Postgame Reaction — Toronto 26, Ottawa 23

The Argos won. Somehow, they also made it far more interesting than it ever needed to be. Toronto moved the football almost at will against the Ottawa Redblacks, piling up first downs and consistently driving into scoring territory. Chad Kelly threw for 443 yards, the Argos produced 31 first downs, and the offence converted 16 of 24 second downs. For most of the afternoon, moving the ball wasn't the problem. Finishing drives was. Kelly was excellent between the 20s, completing 35 of 42 passes with two touchdowns, but both of his interceptions came in the red zone. Those missed opportunities allowed an Ottawa team that Toronto largely controlled to hang around, turning what could have been a comfortable victory into a game that came down to the final second. There were plenty of individual performances to like. Dave Ungerer III exploded for 175 receiving yards and a touchdown, while Tyler Kahmann went over 100 yards and Kevin Mital caught nine passes. Isaiah Smith also continued to give Toronto balance on the ground, rushing 15 times for 84 yards. Defensively, the Argos did their part. Ottawa was held to just 17 first downs, and Toronto's defence repeatedly kept the Redblacks from turning the Argos' offensive mistakes into control of the football game. Ottawa hung around, but it never felt as though Toronto was being outplayed. And then things got very strange down the stretch. Toronto had an opportunity to win the game in regulation, but some questionable clock and game management nearly resulted in the Argos running out of time altogether. Fortunately, the officials put one second back on the clock, giving Lirim Hajrullahu one final opportunity. And Lirim delivered. A week after his perfect return in the Labour Day Classic, Hajrullahu drilled the 29-yard field goal at 0:00 to give Toronto a 26-23 victory. So how do you evaluate this one? The Argos were clearly the better team. The defence played well. The offence moved up and down the field. Kelly threw for more than 400 yards. But red-zone turnovers and some late-game management questions turned what should have been a relatively straightforward afternoon into a last-second escape. Still, a win is a win. The Argos have now won back-to-back games, improve to 7-6, and continue to strengthen their position in the East. Ben Grant and JB break down the good, the frustrating and a very strange final minute on the latest Xs and Argos Postgame Reaction.