Argos looking like old selves

Kelly's dominance vs. Lions ends any potential quarterback controversy

- DAMIEN COX

Chad Kelly’s rushing success against the B.C. Lions on Friday night gives opposing defences something else to worry about.

A trip to the west coast quelled any questions the Argonauts might have had about their quarterback situation.

In the process, they also started a controversy at that position for their opponent.

In hammering the B.C. Lions 33-17 in Vancouver on Friday night, the Argos delivered their strongest performance of the CFL season. Not only did quarterback Chad Kelly finally start to look like the best at his position again after serving a nine-game suspension for inappropriate behaviour toward a female member of the training staff, but the Argos as a group began to resemble the squad that went 16-2 last season.

Coach Ryan Dinwiddie’s group was utterly dominant against the Lions, who used highly touted quarterbacks Nathan Rourke and Vernon Adams but found both so ineffective that they turned to third-stringer Chase Brice by the end.

Rourke was mostly bad in the first half other than running for a touchdown late in the second quarter, cutting an early Toronto lead to 1210. Strangely, his reward was getting the hook.

Adams started the second half and did even less, largely because he was under severe pressure from the Argos defence from the moment he entered. Adams was a favourite for league MVP before he was injured in August. In his return, he failed to make a convincing argument that he deserves the starting job back.