MONTREAL - Coach Rich Stubler says he now has an idea of who his starting quarterback will be this season, but he's not saying yet whether it is incumbent Michael Bishop or the newly acquired Kerry Joseph.
"Maybe in a couple of weeks," the Toronto Argonauts coach said after both Bishop and Joseph were sharp in a 34-34 CFL pre-season tie with the Montreal Alouettes on Thursday night.
"Kerry is starting next week. We'll decide."
It was a game in which quarterbacks shone on both sides as each team put up more than 400 yards of offence, even though Montreal's scheduled starter Marcus Brady was unable to do any more than hold the ball for place kicks due to a sore back.
After Joseph produced 17 points in the third quarter to give the Argos a 10-point lead, Ricky Santos, who is trying crack the Montreal lineup, led late drives that produced a three-yard touchdown pass to Larry Taylor and a game-tying 40-yard field goal by Damon Duval with 56 seconds left to play.
But the quarterback debate will rage on in Toronto.
Bishop started and went 4-for-6 for 140 yards, although much of that came on a 77-yard touchdown pass to former NFL receiver Bethel Johnson on the first play from scrimmage only 23 seconds into the game. He also ran in a one-yard TD to stake his team to an early 14-0 lead.
Joseph played only the third quarter, converting a 14-yard TD pass to Arland Bruce. Andre Durie added a three-yard TD run and Robert Eeuwes booted a 44-yard field goal in the quarter.
"Things went well, we moved the ball and put up some points," said Joseph, last year's league MVP who was traded to Toronto in March after leading Saskatchewan to a Grey Cup last fall.
The Argos' two top quarterbacks are staying out of the discussion on which of them should play.
"We try to help each other out," added Joseph. "We don't worry about things that are out of our control."
It was the first game for two rookie head coaches - Marc Trestman in Montreal and Stubler in Toronto - on a night when legendary coach Marv Levy was honoured at half time before the sell-out crowd of 20,202 at Percival Molson Stadium.
"It was a tremendous experience," said Trestman.
It also marked the return to the Argos of veteran kicker Mike Vanderjagt, who played only the first half.
With No. 1 pivot Anthony Calvillo sitting out the pre-season opener, Brad Banks got the start at QB, completing 15 passes for 142 yards. He hit Brian Bratton with a 20-yard TD strike late in the first quarter and ran in a touchdown himself 44 seconds into the second.
Newcomer Adrian McPherson then took over and also was solid, hitting Eric Deslauriers with a 39-yard TD toss to give the home side a 24-14 lead at 14:07 of the second quarter.
But Toronto QB Cody Pickett, who had fumbled a snap on his previous possession, led a drive capped by Vanderjagt's 15-yard field goal as time expired in the half.
Reggie McNeal played only briefly at QB in the fourth for Toronto before Pickett went back in.
Montreal's S. J. Green led all receivers with 10 catches for 94 yards.
Both teams are in action again next Thursday, with the Argonauts playing host to Hamilton and Montreal travelling to Winnipeg, where Brady expects to be ready to play.
"I don't think it's serious," he said of his sore back.