3 stats that defined Winnipeg's win over Toronto in the Eastern Semi-Final presented by Wegovy®
Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca
Player in white uniform throws football while player in light blue uniform chases in the background.
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TORONTO — For the fifth time in six years, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are headed to the Division Finals after taking down the Toronto Argonauts 25-22 in the Eastern Semi-Final presented by Wegovy®.
Winnipeg overcame a nine-point deficit late in the third quarter, leaning on a strong defensive effort and timely plays from Dru Brown, who started in place of the injured Zach Collaros.
The Argos saw their season end, going cold after some momentum shifting plays in the second half.
CFL.ca brings you three key stats from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' win over the Toronto Argonauts in the Eastern Semi-Final presented by Wegovy®.
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9 - ARGONAUTS POINTS OFF TURNOVERS
The Argonauts' defence did its job on Saturday afternoon, forcing four turnovers. The only problem was that the offence couldn't turn those takeaways into touchdowns.
Toronto had three takeaways before halftime but settled for field goals after each one, taking a nine-point lead into the break instead of building a larger cushion. That inability to finish drives gave the Bombers time to rally, while Toronto's offence eventually fizzled in the late stages.
2 - BOMBERS SECOND-HALF TAKEAWAYS
While the Argos couldn't fully capitalize on their takeaways, the Bombers made theirs count in the second half. Winnipeg's defence and special teams came up with two crucial takeaways after halftime, helping turn a nine-point deficit into a playoff win. Michael Fletcher's strip sack late in the third quarter set up David Reese's 58-yard fumble return touchdown, bringing the Bombers within two.
Then, with under two minutes remaining, Thiadric Hansen pounced on Janarion Grant's fumble on a punt return to give Winnipeg a chance near midfield. Dru Brown and Nic Demski made the most of the opportunity, connecting for the go-ahead touchdown and two-point conversion.
0 - ARGONAUTS TOUCHDOWNS AFTER FIRST QUARTER
Chad Kelly looked sharp to kick off his first start in over a month, completing his first seven passes, including a touchdown to Tyler Kahmann in the opening quarter. But the gunslinger struggled to generate big plays the rest of the way, completing just one pass of 30-plus yards and failing to find the end zone again. Things didn't get easier after Kelly exited in the fourth quarter, as Nick Arbuckle managed just one first down across four possessions.