Toronto Argonauts crumble before Alouettes in regular-season finale (& seven other thoughts)

Photo: Jordan Collacutt/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The Toronto Argonauts welcomed the Montreal Alouettes to BMO Field for their regular-season finale. While both teams were resting starters, it was the Alouettes who came out on top by a score of 33-16 to end the year 9-9.

Here are my thoughts on the game.

Time to Tuck and roll

With neither team having anything at stake in the standings, Friday’s game gave Argonauts quarterback Tucker Horn a chance to make his first career CFL start. He wasted no time making an impression.

On his first passing attempt, Horn connected with Dymere Miller for a 71-yard touchdown, briefly making this game feel worth watching. The excitement was short-lived, however, as Horn threw for just 47 yards over the remainder of the first half. He finished the night 20-of-26 for 215 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.

Horn showed some promising moments, but also demonstrated why he remains the team’s third-string quarterback. His decision-making and play after that opening strike left plenty to be desired. While the 71-yard touchdown was undoubtedly a highlight, it was ultimately the lone flash in an otherwise uneven first career start.

Double trouble 

The Alouettes turned to Dustin Crum at quarterback tonight, and despite facing largely second-string defenders, he delivered an efficient performance. Crum completed 17-of-20 passes for 153 yards while adding two rushing touchdowns. His ability to find the end zone with his legs is worth keeping an eye on should he be thrust into action again in the playoffs.

It was Caleb Evans who really put the defence in a blender. Much like Crum, Evans was efficient through the air, completing 11-of-14 passes for 82 yards. While the yardage was modest, he made his opportunities count, throwing two touchdowns against one interception. The contributions of both quarterbacks helped propel Montreal to the win while showcasing the depth of the Alouettes’ roster. It was another reminder of why this team finished the regular season with a 14-4 record, with the ability to get quality production from multiple options under centre.

Une mille verges

One of the biggest stories of the Argonauts’ 2026 season has been the production of their receiving corps, with Damonte Coxie, Tyler Kahmann, and Dave Ungerer III each surpassing 1,000 receiving yards. On Friday, Kevin Mital joined them.

Entering the game with 981 receiving yards, Mital needed just 19 more to reach the milestone. He got there in the second quarter, giving Toronto four 1,000-yard receivers this season — just the fifth time that has happened in CFL history.

It also marked the first 1,000-yard campaign of his career, eclipsing his previous high of 886 yards. Mital has had his moments of brilliance, along with stretches where he hasn’t been as involved, but reaching 1,000 receiving yards proves he’s a reliable target. He will need to keep producing at this level if the Argonauts want to make it back to Montreal, let alone Calgary.

Miller time

With much of the regular Argonauts lineup getting the night off, it was an opportunity for several players to step up and make a case for a bigger role in 2027. Dymere Miller made the most of his chance.

In just his third CFL game, Miller recorded seven receptions for 115 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown. It was Miller’s second touchdown of the season, having also caught one earlier this year against Edmonton.

Miller pulled double duty as a receiver and return specialist, handling both punts and kickoffs. He gained just 14 yards on punt returns, but added 71 yards on three kickoff returns and another 28 yards on a missed Lewis Ward field-goal attempt.

Now, while Miller probably won’t factor in the Argonauts’ plans at receiver during the playoffs, a game like this is sure to earn him a spot at training camp in 2027. Or who knows? Maybe another team’s scouting staff took notice and wants to take a chance on Miller.

They ran it a little

I’ve been critical of the Argonauts’ run game or, more often, the lack thereof and the revolving door at running back continued tonight. It wasn’t Cam Porter carrying the load, like he did last week; it was Qualan Jones, who rushed eight times for 39 yards, averaging 4.9 yards per carry.

Jones’ performance aside, it will be fascinating and critically important to see who Mike Miller leans on as the primary running back in the playoffs, especially if the Kelly injury remains a lingering concern. A dependable run game could take pressure off Kelly and make the offence far more multi-dimensional. If Miller is going to use the run game in small doses as we’ve seen this year, it may be a regrettable action that leads to the team’s demise.

Special teams ace gets hurt

The big question heading into next week’s East Semi-Final will be the health of Chad Kelly. While he was on the sidelines mixing it up with coaches and players, we truly won’t know his status for next week until the team returns to practice. He won’t be the only one to monitor.

While defensive lineman Paris Shand also left with an injury, it was Derek Slywka’s departure that sent a chill down the spines of Argonaut fans. The special teams ace remained on the ground in pain after appearing to jam his arm into the BMO Field turf. Slywka was then seen leaving the game with his right arm heavily wrapped as the contest neared its conclusion.

If he is done for the year, as it may appear, he will be a major loss, especially on special teams. He is a player that Mickey Donovan can rely on to make the kinds of game-changing special-teams plays that can turn a game on its head. Now, someone else will need to step up in Slywka’s presumed absence.

Tricks or treats?

The next time we see the Argonauts take the field, it will be on Halloween, next Saturday at 1:00 p.m., when they welcome the crossover team from the West Division for the East Semi-Final. A win punches their ticket to Montreal to face the Alouettes in the East Final, with the winner earning the right to head back to Calgary and play for the Grey Cup. A loss, however, would end the 2026 season, the final 110-yard season in Toronto Argonauts history.

With the opponent for that game not being known at this time, the main thing for the Argonauts to worry about, regardless of why they’re playing, is that the mistakes that were noticeable during the regular season won’t fly in the playoffs. If they don’t clean them up, those errors could be the difference between a trip to Montreal and their season coming to an end.