Photo courtesy: Maggie Stemp-Turner/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The Toronto Argonauts lost 21-19 to the Montreal Alouettes in a game that was a must-win for both sides in front of 13,848 fans at BMO Field on Friday evening.

Here are my thoughts on the game.

What could’ve been

With a not-so-glamorous 5-9 record on the season, the Argos knew they had to fight to win this game and keep their waning playoff hopes alive. The stakes were high and the pressure was on as they faced a tough Als team. A series of critical mistakes at key moments ultimately put Montreal in a position to secure the victory and earn their first season sweep versus the Argonauts since 2011.

It wasn’t enough on Friday, a reality the leaders and the coaching staff in the locker room fully understand. With only four games left in the regular season, the Argos will need to dig deep and maintain their fight if they want to keep their playoff dreams alive.

“We are down, and that was a tough loss. I just want to win,” Dinwiddie said post-game. “We’ve probably got to win all four. I’m proud of that room. I thought they fought their butts off, and they never batted an eye. They were ready to go.”

“We understand that we came out, we fought hard,” Wynton McManis told me post-game. “A couple of things didn’t go our way. In a lot of these games, a lot of these situations, we gotta make it to where we don’t put it in the ref’s hands, or we make it not even a close contest.”

Questionable calls

Last week, penalties were called on both teams, but Friday’s contest featured some very questionable pass interference calls against the Toronto Argonauts. Those calls ultimately contributed to the team’s narrow defeat. Head coach Ryan Dinwiddie noted that the league provided little explanation for one of the challenged calls, which Montreal head coach Jason Maas contested during the game after he felt Charleston Rambo was interfered with.

Another critical moment that could have shifted the outcome was a potential pass interference on Makai Polk, which led to the game-winning interception by Montreal’s Wesley Sutton. Despite the questionable nature of the play, no flag was thrown by the officials, and because the Argonauts had already used all their timeouts, Dinwiddie was unable to challenge the call, a decision that ultimately cost them a chance to win the game.

“If you look back at the last play, I’m pretty certain there was pass interference on Makai, didn’t have a challenge left after I called my last timeout,” Dinwiddie said post-game.

Did Doege deliver?

In his first start for the Argonauts, quarterback Jarret Doege was throwing plenty of checkdowns and some deep shots, though his receivers struggled to haul in the deep balls. He finished with a stat line of 25-of-37 for 207 yards passing with one touchdown and an interception, which clinched the win for the Alouettes.

“I thought he battled,” Dinwiddie said post-game. “I think Jarrett’s a competitor. The guys rally around him. But, like I said, it’s going to take a full 60.”

“I couldn’t get into a rhythm,” Doege added. “I’m proud of the execution, I’m proud of the way the guys battled.”

Given his performance and the continued absence of Chad Kelly from game action, it’s understandable to wonder if Kelly will ever return to the starter’s role this season. With the star QB yet to take a snap this late into the year, it appears increasingly unlikely fans will see him under centre for the Argos in 2025.

Argonauts triumphs, empty seats

Coming off two thrilling walk-off wins, it was reasonable to expect a larger crowd at BMO Field for a Friday night matchup, particularly with the Blue Jays away for the weekend. However, the turnout was surprisingly low with 13,848 fans in attendance. This underscores the ongoing challenge for both MLSE and the Argonauts to increase attendance and fill more seats for home games.

In two weeks, the Argonauts host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in what promises to be a high-stakes, meaningful contest for both teams. As the regular season draws to a close, the question remains: what more can be done, whether through marketing, promotions, or game-day experience enhancements, to boost turnout?

Offensive line of old

For a team starting a new quarterback, you’d expect a little more urgency and support to protect the guy under centre. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, as Doege was sacked three times throughout the night and faced plenty of pressure, forcing him into hurried throws and some runs he likely didn’t want to make.

With the Argonauts deep in playoff contention for these final four games, the offensive line will need to deliver a much stronger performance to give any quarterback, whether it’s Doege or someone else, a better shot at success going forward.

Defence did what it could 

The defence continues to find its rhythm, helping to fluster the Alouettes’ offence and force them into uncomfortable situations throughout much of the game. The Argos’ defence caused three interceptions and recorded four sacks. Last week’s standout on the defensive line, Derek Parish, contributed two of those sacks, while Anthony Lanier II added four tackles, one sack, and one knockdown of quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson. That knockdown led to an interception by Wynton McManis.

“Just going through your keys and that comes with film study,” Lainer II said. “It’ll come with the preparation during the week. Our guys do a wonderful job of giving us a great look during the week, and when it comes to the game time, it’s so much better and more fluent with your moves and everything.”

Get the caffeine ready

After a loss against the Alouettes, the Argonauts are staring down a major challenge as they prepare for a long journey west to face the B.C. Lions on Friday night. The matchup is set for their latest kickoff of the season, with a 10:00 p.m. EDT start making for an especially late battle for Toronto fans.

There’s plenty at stake for the Argos: not only are they aiming to sweep the season series against B.C., but now, more than ever, every game is a must-win as the team is down to 5-9, and a loss next week could prove fatal in the crossover race. Expect a high-intensity contest with postseason implications on the line.