Ricky Ray has a concussion, is doubtful for Friday's game: can the Argonauts win without him?

The Toronto Argonauts' already-steep path to the playoffs just got even rockier. Quarterback Ricky Ray got hurt on a John Bowman sack in the final minutes of the Argonauts' loss to Montreal Sunday, leaving the game afterwards, and Toronto head coach Scott Milanovich announced Tuesday that Ray has been diagnosed with a concussion and is doubtful for the team's regular-season finale Friday against Ottawa. If Ray isn't able to suit up against the Redblacks, do the Argonauts have a chance at winning this game and keeping their playoff hopes alive?

It's difficult to overstate how important Ray is to the Argonauts' success. He's been one of their few consistent bright spots all season long, and he leads the league with 4,595 passing yards. (Second-place Drew Willy of Winnipeg, whose season is already over, has just 3,769, and Henry Burris and Kevin Glenn are the only other quarterbacks within 1,000 yards of Ray.) Ray hasn't just been putting up yards, either; he has an excellent 68.5 per cent completion rate, best of anyone with more than two attempts, and he also leads the CFL with 28 passing touchdowns (seven clear of second-place Bo Levi Mitchell) and has thrown just 15 interceptions. Ray isn't just a candidate for the league's Most Outstanding Player, he's likely the favourite at this point in time. Thus, playing without him would be a huge loss.

Toronto backup Trevor Harris hasn't seen that much action, either. Yes, he's in his third CFL season, and all of those years have come with the Argonauts and in head coach Scott Milanovich's offensive system, so at least he has some experience. He's only thrown 24 passes this year and 58 for his career, though. Harris has completed 16 of his 24 passes this year, a not-bad 66.7 per cent completion rate, but he's only thrown for 168 yards. Harris certainly has some potential, but if Ray can't play (and Ray probably shouldn't play, given how long it can take to recover from concussions), he's going to be thrown into the deep end.

The bright side for the Argonauts is that they're facing Ottawa. The Redblacks have a CFL-worst 2-15 record to date, and they've given up 442 points (third-worst in the CFL), so they're not the toughest opponent. Ottawa's weak against the pass, too; the Redblacks are giving up 8.5 yards per pass and 262.5 passing yards per game, both league-highs, and the 63.4 per cent completion rate they've allowed is tied for second-worst in the league. They also don't have anything to play for other than pride. That doesn't mean they'll roll over, but it does make this matchup seem a little easier for Toronto. With Ray, this one would be heavily slanted towards the Argonauts. Without him, they might still have a chance.