Add StudioX as a preferred source on GoogleThe Winnipeg Blue Bombers survived four turnovers to beat the Toronto Argonauts 25-22 in the CFL East Division semifinal on Saturday, according to Global News Winnipeg. Dru Brown threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Nic Demski with 44 seconds remaining, then hit Demski again for the two-point convert.
Winnipeg will play at Montreal in the East final next weekend.
A late drive decides it
With 2:07 left, Toronto faced third-and-one at its own 45-yard line and chose to punt. Head coach Mike Miller said he thought about going for it. He decided against it after officials moved the ball back, leaving closer to two yards for the first down. The punt gave Winnipeg the ball at its 24-yard line with 1:54 to play.
The winning drive was set up by former Argo Thiadric Hansen, who recovered a fumble by Janarion Grant on a punt return. Winnipeg head coach Mike O’Shea defended Grant, a former Bomber, calling him a Hall of Fame returner and saying such things happen to players of that calibre.
O’Shea said the game showed how one phase can struggle while the other two cover for it. Brown finished 18-of-30 for 206 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
“As long as you’re within striking distance you always have a chance,” Brown said.
How the game unfolded
Nic Demski’s teammate Ontaria Wilson opened the scoring with a one-handed 32-yard touchdown catch. Toronto’s Tyler Kahmann answered with a 20-yard touchdown reception to make it 7-7 in the first quarter.
Toronto’s defence forced two interceptions and two fumble recoveries over the game. Kicker Lirim Hajrullahu converted five field goals and a convert, and Toronto led 16-10 at halftime.
Winnipeg’s David Reese pulled the Bombers within 19-17 with a 52-yard fumble return touchdown in the third quarter. Defensive lineman Michael Fletcher had knocked the ball loose from Argos quarterback Chad Kelly. Hajrullahu’s 41-yard field goal with 2:37 left put Toronto up 22-17 before Winnipeg’s final push. Sergio Castillo added two converts and a field goal for the Bombers.
Miller said Toronto’s failure to score touchdowns off its forced turnovers was probably the difference. “Gut punch? Sure,” he said.
Quarterback questions and the road ahead
Kelly left with just over nine minutes remaining with an apparent right shoulder injury. He completed 18 of 30 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown. Nick Arbuckle replaced him and completed two of six passes for 25 yards. Miller said he did not know the full extent of the injury. The crowd of 21,786 at BMO Field was a season high.
Brown got the start after relieving Zach Collaros, who has a rib injury, in last week’s 34-10 playoff-clinching win over B.C. Collaros was listed as questionable for Saturday. O’Shea said he will wait until later next week to decide who starts in Montreal. He praised Brown’s calm demeanour and preparation.
The Alouettes beat Winnipeg 42-33 in last year’s division semifinal, and the teams split their 2026 season series 1-1.
Winnipeg is the 14th crossover team since the CFL adopted the format in 1996, and all 14 have come from the West. Those teams are 6-8 in the East playoffs, and none has reached the Grey Cup.
Source: Global News Winnipeg
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving multilingual diaspora communities across Canada. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, NEPMCC, and the Canadian Freelance Union (Unifor). Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
