TORONTO - Arkee Whitlock helped put the Toronto Argonauts out of their misery Friday night.
Whitlock ran for two second-half touchdowns as the Edmonton Eskimos
beat Toronto 22-19, eliminating the Argos from playoff contention for
the second straight year. Whitlock was a one-man show, gaining 145
yards for an offence that came into the game averaging a league-low 93
yards on the ground.
"The key as a running back is to have patience," Whitlock said.
"You're not going to break every run but you know the big plays will
come.
"It's all about being patient."
The
win, while ugly, was huge for Edmonton (7-8), which moved into a
third-place tie with B.C. in the West Division. The Eskimos also put themselves
ahead of Winnipeg and Hamilton (both 6-8) in the crossover playoff
scenario.
Edmonton registered its first win at Rogers Centre since 2005 - a span of three games - before an announced gathering of 26,515.
"Anytime you win, it's a pretty win," Eskimos head coach Richie Hall said. "It was a defensive battle, a slugfest.
"This was like a playoff game. These are the type of games we're going to have from here on out."
Whitlock's 53-yard TD run at 5:41 of the fourth put Edmonton ahead
22-12. He also scored on a four-yard scamper to give the Eskimos a 15-9
advantage at 11:45 of the third. It came one play after Andrew Nowacki
recovered Jason Carter's fumble on a punt return to put the Eskimos on
the Argos' four-yard line.
"Giving up a long run was a tough one, especially when we needed to
get the ball back," said Argos head coach Bart Andrus. "We gave up a
lot of plays at the wrong time."
Toronto made it interesting with Kerry Joseph's two-yard TD strike
to Jeff Johnson at 12:55 - the home team's first passing touchdown in
seven games - capping a smart 102-yard, nine-play drive. But a 23-yard
run by Whitlock brought Edmonton to the Argos' 38-yard line from which they punted, pinning the home team at its five-yard line with 12 seconds
remaining.
"For me, that (23-yard run) was more important than the (53-yard TD
run)," Whitlock said. "It put us in a position to get a fresh set of
downs and run the clock down.
"We've struggled this year closing games out and it was big that we were able to do that tonight."
Edmonton, which entered action averaging a CFL-high 297 yards
passing, struggled with its aerial attack as quarterback Ricky Ray was
17-of-24 for 170 yards with a TD and an interception. Hall said for the Eskimos to be successful in the playoffs, the team will
have to be able to effectively run the football.
"We must have the confidence that we can do it," he said.
Toronto (3-12) suffered its fifth straight loss and the script
was a familiar one for the club under first-year head coach
Andrus. The defence played well enough, but showed signs of being
overworked as the CFL's worst offence (Andrus also serves as the
offensive co-ordinator) struggled to muster any consistency.
Being eliminated from post-season contention hadn't fully sunk in with Andrus after the game.
"I haven't thought about that," he said. "I'm just thinking we had lost a tough football game.
"We're not a good enough football team but we will be. We'll
eventually get there based on how hard these guys practise and play."
Toronto managed 368 yards of offence, with 144 coming on the
club's last two possessions. Joseph finished 25-of-42
passing for 331 yards. While he led the Argos on an impressive
march late in the game, his two second-half interceptions snuffed out promising
drives.
"When I was traded here (prior to '08 season) I knew I was coming to
a good organization," Joseph lamented. "Who would've thought we'd miss
the playoffs two years in a row?
"The playoffs are gone. That's the frustrating thing about this."
Toronto continued its struggles against West Division rivals,
falling to 0-7 this season. The Argos haven't beat a Western club since
claiming a home victory over Edmonton on July 20, 2008, a span of 13
straight contests.
Whitlock's long TD run injected some life and flow into a
game that, for the most part, desperately lacked both. Neither offence
was especially effective with the ball, a byproduct of an encounter
between two last-place teams that had just one win in nine
games coming in.
The two teams combined for five turnovers, with Toronto recording three.
Fred Stamps had Edmonton's other touchdown on an early 63-yard catch. Noel Prefontaine added two converts and a single.
Justin Medlock kicked four field goals and a convert.
Notes: Receiver Reggie McNeal, kick-returner Dominique Dorsey,
linebacker Ray Fontaine and defensive lineman Walter Curry didn't dress
for Toronto. Kicker Derek Schiavone and receivers Efren Hill, Jamaica
Rector and Skylar Green were Edmonton's scratches. … Coming into the
contest, Ray was one of five quarterbacks to throw for more than 400
yards against Toronto since 2003, passing for 414 yards on Aug. 20, 2005.
The others are Kevin Glenn, Joseph, Danny McManus and Anthony Calvillo.
