Kelly Leads Argos Victory
Toronto Argos defeat Ottawa 44-24; Chad Kelly's stellar performance leads to Redblacks' 0-2 start
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Chad Kelly torched his former team on Saturday, throwing for 424 yards and four touchdowns as the Toronto Argonauts beat the Ottawa Redblacks 44-24 at TD Place, according to Ottawa Citizen. The win moves Toronto to 2-1, while Ottawa sinks to 0-2 — already two games behind the East-leading Montreal Alouettes after just two weeks of play.
Kelly, the nephew of NFL legend Jim Kelly and the 2023 CFL Most Outstanding Player, completed 25 of 32 passes. But four interceptions kept Ottawa in a game they were close to losing early, according to TSN. In the end, a failed goal-line stand with under three minutes left sealed Ottawa's fate.
Kelly Carves Up Ottawa With Big Plays and Big Mistakes
Kelly wasted no time putting points on the board. His first drive went 75 yards in 10 plays, ending with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Makai Polk. He then threw a 47-yard bomb to David Ungerer III, setting up a 24-yard score to Damonte Coxie moments later. By halftime, Toronto led 21-13, per CFL.ca.
Kelly also threw four interceptions — a number that kept Ottawa alive into the fourth quarter. TSN analysts noted his four picks "kept a struggling Ottawa team in a game they had no business being in." His top target, wide receiver Kevin Mital, finished with 178 yards on just eight catches, according to TSN.
Ottawa's Final Gamble Fails at the One-Yard Line
With Ottawa trailing 34-24 and 2:52 left on the clock, the Redblacks faced a third-down gamble at Toronto's one-yard line. Running back Daniel Adeboboye took the carry but was stopped cold by the Toronto defensive front. The turnover on downs ended Ottawa's best shot at a comeback, per Ottawa Citizen.
Toronto then recovered an Ottawa fumble and added a late touchdown and field goal to push the final score to 44-24. Ottawa failed to score on three separate goal-to-go situations in the fourth quarter, per Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa quarterback Jake Maier finished 25-of-40 for 281 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
Dinwiddie Returns to Face the Team He Built
Ottawa head coach Ryan Dinwiddie spent five seasons in Toronto before moving to Ottawa for 2026, winning two Grey Cups along the way. Saturday was his first time coaching against his former team — and against Kelly, his former star quarterback. His replacement in Toronto, Mike Miller, was previously his own QB coach, according to Ottawa Sun.
Dinwiddie tried to play it cool before the game. "My mindset is we're playing another opponent," he said, according to Ottawa Citizen. "I haven't even thought about the past." Analysts on the 2 and Out podcast noted that Dinwiddie's knowledge of Kelly did help Ottawa bait him into three second-half turnovers — but Ottawa's offense couldn't capitalize.
Ottawa's Season Already in Danger With Montreal Next
Ottawa is now 0-2 and sits last in the East Division. Montreal leads the division at 2-0, putting Ottawa two full games back already. The Redblacks have won zero games but, as Ottawa Citizen noted with some irony, are "2-0 on coin tosses" — good luck that hasn't translated into wins.
Ottawa's next game is a road trip to face the Montreal Alouettes, the defending East contenders. Toronto, now 2-1, heads to Regina to play the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Kelly missed all of 2025 with a severe leg injury suffered in the 2024 East Final, per TSN. Saturday was only his second regular-season game back.
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