Bailey McLean/CFL.ca
The playoffs are finally here!
Saturday is going to be a glorious day of high stakes football, proper Fall weather and way too much leftover Halloween candy that should not be consumed by someone of my age.
No offence to the regular season that did give us the treat of Jake Maier, Nick Arbuckle and Tre Ford passing for nearly 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns on the final week, but it is time to move on to the games where legacies are made, and Hall of Fame careers are defined by.
I could easily list off more than a dozen matchups in the Eastern Semi-Final that I will be watching for but my editors are busy enough so I have whittled it down to the five that I believe will have the greatest impact to the final score.
2024 CFL PLAYOFFS
» Head To Head: Who has the edge in the Eastern Semi-Final?
» Landry’s 5 Takeaways from Week 21
» Buy Semi-Finals Tickets: Ottawa at Toronto
Hardy finished first in receptions with 97 in 2024 (Kevin Sousa CFL.ca)
Justin Hardy vs. DaShaun Amos
Why ease our way into this preview, let’s jump into the deep end and get started with a heavyweight tilt. The REDBLACKS are rightfully the underdogs, but the history of the CFL playoffs is packed with upset stories in every round.
The Argonauts defence has playmakers at every level making extended drives with a first-time quarterback in Dru Brown that much more difficult. For Ottawa to win they will need chunk plays from the East’s leading receiver. Amos is coming off one of his best seasons tying his career high with five interceptions.
Hardy did put up a 100-yard game the last time these teams met but much of that was after Toronto had a 20+ point lead on Ottawa. A quick score by Hardy and suddenly the entire complexion of the game changes. It will be up to defenders like Amos to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Michael Wakefield vs. Peter Nicastro
We will get to the edges of the lines in a moment but I’m betting I am not the only one watching to see what happens the moment the ball is hiked by the 2021 East Division All-CFL centre. A clean pocket, especially early in the game will be critical for Chad Kelly and that starts with Nicastro.
Wakefield, Ottawa’s nominee for Most Outstanding Defensive Player, had a personal best eight sacks and will be looking to create chaos in the most chaotic piece of real estate in football. He also forced three fumbles in 2024 so keeping him in check will be a high priority for the interior of the Argonauts offensive line.
Cauz highlights the matchup between LB Wynton McManis and QB Dru Brown (Andrew Lahodynskyj/CFL.ca)
Dru Brown vs. Wynton McManis
I know usually you would match-up a quarterback with a defensive back, but Wynton is just different.
The Argonauts linebacker’s numbers are down, by his standards, as a result of injury costing him six games, but he still produced at an elite level when he was on the field. I can’t help but think back to Toronto’s Week 19 brutal 14-11 win over Winnipeg. This wasn’t exactly an ideal game for those of you in Fantasy Football leagues, but it was a master class of defence with McManis standing out above all others with eight tackles and a forced fumble.
Brown had a remarkable first season In Ottawa, the kind of year a franchise can build off but now it’s time for the highest test. The pivot will need to ensure the ball is kept as far away from McManis as possible, no throws leading his receivers near the two-time All-CFL.
Drake Centers/Zack Pelehos vs. the Argonauts pass rush
You can argue the single most effective unit in the CFL is the Toronto Argonauts pass rush. Led by established veterans Jake Ceresna (Great trade by Pinball and company) and Folarin Orimolade along with super rookie Ralph Holley (also an excellent run defender) this group comes at you in waves with plenty of productive depth behind the stars.
On the other side of the ball Brown has put up impressive numbers against this defence (749 passing yards and five touchdowns) but we also saw Toronto’s defence control Ottawa for much of their Week 20 game that saw Toronto win home field advantage. A REDBLACKS win will need their tackles neutralizing the Argonauts greatest strength.
Webb registered four interceptions for the REDBLACKS this season (Andrew Lahodynskyj/CFL/.ca)
Damon Webb vs. Chad Kelly
The biggest loss for the Argonauts came at the hands of Ottawa in a 41-27 Week 14 loss. More specifically it was the result of the hands of Webb who picked off Kelly twice, returning both interceptions for touchdowns. Webb is the easy choice here for what he did to the Toronto passing game, but this is really all about the game’s biggest matchup, Kelly and his mindset.
Toronto’s offence is at its best with Kelly taking big shots downfield. Who doesn’t love a mad bomber but at times Kelly switches from best deep ball thrower in the CFL to a turnover machine. How do you balance him challenging secondaries with his arm while also practicing proper ball security? That Week 14 defeat saw Kelly set a career high in yardage, but it also came with four interceptions.
Speaking of that exact number we all remember what happened last year in the Eastern Final to Montreal, I am genuinely curious how much that memory sticks with the Argo quarterback and will that play a factor in his play on Saturday.
Bonus Match-Up: Football fans vs. traffic
I cannot stress this enough. If you can take public transportation, the GO station is a 10-minute walk to BMO Field. If you have to drive, give yourself plenty of time, the Gardiner Expressway is an unforgiving beast, kind of like these playoffs.
