
In a matchup between the CFL’s last two Grey Cup Champions. The Toronto Argonauts fell to the Montreal Alouettes 28-10 in their season-opening game at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, marking their first opening-weekend loss under head coach Ryan Dinwiddie. The game, a rematch of the last three Eastern Finals, saw the Alouettes, led by newly anointed starting quarterback Davis Alexander, capitalize on Toronto’s mistakes to secure a convincing victory.
On a night that saw the audible horns from the Montreal faithful go silent. It was the Alouettes sounding off the loudest message.
CFL 2025 Opening Week: Montreal Alouettes 28 Toronto Argonauts 10 Recap
The defending CFL champion Argos didn’t look like an established championship team on Friday night. Toronto, sporting 13 new starters since last November’s Grey Cup triumph, looked out of sorts all evening, committing several costly mistakes, including one turnover in scoring range early on, and a pivotal faux pas right before the half.
With the Argos down 8-3 with under a minute remaining in the first half, Nick Arbuckle fumbled the ball on his end of the field, leading to a defensive score and an Alouettes 15-3 lead at the break. It was that kind of night for a Toronto team that looked lost at sea.
On the flip side, Montreal, a club that sported the CFL’s best record a year ago, exacted a measure of revenge against Toronto, sending a strong message, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, which kept the Argos out of the end zone for nearly four quarters.
Montreal’s defense pressured Arbuckle all night long, netting three sacks, forcing a fumble for a score, and registering two key interceptions.
Jason Maas’s offense, led by quarterback Davis Alexander, who expertly contributed 205 yards through the air and 60 on the ground, didn’t have to do much as the team’s defense, and a run game that produced 163 yards controlled the line of scrimmage.
Conversely, the Double Blue, who are breaking in new players on both sides of the ball, couldn’t recreate the same magic it had with replacement starter Nick Arbuckle in last season’s improbable championship run. Arbuckle, who targeted Damonte Coxie and David Ungerer to a tune of 17 targets for 181 of his 273 passing yards, was tasked with trying to shoulder the load as Toronto’s run offense was nonexistent.
The newly christened running back duo of Deonta McMahon and Miyan Williams ran the ball only seven times for a total of 17 yards.
As a result, with recency bias having its day, the decision by Double Blue’s management to part ways with veteran Kadeem Carey didn’t look like a wise one. To further complicate matters for the Argos’ young backfield, offensive linemen Darius Ciraco went down with a lower leg injury that could sideline the oft-injured veteran for quite some time.
Fittingly, Week 1’s game ended with Toronto conceding defeat to Montreal by kneeling on the ball to avoid further damage.
It was the first of three guaranteed regular-season meetings between the two East rivals, who could meet up for a fourth consecutive Eastern Final four months from now. In the meantime, the Als and Argos will see each other again in Montreal in Week 7, with the follow-up clash taking place in Week 16 at Toronto.
The Argonauts, now 0-1, head back home to host Calgary next Saturday afternoon. The question is whether the upcoming 8-day week will be long enough to ensure a Chad Kelly return. Meanwhile, Montreal begins a three-game road trip by taking on another Eastern foe in Ottawa this Friday.
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