Redblacks get KISS’d in loss to the Bombers (& ten other thoughts)

By
Santino Filoso
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Photo courtesy: Winnipeg Blue Bombers

There’s a plethora of variations of the KISS principle but the best way to sum up the Ottawa Redblacks 25-16 defeat at Princess Auto Stadium on Friday night is that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers kept it stupidly simple.

They ran the ball at will, controlled the clock, and won the turnover battle by a significant margin. It’s not a sexy recipe but more often than not, it works.

Here are all my thoughts on the game.

1) Losing quarterback Dru Brown to injury in the second quarter changed the complexion of the game. Even if the 27-year-old had only completed two of the six passes he’d attempted to that point for 24 yards, Brown’s willingness — and ability — to push the ball down the field helped maintain the illusion of a deep passing attack.

Once he exited and sophomore Dustin Crum entered the game, Winnipeg’s defence was able to creep up closer to the line of scrimmage. Before diving into Crum’s performance, it’s worth looking at the hit that put him into the game.

Flushed from the pocket, Brown was scrambling for a first down. I fully understand that defenders often get caught in a tough spot, but Bomber linebacker Redha Kramdi did not need to throw a forearm into Brown’s head as he slid. Kramdi admitted as much post-game, noting that he knew the refs would just blow the play dead anyway as Brown slid. It was good to see him take ownership of the unnecessary hit but it’s cold comfort to the Redblacks organization. Fingers crossed Brown is ready to go next Sunday.

2) Thrust into duty, Crum actually did a good job of keeping Winnipeg’s defence off-balance. For R-Nation, they might as well have been watching a game from 2023. The 25-year-old frequently exploited gaps when Bomber defenders overpursued, running eight times for 55 yards, and was efficient in the passing game, completing 72 percent of his passes for 103 yards. The problem was that Crum frequently held onto the ball for too long, failed to push the ball down the field, and had two costly turnovers.

3) A slow start doomed Tommy Condell’s offence. Of Ottawa’s seven first-half possessions, four were two-and-outs and another lasted just three plays. One resulted in a field goal and the other was ruined by a lost fumble.

Even though things got better in the second half — where three of Ottawa’s five possessions resulted in points — when you only score a single touchdown, you’re not winning many games.

The Redblacks finished with 283 total yards and only averaged 4.3 yards per second down play. They were also one-of-two in the red zone, which stings in a one-score loss.

Condell deserves credit for quickly pivoting to a new game plan after losing his starter and tailoring his play-calling to Crum’s strengths, but the lack of explosive plays is handcuffing the offence right now.

For the second week in a row, star receiver Dominique Rhymes seemed to be an afterthought, finishing with a single catch. For the second week in a row, six-foot-six Nick Mardner, the second overall pick in the 2024 CFL Draft, finished without a target. Both players have size and big-play ability, yet neither has been a factor in Ottawa’s passing attack.

Until Condell finds ways to stretch the field, be it with Rhymes, Mardner, or someone else, defences will continue to squat on the shorter routes, making life difficult for Ottawa’s quarterbacks.

4) It was a night of firsts for rookie American running back Ryquell Armstead. Not only did the 220-pound back score his first career touchdown but he also topped the century mark for the first time, finishing with 103 yards on his 17 carries.

Armstead was a force all game long, running over, through and around Bomber defenders. He busted off three runs of 10+ yards and averaged 6.1 yards per carry. He also had a catch that went for 33 yards.

The “fumble” (and I use the word loosely) he is credited with is dubious at best. It looked like a forward pass to me but had he simply caught the pass in the flat that hit him in the hands, the Command Centre never would have been in a position to rule it a backwards pass and a loss of possession. Armstead also has to have the awareness to know that if he drops a pass in that situation, the prudent thing to do is try to recover the ball, just in case.

5) Let’s start with the positives from the receiving corps. As a whole, the group was engaged and active in the ground game. More than once, strong downfield blocking efforts led to bigger gains directly as a result of receivers getting their hands dirty and driving their feet.

But in terms of creating separation to facilitate the lives of the guys tasked with getting them the ball, there was a lot lacking. To highlight just how much the Redblacks’ receivers struggled to find open space, nobody finished with more than 13 yards after the catch.

As has come to be an almost weekly occurrence, Justin Hardy led the way with three catches for 43 yards while Jaelon Acklin also snagged three passes for 41 yards. Bralon Addison had a pair of catches for seven yards. As alluded to earlier, Rhymes was once again nearly invisible, turning three targets into a single catch for 2 yards. His underwhelming performances can’t be laid entirely as his feet, but you would like to see him impose his will a bit by being more aggressive when the ball is coming his way.

If Mardner’s on the field, it has to be because the coaching staff trusts him and he’s capable of getting the job done. Obviously, the Canadian receiver position has not been a focal point of Ottawa’s passing attack recently but to not see targets in consecutive weeks is far from ideal. If the ball isn’t coming his way because he’s not open, perhaps it’s time to see what Keaton Bruggeling or Daniel Oladejo can do with those snaps.

6) Don’t let a couple of lost reps fool you. 24-year-old right tackle Zack Pelehos had a solid outing in Winnipeg. Frequently matched up one-on-one with veteran Willie Jefferson, Pelehos often managed to flush Jefferson outside of harm’s way. But of course, the 33-year-old was never going to be entirely contained.

Overall, Ottawa’s offensive line gave up three sacks on the team’s 17 pass attempts, and it could have been more if not for Brown and Crum’s ability to move around the pocket. With that said, the counterpoint is that some of the sacks Crum took were due to him holding onto the ball too long as he waited for his receivers to get open.

In terms of the ground game, the big men up front deserve serious props. Any time you can pave the way to 180 rushing yards, it’s because the unit is working cohesively to push piles and chip their way to the second level.

7) I love that one of the things head coach Bob Dyce has done this season to attempt to instill a tough, mean attitude in his team was to create Bank Street Bullies shirts. But those shirts ring hollow when the defence gives up 212 rushing yards.

Coming into the game, the Redblacks knew the Bombers’ modus operandi was to pound the rock. Winnipeg didn’t try to disguise or hide what they wanted to do. They kept lining up their big bodies and plowing forward, be it backup quarterback Chris Streveler or running back Brady Oliveira. It was a clash of wills and strength and Ottawa had no answers.

Clearly, time of possession did Barron Miles’ defensive group no favours, yet at no point in the night was the unit able to contain Winnipeg’s ground attack. Conceding 335 total yards offence isn’t a bad’s day work, and heck, normally only giving up one touchdown should result in a win, but the Bombers kept driving into field goal range and banking points.

Middle linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox led the way with a game-high 12 tackles and defensive back DeAndre Lamont had seven. Damon Webb made two tackles and had a pair of knockdowns.

8) On a night when both the offence and defence left something to be desired, Ottawa’s special teams were once again steady and reliable.

Kicker Lewis Ward was again perfect, splitting the uprights from 18, 51 and 35 yards out. Richie Leone punted five times for an average field position flip of 38.2 yards and the Redblacks’ kick coverage, led by linebacker Davion Taylor’s three special teams tackles, was stout.

Winnipeg will come out of this game grateful to have limited DeVonte Dedmon’s damage to only 8.2 yards per punt return, including a 21-yarder, and a 21-yard return kickoff average.

9) When I first tuned into the game, I had vivid flashbacks of the 2015 Grey Cup. That was the first time the Redblacks paired their black home pants with white away jerseys on the road in Winnipeg. Like that 2015 game, they again came up just short on the scoreboard.

While I actually don’t mind the look per se — there is a nice visual pop with the black helmets white jerseys, dark pants and red socks — I think it reinforces what I said when the team unveiled their new, retro-inspired home look last month. Choosing not to have a stripe on the pants was a huge swing and a miss. The 2015 black pants at least had a plaid stripe running down the leg with the word Ottawa in white.

Seeing this year’s all-black pants matched with the white tops just confirms how bland and boring they are.

10) With the loss the Redblacks’ record falls to 2-2 and two things can be true at the same time. On one hand, this was a Bomber squad that was desperate not to start the year 0-5, and Ottawa was going into the league’s most hostile environment on a short week, having played last Sunday night. Matching that intensity was always going to be a tall order.

On the other, they had Winnipeg right where they wanted them. Without their starting quarterback and sitting at 0-4, this was a Bombers team on edge. Plus, Ottawa came into the game as healthy as could be. Ultimately losing by a single score after they lost their starting quarterback before halftime isn’t a damning outcome, but it is a missed opportunity to stack wins.

Up next for Dyce’s squad is a Sunday night date with another winless team at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton.

Santino Filoso
Santino Filoso
Santino Filoso is originally from Ottawa and has written about the Redblacks since 2013. He is the only CFL writer currently living in Brazil (as far as we know).

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