Playoff home date done deal

Whitaker takes handoff for Edmonton clash with Wilder on shelf

The Toronto Argonauts go into Edmonton on Saturday night with a playoff spot already in hand.

Friday night’s 28-25 loss by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats against the Calgary Stampeders guaranteed the Argos will host a post-season game for the first time since they moved to BMO Field.

An Argo road win on Saturday, though, would also lock up first place in the East and guarantee they’d host the division final on Nov. 19 — if the Ottawa Redblacks lost to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Friday’s late game.

But the Boatmen will have to do it without dangerous running back James Wilder Jr., who suffered head and chest injuries last week and was put on the one-game injured list.

That leaves the ball-carrying duties to Brandon Whitaker, who held the job before Wilder exploded onto the scene four games ago and tore through defences with an average of more than seven yards a carry.

Wilder was one of the primary reasons for the Argos’ huge jump in first-down production — to 7.8 yards over the past five games from 6.3 yards per first-down play through the first 10 games.

After sensational performances of 190 and 141 yards in consecutive games, Wilder was held to 49 and 72 in his last two outings.

Last week he got hurt in an eventual 27-24 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

A powerful run-pass combination was a key factor for the 7-8 Argos in winning three of their last four games. Coach Marc Trestman said stalled drives cost the team a victory against the Roughriders.

Quarterback Ricky Ray partly blamed himself. Although he threw for 341 yards, he completed only two passes longer than 20 yards.

“In the second half, we couldn’t execute the way we wanted to,” Ray admitted. “The plays are there. We’re just not making as many as we need to make.”

History has not been kind to the Argos in Edmonton, with Ray returning to the stadium where his stellar career started in 2002.

The Argos, who beat the Eskimos 34-26 last month at BMO Field, are 0-3 at Commonwealth Stadium since 2013.

With Wilder out, Edmonton might have the edge on the ground with C.J. Gable, who rushed for 111 yards in his debut last week following a trade from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Whitaker hasn’t started since Sept. 4.

Three key players will return from injury for the Argos, though: linebacker Bear Woods, defensive back Cassius Vaughn and offensive lineman Chris Van Zeyl.