The Toronto Argonauts beat the Edmonton Elks 24-19 at BMO Field on September 19 and clinched a playoff berth. Ralph Holley recovered an errant Edmonton snap and returned it for a touchdown in the third quarter, and Tarvarus McFadden intercepted Cody Fajardo in the end zone with 19 seconds left.
Quarterback Chad Kelly said the offence dropped off after the break. "First half was not bad, but second half obviously very, very underwhelming, to say the worst," Kelly said. "We got to get better. We got to get better."
Miller Credits The Defensive Staff
Head coach Mike Miller credited the defensive coaches and the veterans on that side of the ball. "I'll say again, give credit to Greg Quick, Maxie, Jovon, and Bubba. I think our coaching staff does a really nice job. Again, our veteran leadership is strong over there," Miller said. Toronto's 2026 staff lists Greg Quick as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, Demetrious Maxie as defensive line coach and assistant head coach, and Jovon Johnson as defensive backs coach.
Miller said the group knew what the rematch with Edmonton was. Edmonton won the August 15 meeting 42-12. "We didn't have the best showing against those guys last time and they were hungry for this challenge," Miller said. "Really proud of them and well-deserved. Great effort."
Holley's Fumble Return
Holley said the play belonged to the unit. "It was a defensive effort. It wasn't just me. I just finished the play," Holley said. He said he had more left. "I would have kept going. That adrenaline was pumping. I only felt tired after I knew I scored."
Holley said he did not expect to be the one who came up with the ball. "I know somebody was gonna scoop it. … I saw what happened at Hamilton a couple weeks ago and they called it back. I was like, oh, this is my time," Holley said.
"We're taught by our DC and our D-line coach that whenever that ball's on the ground, … pick it up and do what you can do with it." — Ralph Holley
Holley said he last scored in high school and that this was his first defensive touchdown. "High school I did score. I played a little running back in high school," Holley said. "It was crazy and it was awesome. All glory to God for that."
Holley described the unit's mentality late in games. "As a defense, we bask in the opportunity to play, whether we're backed up, whether we're up, whether we're down. We call ourselves the dogs, and we're a bunch of hungry dogs ready to rip," Holley said.
Clinching A Playoff Spot At Home
Holley put the win in the context of Toronto's season. "Everybody says they face adversity, but we were literally born in it at the beginning of the season. We faced every type of adversity and at this point, adversity is the norm and we're used to it," Holley said. "This is just a culmination of our hard work and our teamwork. Credit to the offense, special teams and defense. Everybody's relentless. Nobody gives up."
Miller said the opponent mattered as much as the venue. Edmonton entered the game 10-4 and first in the West. "We definitely want to always defend our own turf. I'm excited about how we executed and we continued to battle. That's a tough team. They're number 1 in the West for a reason," Miller said. "They handed it to us pretty good last time." He said he and the team wanted to respond and test themselves.
Kelly On The Touchdown Pass To Dymere Miller
Kelly walked through his second-quarter touchdown pass to Dymere Miller. "I thought they bracketed the inside guy. … I kind of had to make up for it from the play before, so kind of just not giving up on the play and trying to find someone," Kelly said. "Dymere did a great job of putting his hand up and finding space and staying friendly."
Kelly said the throw came right after a play he wanted to correct. "I ran the ball, so I just wanted to make up for that play, and we did," Kelly said.
Asked whether he considered coming out of the game after limping, Kelly was direct. "No, no, no. We're in it to win it," he said.
Offence Still Needs Fixing
Kelly said the defence eased some of the burden on the offence. "Don't force things because the defense has your back, right? All season I got to stay in that mentality. I think we have amazing coaches on that side of the ball that understand the game and some really good players too. So I'm excited about where we're heading," Kelly said. "But offense-wise, we got to get better and not put our defense in some of those predicaments."
He pointed to the second half. "It stinks that we had a really good first half and then the second half it was dead. We just couldn't get any motion going. We had the one big play, but besides that, that was it. I think it was too many 2-and-outs and just got to get better. Got to get better everywhere," Kelly said.
Toronto ran the ball six times for minus-one yard. Miller said he had no concern about the run game. "You're going to have outings like this, but there's plenty for us to learn from. I'm excited about taking a look at this film. The fact that it was against a quality opponent, that I'm proud of," Miller said.
Asked about Kelly's contract situation and whether it factors into his role going forward, Miller kept the focus on football. "I coach the football team. We don't worry about contracts. When we're in the room, we're coaching football. Anything about the business part of this industry, I don't know anything about. That has nothing to do with anything that we're thinking," Miller said.
Watch the Full Videos
Toronto Argonauts: Mike Miller | Post Game – September 19, 2026
Toronto Argonauts: Ralph Holley | Post Game – September 19, 2026
Toronto Argonauts: Chad Kelly | Post Game – September 19, 2026