Toronto Argonauts defensive back Tarvarus McFadden (20) makes an interception over BC Lions wide receiver Dominique Rhymes (19) during first half CFL action in Toronto on Monday, July 3, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
TORONTO – The B.C. Lions came in with the CFL’s top-ranked defence but Robertson Daniel and the Toronto Argonauts showed Monday night their unit is also pretty good.
Daniel had three of Toronto’s six interceptions – returning one for a touchdown – as the Argos defeated B.C. 45-24 to remain the CFL’s lone unbeaten team. Robertson last registered three picks in a game back in high school but had never returned one for a TD.
“As soon as I caught it, the first thing I said in my mind was, ‘I’m going to get into that end zone,'” Daniel said. “It felt really good.
“You’re just doing your assignment, it’s not just me “¦ there’s so many things that go into it. You can’t just put it on one guy.”
Toronto (3-0) opened a season with three straight wins for the first time since 1991. Daniel returned his final interception 62 yards for the score with 52 seconds remaining.
B.C. (3-1) was looking to go to 4-0 for the first time since 2007. Vernon Adams Jr. finished 24-of-39 passing for 388 yards and three touchdowns with the six picks.
Toronto’s defence outshone a B.C. unit that came in leading the CFL in fewest points allowed (seven per game), net offensive yards (211.7) and average yards per play (4.4). The Lions also registered seven sacks – boosting their CFL-best total to 11 – in last week’s 30-6 road win over Winnipeg.
“When you’re talking about another defence being as good as us, we’re going to take that challenge,” Daniel said. “You always have to face that elephant in the room.
“Once (people) said B.C. was better than us we knew we were going to come out and have a game and show who the real best (defence) is.”
Daniel could’ve gone down to the field after recording his final interception. But the father of two young daughters said his decision to extend the play served as a life lesson.
“One day they’re going to watch that and see dad didn’t go down,” he said. “It’s must a mindset, man.
“I messed up on another one not taking it back to the end zone and my kids were watching so I had to get this one in.”
Adams recorded his third 300-yard passing performance of the season but had few answers for Toronto’s defence. And that delighted the BMO Field gathering of 12,473 that included Jim Kelly, the former Buffalo Bills star and Toronto starter Chad Kelly’s uncle.
“The defence did a great job,” said Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwiddie. “They took advantage of every opportunity, they made the play on every one of them.
“B.C. talked all week that they’re the best defence in the league, they have the best secondary. I don’t know, I think our secondary played pretty well. Great day by Rob, he had a mistake early on and he just battled back, he was solid.”
Kelly was 23-of-29 passing for 249 yards with a TD. He also ran three times for 25 yards.
Adams pulled B.C. to within 35-24 at 4:37 of the fourth with a nine-yard TD pass to Keon Hatcher, who had eight catches for 104 yards and the score in his season debut. But Adams also threw his fifth pick of the game, this one to Qwan’tez Stiggers with 6:21 remaining to play.
Kelly then engineered a 10-play, 47-yard drive that resulted in Boris Bede’s 45-yard field goal at 13:37.
“Tough one for the good guys,” Adams said. “Hats off to Corey Mace (Toronto defensive coordinator) and the defence over there, they dialed some good things up.
“I’m just going to watch the film and I will get better from this.”
Fortunately for Adams, he doesn’t have time to dwell upon Monday’s game. B.C. hosts the Montreal Alouettes (2-1) on Sunday while Toronto embarks on its second bye week.
Javon Leake (91-yard punt return), Cameron Dukes, DaVaris Daniels and A.J. Ouellette scored Toronto’s other touchdowns. Bede kicked the converts, three field goals and a single.
Dominique Rhymes had B.C.’s other two touchdowns. Sean Whyte booted the converts and a field goal.
Bede put Toronto ahead 28-17 with a 37-yard field goal at 7:37 of the third. Then Ouellette scored on a four-yard run at 13:39 following Daniel’s 78-yard interception return to the B.C. 22-yard line.
Whyte’s 46-yard field goal at 4:41 cut B.C.’s deficit to 25-17. The Lions’ defence stopped Toronto on third-and-one at the Argos’ 30-yard line.
Bede’s 47-yard field goal at 14:08 of the second staked Toronto to its 25-14 halftime lead.
Kelly’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Daniels put Toronto back into the lead, 21-14 at 12:27. It came two plays after Jonathan Jones corralled Daniel’s deflection and returned it to the B.C. 21-yard line.
Bede then followed with an 80-yard kickoff single at 12:30 to put Toronto up 22-14.
Adams hit Rhymes on a 21-yard TD pass at 8:55 to make it 14-14. It came after Adams opened the march with a 61-yard completion to Justin McInnis.
Dukes’ one-yard run at 2:08 put Toronto ahead 14-7. It followed Daniel’s 29-yard interception return to the B.C. 22-yard line, with the Argos’ six-play scoring drive being aided by two B.C. penalties.
Leake, who didn’t dress for Toronto’s 43-31 road win over Edmonton on June 25, pulled the Argos even at 13:53 of the first. B.C. was forced to punt after taking a costly time-count violation on second-and-two that was followed by an incompletion.
“It was huge,” Dinwiddie said of Leake’s return. “We weren’t doing anything on offence, we get that and now it’s 7-7.
“It was big to see.”
Rhymes opened the scoring with an 18-yard TD grab at 5:36.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2023.
