Redblacks stun Argonauts 40-39 for first win since 2025
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Ottawa beat Toronto 40-39 on a touchdown with six seconds left on Friday, October 16.
- The win ended a 22-game losing run. It was Ottawa's first win since September 5, 2025.
- Rookie Bryson Barnes threw for 339 yards in his first CFL start. Toronto lost Chad Kelly to injury.
The Ottawa Redblacks finally won a game. They beat the Toronto Argonauts 40-39 on Friday, October 16, 2026. The winning touchdown came with six seconds left on the clock.
The game was played at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa. The CFL is the Canadian Football League. It is the top pro football league in Canada.
Ottawa had lost 22 games in a row. The team had not won since September 5, 2025. That win had come against the BC Lions.
This win saved Ottawa from a winless season. No team in the modern CFL era had ever gone winless. The modern era started in 1958.
What happened
Toronto scored first. Ethan John picked up a blocked punt and ran it 16 yards for a touchdown. The extra point missed.
Toronto led 6-0.
Ottawa answered fast. Daniel Adeboboye ran one yard for a touchdown. Ottawa led 7-6. Kicker Paul Geelen added a 20-yard field goal.
Ottawa led 10-6 after the first quarter.
The second quarter stayed close. Toronto scored on a one-yard run by Cameron Porter. Ottawa tied the game on a 40-yard Geelen field goal.
Toronto kicked a 43-yard field goal to lead 16-13.
Adeboboye scored again before half time. He ran three yards for a touchdown. Geelen kicked a 53-yard field goal as time ran out in the half.
Ottawa led 23-16 at the break.
Toronto tied the game in the third quarter. Quarterback Nick Arbuckle threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Mital. The two-point try worked.
The score was 24-24.
Geelen missed a 47-yard field goal. Ottawa still got one point from the play. In Canadian football, a missed kick can earn one point.
That point is called a rouge. Ottawa led 24-16.
Geelen then kicked a 51-yard field goal. Ottawa led 27-24.
The final 33 seconds
The fourth quarter gave fans a wild finish. Arbuckle threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Mital. That cut Ottawa's lead to 33-31.
Ottawa struck back. Barnes threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Ayden Eberhardt. The extra point missed.
Ottawa led 33-24 with about eight minutes left.
Toronto did not quit. Isaiah Smith ran four yards for a touchdown. The two-point try worked.
Toronto led 39-33 with 33 seconds left.
Ottawa had one last drive. Barnes moved the team down the field. He threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Eberhardt with six seconds left.
The extra point was good. Ottawa won 40-39.
Why it matters
This was more than one win. Ottawa had carried a long losing run for over a year. The streak had reached 22 games.
Fans had waited a very long time for a win.
A winless season would have been a first in the modern CFL. Ottawa avoided that mark. The team is now 1-16 this season.
The win also gave hope to the fans. They had watched loss after loss. They stayed with the team through a hard year.
Friday gave them a night to cheer.
Barnes made the night special. He is a rookie quarterback. A rookie is a player in his first pro season.
This was his first CFL start. He threw for 339 yards.
A start means he was the first-choice quarterback for the game. He stayed calm in the final seconds. He found Eberhardt for the winning score.
Eberhardt caught two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. His second one won the game. The first one came on a three-yard pass.
The second one came on a 24-yard pass.
Toronto's injury worry
Toronto lost its starting quarterback early. Chad Kelly went down in the first quarter. He hurt his lower body on Toronto's second drive.
Kelly was chased out of the pocket by Luiji Vilain. Kelly tried to avoid a sack. He hit the ground hard on his knees.
He limped after he got up. Trainers took him to the medical tent. He did not return.
Kelly did not throw a legal pass before he left. He was sacked once on the first drive. He is 32 years old.
He had just come back from a hand injury. He had missed Week 18 with that injury.
Arbuckle took over at quarterback. He threw for 315 yards. He threw two touchdowns and one interception.
An interception is a pass caught by the other team.
Toronto had already locked up second place in the East. The loss did not change that. The Argonauts still go to the playoffs.
But Kelly's health is now a worry. Kelly has thrown for 5,067 yards this season. He leads the CFL in passing yards.
What happens next
Ottawa plays one more game this season. The team travels to face the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on October 24. It is a road game. It is the last game of Ottawa's season.
A second win would end the season on a high note. It would give the team a small lift into next year. The team can build around Barnes.
He showed poise in his first start. Poise means calm focus under pressure.
Toronto turns to the playoffs. The Argonauts have a home playoff game. Their first job is to check Kelly.
His health will shape their playoff run.
Fans will also watch the injury news. If Kelly cannot play, Arbuckle leads the team. He has shown he can move the ball.
He threw for 315 yards on Friday.
Friday's game was a reminder of why fans watch football. One play can flip a whole season. Ottawa waited 22 games for that play.
It came with six seconds left.
For one night, the losing run was over. Ottawa could celebrate at home. It was the team's last home game of the season.
It won it in the most dramatic way possible. Learn how overtime rules work in football and see how another CFL game played out this season. For more late-game drama, read about the Bills-Rams Monday night finish.
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