Heading into the 2024 CFL season, there was plenty of pressure on Ottawa Redblacks general manager Shawn Burke and head coach Bob Dyce to get the team turned around.
How well they’ve done in their mission will really come into focus over the next month.
While the Redblacks (8-7-1) have clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2018, they’ve been going in the wrong direction recently.
Ottawa has fallen into third place in the East Division after losing its last four games, and the team will be locked into that spot — meaning no home games in the playoffs — if they can’t pull out a win against the Argonauts (9-7) in Toronto on Saturday.
The Argos, one point ahead of the Redblacks with two weeks to go, and Ottawa will meet again in the East semifinal on Nov. 2. The Redblacks need to beat the Argonauts and then knock off the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in their season finale to ensure playoff football returns to Ottawa.
It has to be seen as a disappointment if the Redblacks don’t get a home playoff game.
The Redblacks were 8-3-1 after hammering the Argos in Ottawa on Sept. 7, with a very real chance of chasing down the Montreal Alouettes for first in the East. But since then, starting quarterback Dru Brown has dealt with an ankle injury (he’ll return Saturday), and the team hasn’t even led in the past four games.
The good news for Ottawa is six regulars are returning from injury, including Brown and star linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox, who has missed the past six games.
“We’ve just got to eliminate the stupid penalties and turnovers, and we need to take the ball away more,” Santos-Knox told reporters this week, per Don Brennan of Postmedia Ottawa. “It’s as simple as that. Football really is a simple game. I think in the last couple of weeks, we have lost the penalty battle, which has hurt us. But we’re working to change that.”
Indeed, Ottawa does lead the league in penalty yardage. That isn’t a great look for Dyce, who is in his second full season as head coach after signing a three-year contract.
“We have a lot of passionate guys, and sometimes when you’re passionate, you want something so bad that if your emotions aren’t in check, it carries you past,” said Dyce. “This is a very emotional game, and so what we talk about is channeling and positively focusing our emotions. You have to be disciplined and dedicated, and there are certain ramifications. You want to get away from the selfish stuff, you know, because at the end of the day, you’re hurting the unit and you’re hurting the team.”
Pivotal change
The B.C. Lions made headlines earlier this week when they announced Vernon Adams Jr. will start at quarterback in their season finale on Saturday, replacing Canadian Nathan Rourke.
It’s a meaningless game for both teams, with the Lions locked into third in the West and the Als first in the East. But the Grey Cup host Lions desperately need momentum after slipping badly in recent weeks. Coach Rick Campbell said they won’t hesitate to stick with Adams for the West semifinal if the veteran plays well.
“I haven’t played in a couple months (because of injury and then the re-signing of Rourke from the NFL), but (he’s been) locked into the game plans and everything. Just excited to get an opportunity again,” Adams told reporters.
“It means a lot. But, first, I feel for Nate. Rick said it … it wasn’t just him. As a whole team, we need to come together and make more plays … Pro football, when you’re not winning, they’ve got to look to change something.”
Reps for Powell?
The Tiger-Cats, eliminated from the playoff hunt on a bye week last week, plan to stick with Bo Levi Mitchell at QB for Friday’s home game against another eliminated team — the Calgary Stampeders.
However, coach Scott Milanovich said this week he hopes Taylor Powell gets some time over the final two games. Powell actually was promoted to the top job in August to replace a struggling Mitchell, but then got hurt.
Mitchell was much better upon his return and led the Ticats back into the playoff race before a loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and wrong results on the out-of-town scoreboard ended their chances.
The Stamps, who cut ties with Mitchell after the 2022 season, are giving veteran Matt Shiltz his second start in a row. He played for the Ticats the past two years.
NFL veteran QB P.J. Walker, signed to Calgary’s practice roster last week, was not elevated for Friday’s game.
Canadian stars
This could be the first year in CFL history where Canadians lead the way in both rushing and passing yards.
Homegrown Blue Bombers running back Brady Oliveira has all but secured the rushing title with 1,318 yards, 171 ahead of William Stanback of the Lions.
Meanwhile, Lions receiver Justin McInnis of Pierrefonds, Que., has a league-leading 1,363 receiving yards, 121 ahead of Ottawa’s Justin Hardy.
McInnis is trying to become the first Canadian to lead the league in receiving since Saskatchewan’s Andy Fantuz in 2010.