgame Reaction.

Two of the hottest teams in the CFL collide at BMO Field. With JB away, 3DownNation's JC Abbott joins Ben Grant as the BC Lions, winners of seven of their last eight, come to Toronto to face an Argonauts team that has quietly won seven of its last nine. And there's another trend working in Toronto's favour: BC has won just once in Toronto over the last decade. Is there anything behind the Lions' struggles when they make the trip east? The show starts with the biggest concern of the week: Chad Kelly's throwing hand. Kelly finished last week's dramatic win in Winnipeg, but sat out Tuesday's practice with a hand injury. Ben and JC look at a couple of plays where the injury may have occurred and discuss what we know about his status heading into Saturday. Then there's the CFL's secret trade deadline - or at least that's what it felt like. The deadline came and went with remarkably little fanfare, so what did the Argos do, what didn't they do, and was there an area of the roster Toronto should have tried to address before the playoffs? There are a couple of intriguing additions to discuss as well. Former Oregon and Missouri defensive tackle Kristian Williams joins the Argos after spending time with the Denver Broncos. Ben went back to Williams' college film and found a potential CFL nose tackle. And a familiar face is back in Double Blue, with Ali Fayad returning to Toronto.  Then Ben sits down with Dr. David Greenberg, Head General Practitioner for the Toronto Argonauts, for a special conversation about sleep, travel and athletic performance. The Lions will cross three time zones for a 3 p.m. ET kickoff - noon according to their West Coast body clocks. How much can that actually matter? Dr. Greenberg explains what happens when athletes travel across time zones, how teams can prepare, and what all of us can learn about sleep and recovery. Plus, we've got Pick Six, the Injury Report, OCDC, One Thing, Put Me Down for 20, and Challenge Flag! It's BC and Toronto, two of the hottest teams in the CFL, and we've got you covered on the Xs and Argos Pregame Walkthrough.

How on earth did the Argos win this game? Ben Grant goes solo with JB away for a Postgame Reaction to one of Toronto's strangest victories of the season - a 30-28 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on a night when the Argos spent much of the first half looking completely out of sorts before finding big plays everywhere they needed them. Toronto fell behind 21-7 and, offensively, was going nowhere. At halftime the Argos had run just 14 offensive plays, produced only 100 yards of offence and six rushing yards, and possessed the football for a remarkable 8:21. The reason they were even within a touchdown? Janarion Grant's 128-yard missed field goal return for a touchdown. Then the game changed. Chad Kelly and the offence finally found some explosives. Tyler Kahmann hauled in a 56-yard touchdown, and then Damonte Coxie blew the game open with an 84-yard touchdown reception. Coxie finished with 149 yards receiving as Kelly rebounded from a difficult start to throw for 290 yards and two touchdowns. The defence found another gear as well. After Winnipeg controlled the first half, Toronto began creating pressure and turnovers, finishing with four sacks and two interceptions. But even then, the Bombers weren't done. A 76-yard QB sneak by Bryce Perkins put Winnipeg back in front 28-27 with just over six minutes remaining. Which set the stage for one more bit of chaos. With Toronto needing something from its return game, Grant fielded the ball and pulled off a Music City Miracle-style lateral pass to Dave Ungerer III, giving the Argos the field position they needed for one final drive. From there, Lirim Hajrullahu did what he's been doing since returning from injury: delivered. His late field goal put Toronto ahead, and James Ceasar's interception on Winnipeg's final possession slammed the door. It was a night when special teams didn't just contribute, they were absolutely central to the victory. Grant scored one touchdown and helped manufacture the field position for the winning points, while Hajrullahu was clutch. The Argos didn't run the ball particularly well, but it was better than last week. They lost the time-of-possession battle again. They were outgained on the ground 232-62. And for a good portion of the night, Winnipeg looked like the better football team. But Toronto found explosive plays on offence, takeaways and sacks on defence, and game-changing moments on special teams. Argos 30, Bombers 28. Ben breaks down a wild one from Winnipeg, solo, on the Xs and Argos Postgame Reaction.

JB is away this week, so 3DownNation's John Hodge returns to the co-host chair for the first time since 2024 as the Toronto Argonauts head to Winnipeg for a Friday night matchup with the Blue Bombers. There's some breaking news to discuss, with signs of actual movement toward CFL expansion in Quebec City. Then it's on to the Argos, beginning with the loss of Tarvarus McFadden. The defensive back has been placed on the six-game injured list with only four games remaining in the regular season after injuring his hand while making the game-clinching interception against Edmonton. Ben and John discuss McFadden's remarkable road from being released by Toronto, then Ottawa, to becoming a Grey Cup champion and key part of this Argos secondary - and, most importantly, who can possibly replace him. Toronto has also added an intriguing potential replacement in Nic Toomer, a long, athletic defensive back with experience throughout the secondary and some striking physical similarities to McFadden. Then comes a bigger football question: Do you actually need a running game to win in the CFL? Toronto somehow won last week despite finishing with minus-one rushing yard, which John notes is a record for a Canadian CFL team. But the issue goes beyond the rushing total. The Argos possessed the football for only 21 minutes, leaving their defence on the field far too long. Ben and John debate whether Toronto can simply lean into being an elite passing offence or whether developing a credible ground game is essential before the playoffs arrive. There's also the latest on Chad Kelly's contract situation. Kelly and his agent have reportedly shut down extension talks for the remainder of the season. Is that actually something Argos fans should be concerned about, or simply business that can wait until the games are over? In Pick Six, which potential West Division crossover opponent Toronto should fear most. The Argos have shown they can beat anybody, particularly at home, but Edmonton, Saskatchewan and BC present an uncomfortable common problem - Toronto hasn't consistently demonstrated that it can run the football against those kinds of fronts. Then it's on to Winnipeg. Toronto has already secured second place in the East, so this game carries considerably more urgency for the Blue Bombers. Plus, OCDC, the Injury Report, One Thing, Put Me Down for 20, and John takes over Challenge Flag. It's Argos-Bombers, Hodge is back in the co-host chair, and we've got you covered on the Xs and Argos Pregame Walkthrough.

The Argos have clinched a home playoff game, but they certainly didn't make it easy on themselves. Ben Grant goes solo for this edition of the Xs and Argos Postgame Reaction after Toronto held on for a 24-19 win over the Edmonton Elks, guaranteeing postseason football at BMO Field with four games still remaining in the regular season. For a half, the Argos threw the football all over the field. Chad Kelly piled up yards through the air, but Toronto was almost completely one-dimensional, managing just one rushing yard on three attempts. After halftime, even the passing attack disappeared as the offence was held scoreless in the second half. Fortunately, the defence was ready to carry them. Ralph Holley's 55-yard scoop-and-score provided the only Toronto points of the second half and ultimately gave the Argos just enough of a cushion. But Edmonton kept coming, and in the final minute the Elks drove all the way to the Toronto 17 with a chance to steal the game. That's when Tarvarus McFadden ended it, intercepting Cody Fajardo in the end zone with 21 seconds remaining to seal the victory. It wasn't pretty. The offence vanished for an entire half, Edmonton piled up yards and Toronto was one play away from watching the game slip away. But the defence made plays with the game on the line. Argos 24, Elks 19. A home playoff game is officially coming to BMO Field. Ben breaks it all down, solo, and may even go on a bit of a rant on the Xs and Argos Postgame Reaction.