Argonauts stun Bombers with late rally

TORONTO — The Toronto Argonauts swung a leg out of the 0-6-0 hole they had dug themselves, but they did it the hard way Thursday.

McLeod Bethel-Thompson hit S.J. Green for an 11-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds remaining and the Argonauts rallied from a 20-0 deficit to beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28-27 for their first win of the CFL season.

His team down 20-10, Toronto coach Corey Chamblin said the gist of his halftime message was “Finish and this will be your finest moment.”

The end came on BethelThompson’s third TD pass of the game, with newly acquired quarterback Zach Collaros watching from the sidelines.

“I let go,” said BethelThompson, who completed 37-of-49 passes for 343 yards and ran for 44 yards more. “Last couple of weeks I’ve been getting in my own way. Tonight I just got out of my own way.”

The Argos avoided a repeat of the 0-7-0 start they had in 1981 when they started 0-9-0 and finished a league-worst 2-14-0.

“Like I told the guys, that storm tested us,” Chamblin said of the losing streak. “It taught us to believe in one another, it taught us how to fight. Tonight was about learning how to finish. And they did learn to finish.”

Down 27-21, Toronto pushed for the win and drove the ball to the Winnipeg 16-yard line as the clock wound down. But Willie Jefferson forced a BethelThompson fumble to snuff out the 12-play, 77-yard drive.

Toronto had one more chance and got it right this time on a 71-yard, nine-play drive.

“This is a long time coming,” said Green, who had 10 catches for 120 yards. “It’s been the worst of the worst every game. For us this is the first and biggest win of the year.”

Bethel-Thompson noted the win came despite a string of errors.

“We have a lot to get better at. That’s the exciting part. The team that can be in this dressing room is dominant. We have warriors everywhere.”