Ricky Ray leaves game with injury, says “I think I heard a pop”: bad news for the Argos?

Friday night's Toronto Argonauts' game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers was all about quarterback Ricky Ray. Behind strong play from his offensive line (which stepped up against Winnipeg's great pass rush), Ray completed 19 of 20 passes (95 per cent) for 286 yards and two touchdowns and ran twice for 24 yards and a third touchdown, staking the Argonauts to a 28-6 lead early in the third quarter. However, it's Ray's final play that may have the biggest impact on the CFL season: he took a big hit, seemed to have his leg twist, was helped off the field and mouthed something that many viewers took as "I heard a pop." Ray didn't return to the game, and the specifics of that injury suggest he could be gone for a while, which may prove devastating for the Argonauts.

Following Ray's injury, Twitter lit up with fans and other CFL players weighing in on its potential implications. Here are some of the most notable tweets from players:

And from fans:

Ray's injury looked like it was near his knee, and an audible pop's often been described as a sign of an ACL tear. That could be very bad indeed: those generally put you out for at least a year, as we heard recently with Eskimos' quarterback Matt Nichols (one of the players expressing sympathy for Ray above)'s preseason injury. However, Ray was putting weight on his leg, so it might not be that. It's quite possible this might be a much more minor injury, and Ray might not even miss a game.

Regardless of how severe the injury actually is, it's certainly concerning for Argonauts' fans. Ray was turning in an amazing performance this season, and was second in the league with 917 passing yards heading into this game while also posting a remarkable 71.8 per cent completion percentage and a 6/0 touchdown/interception ratio. He then turned that dominance up to a new level Friday night, as the 19 completions on 20 attempts mentioned above (95 per cent, which broke his own CFL record for completion percentage in a game) showcase. Ray's shown himself to be one of this league's very best quarterbacks, and as promising as backups Zach Collaros and Trevor Harris are, they can't hope to completely fill his shoes. (Having star running back Chad Kackert also get hurt Friday may affect the Argos' chances going forward too.) Toronto fans will certainly be hoping for a speedy recovery for Ray, but a significant injury could dramatically alter the balance of power in the East Division.