CFL Week 2 Preview: Calgary Stampeders @ Toronto Argonauts
Week 2 of the 2025 CFL Season sees the defending Grey Cup Champion Toronto Argonauts kick off their home schedule at BMO Field against the Calgary Stampeders.
Saturday afternoon’s game is intended to be a celebration of the Argos’ Grey Cup 111 victory and their 19th overall CFL championship in front of their loyal Double Blue crowd. But Toronto is looking to turn the page on what was an uninspiring 2025 debut in Montreal.
Still without superstar quarterback Chad Kelly, and sporting 13 new starters in their lineup. The Argonauts didn’t look like defending champs in a mistake-filled 28-10 loss to Montreal.
In Week 2, Toronto faces a proud Calgary club that has moved past last year’s disappointing 5-12-1 campaign. It was the first time in two decades, that the Stampeders missed the postseason. The revamped Stamps are coming off an impressive 38-26 victory over Hamilton at home in Week 1. Led by new arrival Vernon Adams, and an exceptional ground attack. Calgary appears to be a team that will quickly return to contention.
CFL 2025 Season, Week 2 Calgary Stampeders @ Toronto Argonauts
| Location | BMO Field, Toronto, ON |
| Date | Saturday, 6-14-2025 |
| Kick-off | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | TSN/CFL+ |
- Spread: Toronto -3
- Over/Under: Over 50.5
Week 2 Toronto Argonauts Depth Chart
The Argos are once again without Chad Kelly and star returner Janarion Grant. But added to the missing-in-action list is offensive lineman Darius Ciraco. Peter Nicastro slides back into the center spot, with Sage Doxtater and Anthony Vandal flanking him in the interior.
Week 3 Calgary Stampeders Depth Chart
The Stamps are pretty healthy coming into Week 2. However, Calgary, like Toronto, could also be without its starting center from Week 1. Bryce Bell is a game-time decision with a shoulder injury. Rookie OL Chris Fortin backs up the veteran snapper. On defense, defensive lineman Josiah Coatney returns to the starting lineup after missing the opener. He replaces an injured Miles Brown, who lined up in his stead.
Keys To The Game
With Makai Polk now in the NFL, coupled with Chad Kelly and Janarion Grant out of the lineup. The Boatmen are missing three of their best playmakers from a year ago—three players who provided a big-play, game-changing element that is currently missing from Toronto in 2025.
Additionally, the Argos began the 2025 season without their best runner from the previous year, Kadeem Carey, and a reshuffled offensive line that accommodated two promising but unproven CFL linemen. The early returns on these changes were not hopeful.
As a result, Nick Arbuckle’s task of captaining Toronto’s ship is much more challenging than it was when he played unlikely hero en route to an improbable championship. Against one of his former teams in Calgary, Arbuckle will need to play mistake-free, something he didn’t do against Montreal in Week 1.
It wasn’t just the Toronto offense that looked lost at sea last week. The Boatmen’s defense also showed leaks in its rush defense. The Argos allowed 163 yards on the ground to Montreal. Expect Calgary to lean on Dedrick Mills heavily after a three-touchdown effort in the Stamps opener. Toronto’s defensive line, which is carrying over a revamped theme from its offense, needs to put up a better effort than it did in Montreal, where they were severely outmatched at the line of scrimmage.
The vulnerability of the Stamps side of the coin is their secondary. Calgary has three newcomers in their secondary in Adrian Greene, Damon Webb, and rookie Jaydon Grant. Although most of the Ti-Cats’ success came late in an already decided contest. The Stampeders did surrender over 300 yards passing to their old beau Bo Levi Mitchell.
Toronto needs a big game from Damonte Coxie and their wide receiver corps. The Argos must set the tone early with big plays in the passing game to avoid being in a trailing mode, like they were in Montreal. Getting behind early will play against Toronto’s weaknesses in running the ball and defending the run.
CFL Week 2 Calgary Stampeders @ Toronto Argonauts Prediction
I completely misread the room a week ago when analyzing the Argos’ prospects for the 2025 season. The successful track record of Toronto’s front office and Ryan Dinwiddie led me to overlook the blemishes Double Blue had going into a new season.
It goes beyond Chad Kelly not being in the lineup. The Argos are missing their best runner, receiver, returner, and defensive linemen from last season’s championship team. A glass-half-full mentality would state that it’s only one week against a superb opponent in Montreal. However, the early sample has provided sufficient evidence that the 2025 Argonauts will be a work in progress.
Calgary head coach Dave Dickenson has a 4-3 mark against his former pupil Dinwiddie. It’s the only CFL team against which Dinwiddie has a losing record. Dickenson’s knowledge of Dinwiddie’s system has always been beneficial to the Stampeeders in head-to-head matchups with Toronto.
Despite being on the road, I like the Stamps to keep the ball rolling against a Toronto team in transition. Perhaps it’s not the right place. But it’s the right time to catch an Argos team hoisting up yet another banner for a past accomplishment, albeit a very recent one.
Calgary Stampeders 30 Toronto Argonauts 20
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