Xs and Argos Podcast

Ben Grant and JB
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Football
  • Updated Semiweekly

Hosts Ben Grant and JB take you through the Toronto Argonauts season with previews, postgame reactions, chalk talk, the occasional therapy session, and complete coverage of everything Double Blue.

  1. 3d ago

    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.

  2. 5d ago

    Pregame Walkthrough — Redblacks at Argos

    It's perhaps the definition of a trap game, for those who believe in such things. Fresh off a convincing Labour Day victory in Hamilton, the 6-6 Toronto Argonauts are back at BMO Field on a short week to face a very well-rested Ottawa Redblacks team with nothing to lose. Ben Grant and JB get you set for Toronto's third home game of the season on this week's Xs and Argos Pregame Walkthrough. The guys start with the latest transaction involving Jordan Herdman-Reed before taking a look at the bigger picture in the East Division. With six games remaining, it's time to start talking Magic Numbers. What does Toronto need to do to secure a playoff berth, and where do the Argos stand in the race to host the East Semi-Final? With Ryan Dinwiddie returning to BMO Field, how different is he from Mike Miller as a head coach and offensive mind? Ben and JB discuss two coaches who actually have plenty in common, but also some fascinating differences. Then it's on to a game Toronto absolutely cannot afford to overlook. Ottawa comes in rested, motivated and with players fighting for their futures. Dinwiddie would undoubtedly love to beat his former team, and the Redblacks have nothing to lose. Meanwhile, Toronto is coming off an emotional Labour Day victory and has had little time to recover and prepare. The message to the Argos: bring everything you have. In OCDC, Ben looks at how Ottawa can attack Toronto by turning the game into a physical battle for the Argos' linebackers. For the Argos, the plan starts with something that worked extremely well against Hamilton: Kevin Mital as part of the protection scheme. But this time, Toronto can use that tendency against Ottawa by showing the same protection looks and leaking Mital into routes. And against a Redblacks defence allowing more than 130 rushing yards per game, there's no reason to abandon the ground game either. Plus, the Injury Report, One Thing, Put Me Down for 20, and Challenge Flag. Toronto has fought its way back to .500 and taken control of second place in the East. Now comes a different challenge: beating a team everyone expects you to beat. It's Ottawa at Toronto, Ryan Dinwiddie is back at BMO Field, and we've got you covered on the Xs and Argos Pregame Walkthrough.

  3. Sep 7

    Postgame Reaction — Toronto 37, Hamilton 22

    Now that is how you respond. One week after a frustrating loss in Saskatchewan, the Toronto Argonauts went into Hamilton for the Labour Day Classic, outplayed the Tiger-Cats and came away with a convincing 37-22 victory in one of their most important games of the season. Ben Grant and JB break down a true full-team win on the latest Xs and Argos Postgame Reaction. Defensively, the challenge started with Tre Ford. Toronto did an excellent job containing one of the CFL's most dangerous athletes in the first half, preventing Ford from taking over the game with his legs and forcing Hamilton to find other ways to move the football. The defence bent at times after halftime, but the outcome never really felt in doubt. Offensively, Chad Kelly was dealing, but some of the biggest plays of the afternoon belonged to his receivers. Damonte Coxie, Jake Herslow, and Dave Ungerer III each found the end zone, and all three touchdowns were impressive physical plays in their own way. Toronto's receivers repeatedly put their bodies on the line to finish catches, turning accurate throws from Kelly into some of the defining moments of the game. And then there was Lirim Hajrullahu. Five games after missing a game-winning field goal in Hamilton and subsequently landing on the injured list, Lirim returned to the scene of the crime and looked every bit like the veteran professional Toronto has come to trust. He was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals and 4-for-4 on converts, including a booming 52-yarder. There was no late-game heartbreak this time. The offence made plays. The defence did its job. Special teams delivered. And after letting a very winnable game get away in Saskatchewan, the Argos responded with one of their most complete performances of the season when they needed it most. Toronto is back to .500 at 6-6, has won the season series against Hamilton and has put itself firmly in control of second place in the East. It's Argos 37, Ticats 22 in the Labour Day Classic, and Ben and JB break it all down on the Xs and Argos Postgame Reaction.

  4. Sep 4

    Pregame Walkthrough — Labour Day Classic: Argos at Tiger-Cats

    Labour Day! The 5-6 Toronto Argonauts head down the QEW for the annual Labour Day Classic against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and this year's edition could have enormous implications for the East Division playoff race. Ben Grant and JB get you set for one of the biggest games on the CFL calendar on this week's Xs and Argos Pregame Walkthrough. The guys start with a surprising transaction: Toronto has released rookie kicker Brady Lidster, who handled the kicking duties for the past five games while Lirim Hajrullahu recovered from a hamstring injury. With Lidster gone and no other active kicker on the roster, is a familiar face about to return? There's also some off-field CFL news to dig into. The league has launched its new website, and Ben and JB discuss the early returns before turning their attention to the CFL's upcoming field-dimension changes. USPORTS and Football Canada won't be adopting the new dimensions in 2027, creating some logistical questions for teams that share facilities with university programs. This week's Pick Six asks a question that takes us back to the days of Condredge Holloway and Joe Barnes: whatever happened to quarterback tandems? If Chad Kelly is struggling, why not give Nick Arbuckle a series or two? Ben and JB examine why modern offences have largely moved away from rotating quarterbacks and whether there are situations where it could still make sense. Then it's time for the Labour Day Classic. The stakes are enormous. A Toronto victory would put the Argos four points ahead of Hamilton with a game in hand and secure the season-series tiebreaker, giving them a commanding advantage in the race for second place in the East. A loss would pull Hamilton level on points, hand the Ticats the tiebreaker and turn the final stretch of the season into a fight for playoff positioning. There's also some potentially significant news in the Injury Report, as a big name makes his return to practice. In OCDC, Ben looks at how Hamilton could use both Tre Ford and Harrison Frost - even within the same drive - to take advantage of a Toronto defence that has been forced to prepare for two very different quarterbacks. For the Argos, the question is how they respond if Hamilton follows Saskatchewan's second-half blueprint and leans heavily on man coverage. Ben wants Toronto to start with the running game, use stacks, bunches, reduced splits and motion to manufacture separation, and make Kevin Mital a central part of the plan. If Hamilton wants to turn its back to the football and challenge Toronto's receivers to beat man coverage, the Argos need to make the Ticats regret it. Plus, One Thing, Put Me Down for 20, and Challenge Flag. It's Argos-Ticats. It's Labour Day. And for a Toronto team trying once again to get back to .500, this one could go a long way toward deciding where the East Final road runs through in November. We've got you covered on the Xs and Argos Pregame Walkthrough.

  5. Aug 30

    Postgame Reaction — Saskatchewan 28, Toronto 24

    In many ways, this might have been the Argos' worst loss of the season. Toronto went into Regina facing a Saskatchewan team ravaged by injuries, built a 22-12 halftime lead, and appeared to be in complete control. Instead, the Argos failed to score a single point on offence in the second half and watched another game slip away through a combination of missed opportunities, protection problems and costly mental mistakes, falling 28-24 to the Roughriders. Ben Grant and JB break down a frustrating night where the Argos should have put the game away long before Saskatchewan ever had an opportunity to come back. The first half is perhaps the most maddening part. Chad Kelly threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns before halftime, yet Toronto left an enormous number of points on the field. The Argos missed two converts, one of which Saskatchewan returned for two points, failed to connect on a wide-open touchdown, and somehow allowed the Riders to drive into field-goal range in the dying seconds of the half. A 22-12 lead could very easily have been 31-7. Then the offence disappeared. Toronto finished the entire game with just 15 rushing yards, repeatedly found itself in second-and-long, and once again struggled to keep Kelly clean. The quarterback finished with 416 yards and three touchdowns, but Saskatchewan's pass rush increasingly took over as the game progressed and the Argos couldn't put together a scoring drive in the second half. The defence, meanwhile, did enough to give Toronto an opportunity to win. The Argos held Saskatchewan to 28 points despite the offence's second-half struggles, produced a late safety to go up three, and had the Riders settling for a field goal from the four-yard line with just over three minutes remaining. And then came perhaps the most painful mistake of the night. An inexcusable offside penalty on the chip-shot field-goal attempt gave Saskatchewan a fresh set of downs. One play later, Tommy Stevens was in the end zone, turning what should have been a tie game into the touchdown that ultimately put Toronto away. This wasn't a game where the Argos were simply beaten by a better football team. They had opportunities to take control, opportunities to put Saskatchewan away, and an opportunity to get the ball back late with a chance to win. They wasted all of them. Ben and JB break down the missed opportunities, the complete absence of a running game, Toronto's recurring pass-protection problems, the second-half offensive collapse, and the mental mistakes that continue to turn winnable games into losses. The Argos are back below .500 at 5-6. And after eleven games, the question is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid: when do these stop being isolated mistakes and simply become who this team is?

  6. Aug 27

    Pregame Walkthrough — Argos at Roughriders

    This very quickly became a quarterback-themed episode. The 5-5 Toronto Argonauts head back on the road looking to climb above .500 again as they take on a Saskatchewan Roughriders team that has dropped two straight. Ben Grant and JB get you set for the first half of Toronto's two-game road trip on this week's Xs and Argos Pregame Walkthrough. The guys start with the latest transactions, including the release of defensive back Anthony Wilson and the addition of an intriguing new quarterback. Paxton DeLaurent arrives in Toronto after a monster season in the Indoor Football League, where he threw 64 touchdown passes, completed more than 70 percent of his throws and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year. What does the former Southeast Missouri State star bring to the quarterback room and why sign him now? And speaking of quarterbacks... The people have spoken. Our inbox has been flooded with Chad Kelly contract extension questions over the past two weeks, and paranoia about Ottawa's involvement, so we thought we'd take a look at some of the smoke. Kelly is scheduled to become a free agent following the season, while smoke continues to build around the possibility of a reunion with former Argos head coach Ryan Dinwiddie in Ottawa. There's nothing remotely concrete, but with the Redblacks' quarterback situation deteriorating and Kelly potentially able to hit the open market in February, should the Argos be trying to get ahead of this and extend their star quarterback ASAP? This week's Pick Six keeps the quarterback theme going. How difficult is it for a QB to join a new CFL team in the middle of a season and actually play? Ben explains why learning the plays isn't necessarily the biggest obstacle, but learning an entirely new language is. Then it's on to Saskatchewan. The Riders are banged up and have lost two straight, while Toronto is coming off one of its best performances of the season against Hamilton. Chad Kelly is also 4-0 in his career against Saskatchewan. Can the Argos keep the momentum going and move above .500 for the first time since June? In OCDC, Ben looks at how Saskatchewan can protect an older, intelligent quarterback with an elite release by leaning on quick-game concepts and essentially replacing parts of the running game with short passes. For Toronto, the starting point is simple: don't forget what worked last week. Establish the running game again, then use Saskatchewan's response against them. Plus, the Injury Report, One Thing, Put Me Down for 20, and Challenge Flag. It's Toronto at Saskatchewan, and we've got you covered on the Xs and Argos Pregame Walkthrough.

  7. Aug 23

    Postgame Reaction — Toronto 39, Hamilton 20

    Now that looked like the team the Argos have been trying to become. After an hour-long lightning delay at BMO Field, Toronto turned a tight game into a convincing 39-20 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, using a dominant second half to pick up a massive win in the East Division. Ben Grant and JB break down one of Toronto's most complete performances of the season. For weeks, we've talked about what the Argos need to do to help an offensive line that's struggled in pass protection. Against Hamilton, they found an even better solution: don't have to protect for very long and run the football. For the first time this season, Toronto showed a legitimate power running game. Isaiah Smith led the way with 99 yards on 15 carries as the Argos piled up 145 yards on the ground, giving the offence a balance it simply hasn't had. And that made life considerably easier for Chad Kelly. Kelly didn't need to play superhero. He played smart, efficient football, completing 26 of 34 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns, adding another on the ground. He took what Hamilton gave him, protected the football for most of the night and, perhaps most importantly, wasn't sacked once after the protection problems that plagued Toronto a week ago in Edmonton. Damonte Coxie also responded in a big way. After a difficult afternoon last week, Coxie bounced back with four catches for 75 yards and a touchdown, including a huge score in the fourth quarter. Defensively, the challenge was obvious: don't let Tre Ford's legs take over the game. Toronto accomplished that. Ford made plays through the air, but the Argos largely kept him contained as a runner, sacked him four times and produced one of the game's biggest plays with a strip-sack and recovery. The Argos trailed at halftime. They outscored Hamilton 24-3 the rest of the way.

  8. Aug 19

    Pregame Walkthrough — CNE Game: Tiger-Cats at Argonauts

    It's CNE Game in Toronto, and this one feels bigger than most. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats come to BMO Field for one of the marquee dates on the Argos calendar, and with Toronto and Hamilton battling for position in the East Division, there's a lot more at stake than bragging rights. Ben Grant and JB get you set for a huge rivalry matchup on this week's Xs and Argos Pregame Walkthrough. The guys start with the latest transactions, as a banged-up Argos roster adds a pair of Canadians in defensive lineman Gabriel Maisonneuve and defensive back Istvan Assibo-Dadzie. What might those additions tell us about Toronto's injury situation heading into the weekend? Then it's time to dig into two Xs-and-Os questions that could have a major impact on Saturday's game. First: How does a defence prepare when it doesn't know who the opposing quarterback will be - especially when the two possibilities couldn't be more different? Harrison Frost is a traditional pocket passer. Tre Ford is one of the most dangerous running quarterbacks in football. The guys explains why preparing for both isn't simply a matter of learning two players - it can be like preparing for two entirely teams. On the other side of the ball, Toronto has a problem of its own: pass protection. After the offensive line struggled again in Edmonton, what can the Argos do to protect Chad Kelly without simply asking the same five blockers to suddenly play better? Quick game, screens, moving pockets, chips, heavier protections, RPOs, tempo and formation can all help - because pass protection isn't exclusively an offensive-line problem. This week's Pick Six continues that discussion with a bigger CFL question: is there a genuine shortage of quality offensive tackles in the league, or are teams failing to properly develop the ones they have? Then it's on to the game itself. In OCDC, Ben looks at how Hamilton can take advantage of Tre Ford's extraordinary athleticism without repeatedly exposing him to hits, and why sometimes the threat of the quarterback run can be more valuable than the run itself. For Toronto, it's about making Hamilton process as much information as possible with motion, tempo and a variety of pre-snap looks. Plus, the Injury Report, One Thing, Put Me Down for 20, and Challenge Flag. And Saturday is about more than just the game. It's the annual CNE Game, Argos jerseys are 40% off in-stadium, and franchise greats Kevin Eiben and Carl Brazley will officially become All-Time Argos during a halftime ceremony. The rivalry is renewed. The East Division race is heating up. And the Argos need an answer after an ugly afternoon in Edmonton. It's Hamilton at Toronto at the CNE, and we've got you covered on the Xs and Argos Pregame Walkthrough.

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About

Hosts Ben Grant and JB take you through the Toronto Argonauts season with previews, postgame reactions, chalk talk, the occasional therapy session, and complete coverage of everything Double Blue.

Information

  • Creator
    Ben Grant and JB
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Xs and Argos 2019
  • Show Website
    Xs and Argos Podcast