Baltimore's new offense looked a lot like the old offense yesterday.
There was a lot of slash and dash, a handful of broken tackles and a couple of gorgeous touchdown runs.
The fact it was Robert Drummond, and not Mike Pringle, darting through the holes spoke volumes about where the CFLs appear headed in the Canadian Football League playoffs this year.
They rolled past the Toronto Argonauts, 34-15, before 35,223 at Memorial Stadium to gain a berth in the Eastern Division final next Sunday.
Destiny and a date in wintry Winnipeg await confirmation today when the Blue Bombers face hapless Ottawa in the other semifinal.
A week after they nearly drowned in a Sacramento monsoon, the CFLs looked again like a major player in the postseason.
"I think this team is good enough to compete for a lot of championships," coach Don Matthews said. "But it will never do it again as a first-year team."
The CFLs rested Pringle -- the Outstanding Player in the Eastern Division -- so he could run another day, once his tender groin muscle is better.
In his place, Drummond, who hadn't carried a football in a regular-season game since he played with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1990, ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns.
Drummond, a veteran of eight CFL games, lost two more touchdowns to penalties.
"I'm a rookie in this league," said Drummond, 27. "But I'm not a rookie in this game. I talked to Mike on the sideline and told him I would play today so he could play next week."
It was a unified effort that saw Baltimore improve to 13-6 this season. The defense was relentless, giving up 36 rushing yards and 256 yards in total offense.
The CFLs' special teams muzzled Argos kick returner Mike Clemons, blocked another punt -- Matt Goodwin's fourth of the season -- and gained valuable field position with punter Josh Miller's leg.
The offense, meanwhile, went on a decisive 24-point run in the middle quarters after Drummond hurdled to a 1-yard touchdown that tied the game at 10.
"Everybody on offense stepped up because Pringle was hurt," said slotback Chris Armstrong, who caught scoring passes of 20 and 16 yards and set up 10 more points with two other big catches.
"Drummond played a great game. Tracy [Ham] did a good job of throwing the ball as well as calling different formations. It was a matter of everybody stepping up their level of play."
Ham completed 17 of 26 passes for 246 yards. His chief targets were Armstrong and fullback Peter Tuipulotu, whose five catches for 61 yards proved critical.
Ham also acknowledged the importance of establishing the run against Toronto.
"We didn't change a whole lot," he said. "We run the ball because we can control the line of scrimmage."
They control it with what is arguably the best offensive line in the league. Yesterday, the CFLs subbed Guy Earle at left guard for injured Keith Ballard, put Drummond in for Pringle, and didn't skip a beat.
"Coach Matthews came to me and said, 'We're going to find out this week if it's Mike or the line,' " left tackle Shar Pourdanesh said. "I told him I think it's a combination."
Although different in build and style, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Drummond delivered a Pringle-like performance. He carried 22 times and caught four passes for 51 yards.
He showed breakaway speed on a 33-yard touchdown run in the third period that pushed the lead to 27-10.
And he showed power by breaking tackles on what seemed to be a 29-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.
Drummond caromed off three defenders, nearly slipped to the ground, then regained his balance to go into the end zone. The play was called back to the 20 because his knee appeared to touch the ground.
Drummond insisted it hadn't, but said the play underscored his taste for contact.
"People say I'm an elusive, fast runner," he said. "But I also like to smack people around, too.
"I was known as a power back at Syracuse, when I played with Daryl Johnston [now of the Dallas Cowboys]. I like to bowl people over."
The CFLs scored seconds later when Armstrong made a diving catch at the goal line for the first of his two touchdowns. It opened an 18-10 lead for Baltimore and the CFLs were never seriously challenged after that.
Drummond lost another touchdown in the third quarter when his best stiff arm on cornerback Reggie Pleasant helped break a 42-yard touchdown run. But an illegal procedure call against John Earle wiped out the run.
Drummond was a third-round draft choice of the Eagles in 1989 and spent two years in Philadelphia as a receiver/runner. But from 1991 to 1993, he was cut by the Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos.
Unable to sign with any team in the NFL this season, he joined the CFLs on Sept. 4, eager for an opportunity.
"This is gratifying," Drummond said. "I've always been told I have a lot of talent, but no one ever gave me a chance. I'm glad Baltimore was willing to give me a chance to play."
He knows the running back job here belongs to Pringle, though.
"Mike Pringle got us here," Drummond said. "I knew that coming into the game."
Matthews expects that Pringle's strained muscle will allow him to return in the Eastern final next week.
"The plan was to get him well to play at the next level," Matthews said.
"We've given him a very much-needed rest, and now we know we're an even better team because we have two [capable] backs."
CFL PLAYOFFS
YESTERDAY
EASTERN SEMIFINAL
Baltimore 34, Toronto 15
WESTERN SEMIFINAL
B.C. 24, Edmonton 23
TODAY
EASTERN SEMIFINAL
Ottawa at Winnipeg, 3 p.m.
WESTERN SEMIFINAL
Saskatchewan at Calgary, 3 p.m.
SUNDAY
EASTERN FINAL
JTC Baltimore at Winnipeg or Ottawa at Baltimore
WESTERN FINAL
B.C. at Calgary or Saskatchewan at B.C.