OTTAWA — Damon Webb and the Ottawa Redblacks are walking with a little swagger.
And for good reason following an impressive showing Saturday afternoon.
Webb returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the first half as Ottawa thumped the Toronto Argonauts 41-27.
The Redblacks improved to 8-3-1 overall and extended their unbeaten streak at TD Place to 6-0-1.
Ottawa also gained some breathing room in the CFL’s East Division, moving five points clear of the Argonauts (6-6-0) for second behind the first-place Montreal Alouettes.
“Probably No. 1,” Webb said when asked where Saturday ranked for memorable career moments. “That’s my first time ever getting two pick-sixes.”
The Redblacks took control of proceedings early and never looked back on a day that saw an Ottawa football team return two interceptions for TDs in the same game for the first time since 1991.
Webb picked off Toronto quarterback Chad Kelly just 3:36 into the action and returned it 29 yards for the score.
Kelly was picked off again on the next series, which Ottawa converted into a 37-yard field goal to take a 10-0 lead.
The Argos finally got on the board with a 37-yard field goal, but Ottawa’s Lewis Ward quickly responded with a 20-yard field goal to close out the first quarter.
Webb recorded his second interception return for a TD early in the second quarter, racing 96 yards to push the Redblacks ahead 20-3.
“The quarterback threw a bad pass,” Webb said. “It got tipped in the air and fell into my hands and my guys did a good job blocking for me down field, so that one was easy, too.”
Ottawa kept pushing and extended its lead when Brown connected with Andre Miller, who found space and sprinted from the 30-yard line for a 27-3 lead.
The Argonauts struggled to create any kind of momentum, conceding a single before Ward nailed a 51-yard field goal that sent the Redblacks into halftime with a 31-3 advantage.
“We beat ourselves and we gave them the opportunity to take the game over in the first quarter,” Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwiddie said. “We had to fight our way back and the guys fought, but it was too tough to come back from.”
The Argonauts have struggled on the road with a 1-4 record.
Kelly had a rough day getting picked off four times and sacked on six occasions. He did manage to go 36-for-56 for 463 yards with three TDs after a better second half.
“I can’t even put a grade on it,” Kelly said. “It’s a whole team effort and I’ve got to do a lot better being a leader.”
Ottawa quarterback Dru Brown took advantage of some solid protection, going 30-for-40 for 349 yards and one touchdown.
“Give credit to our offensive line — no sacks,” Redblacks head coach Bob Dyce said. “That is a very, very impressive front that Toronto has. For those guys to be able to run the ball and for us to keep Dru clean is integral.”
Toronto’s offence found a spark in the third quarter, with Kelly finding Tommy Nield at Ottawa’s 10-yard line for a touchdown.
On the next drive, Ottawa marched down the field, and Khalan Laborn, making his CFL debut, capped it off with a 33-yard touchdown run, extending the Redblacks’ lead to 38-10.
“Trusted in my eyes, trusted in my blockers, trusted in my protectors and trusted in my speed,” said Laborn. “It felt great.”
Kelly looked for the big play early in the fourth quarter, but Toronto had to settle for a 35-yard field goal from Lirim Hajrullahu.
Damonte Coxie ran in a touchdown and Kelly added a two-point conversion with 10 minutes left, cutting the deficit to 38-21.
Ottawa responded with a 24-yard field goal by Ward with just over seven minutes remaining before Kelly and Coxie connected again late.
UP NEXT
Argonauts: Visit the B.C. Lions on Friday.
Redblacks: Visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sept. 14.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 7, 2024.
Lisa Wallace, The Canadian Press