The Toronto Argonauts were widely expected to get off to a poor start this year thanks to offseason attrition, injuries, and a ridiculous season-opening road trip, but they instead improved to 2-0 after edging the Saskatchewan Roughriders 42-40 in double overtime Sunday afternoon. Key to that win was Trevor Harris, the backup quarterback who dazzled in Week One in place of the injured Ricky Ray and put up another great showing Sunday. The Roughriders didn't make it easy, though, stretching this game out to double overtime thanks largely to another surprising quarterbacking performance from a backup, 36-year-old Kevin Glenn. This win is crucial for the Argonauts, and it's remarkable to see how impressive their start has been, but the quarterbacking play we saw from titular backups on both sides is a good sign for the CFL overall given the wave of pivot injuries this year.

What was really impressive about Harris' Week One showing against Edmonton was the accuracy; he completed 24 of 27 passes (88.9 per cent) for 347 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in that one. That accuracy wasn't quite at the same level Sunday, but he still delivered an incredible showing from that perspective, finishing with 30 completions on 38 attempts (78.9 per cent) for 267 yards and four touchdowns. Yes, the yardage wasn't as strong, and yes, he threw an interception, but this was still a great showing from Harris, and he looked strong under pressure. He was terrific in both overtime periods, making plays with both his arms and, unusually for him, his legs; he finished the day with 25 rushing yards on four scrambles, including a critical nine-yard gain in overtime. Harris may be in his fourth CFL season, but he hasn't seen that much game experience, so some struggles in a crunch-time situation would have been understandable. He looked like a proven veteran, though, and was crucial to the Argonauts' eventual victory. If he keeps playing this way, they may be just fine without Ricky Ray.

Glenn was perhaps even better in a losing cause, though. He completed 33 of 40 passes (82.5 per cent) on the day for 477 yards and two touchdowns, just an incredible yardage total. (It's not quite in the top 10 all-time from a league-wide perspective, but it's not far off, and it's surely one of the best performances by passing yardage in Roughriders' history.) There were huge questions about just how much Glenn would be able to provide once Riders' starter Darian Durant went down, as his stats in B.C. last year were far from impressive overall (especially in terms of completion percentage and interceptions) and his age may be a factor, but he looked like a younger version of himself Sunday. He also showed terrific chemistry with his receivers; Ryan Smith led the way with eight catches for 174 yards and a touchdown, but Weston Dressler, Chris Getzlaf and Jerome Messam all had over 70 receiving yards, and Jamel Richardson, Rob Bagg and Spencer Moore posted catches as well. A 0-2 start is far from ideal, but Saskatchewan's lost two close games, and this one gave them some promising offensive signs from Glenn. If he can keep this level of play up, the Riders may well be able to compete without Durant.

The performances from Glenn and Harris are good news for the league as a whole. Over the last couple of seasons, the CFL's seen a lot of quarterback injuries, and it's frequently seen subpar play from backup quarterbacks in the absence of the starters. That drags down the league's offensive stats and its points-per-game, and that affects attendance and TV ratings. With so many quarterbacks hurt so early, this could have been a really dismal year for CFL offence, but strong showings from backups might help avoid that. We've seen some poor ones this year as well, of course; Winnipeg backup Brian Brohm's disappointing showing in relief of Drew Willy Thursday comes to mind. Still, with backups like Glenn, Harris and Montreal's Rakeem Cato shining so far, good offensive days might still be ahead despite the injuries.