Things get nutty as Redblacks tie Riders (& 14 other thoughts )

By
Santino Filoso
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Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com

On a night that featured a bit of everything — including moments where both teams celebrated premature victories — the Ottawa Redblacks and Saskatchewan Roughriders played to the CFL’s first tie since 2017 in front of 17,180 fans at TD Place.

Here are all my thoughts on a wild night at Lansdowne.

1) Before exiting the game with an injury to his right leg early in the second quarter, quarterback Dru Brown had completed six of nine passes for 55 yards. As much as it was a gut punch for R-Nation to see their starter go down after being rolled up on, from head coach Bob Dyce’s post-game comments it seems that the team doesn’t believe any structural damage occurred. Another reason for optimism is that Brown spent the second half watching the game from the sidelines in a boot.

Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com

Following Brown’s departure from the game, second-year pivot Dustin Crum stepped in and led the team the rest of the way. There was good — Crum’s running ability still causes massive issues for defences and the 22-yard strike to Justin Hardy on third-and-nine to set up the game-tying field goal was beautiful — and there was bad — wild overthrows, under-throws, and an awful interception that could’ve cost them the game.

The 25-year-old completed 66 percent of his passes and at one point even strung together eight completions in a row. He finished the night with 211 yards passing, an interception, and no touchdowns. He also scrambled nine times for 72 yards and a score.

For as dynamic as Crum is when he runs, there is an undeniable drop-off in his passing when compared to Brown’s. Be it that it just takes him a bit longer to go through his reads, or his penchant for wanting to take off, Crum tends to take more sacks, which stalls a lot of drives.

The other thing that’s worrisome about Crum’s running is that he still makes zero effort to protect himself and avoid taking big shots. In addition to the five times he was sacked, he took at least half a dozen punishing hits at the ends of his runs. That kind of beating takes a toll.

Some in R-Nation were calling for third-string veteran Jeremiah Masoli to be inserted into last night’s contest and if Brown misses significant time, it will be interesting to see just how long Crum’s leash is. Will the coaching staff be willing to tolerate the sacks and passing struggles in favour of his ability to find seams in defences? Or will they turn to Masoli, a veteran who’s played sparingly in recent seasons but who is extremely familiar with Tommy Condell’s system?

2) Speaking of Ottawa’s offensive coordinator, the Redblacks came into the game averaging 30 points over their past three contests.

Circumstances conspired against Ottawa’s play-caller, as Condell had to contend with losing his starting quarterback, heavy rain, uncharacteristic drops, turnovers, blocked field goals, and an offensive line that utterly failed to open lanes in the ground game.

When it was all said and done, the Redblacks generated 21 first downs and 313 yards of total offence. They converted 45 percent of their second-down opportunities and struggled in the red zone, finishing just one of four trips with a touchdown. In fact, the Redblacks failed to score a touchdown until overtime. Ultimately that was the difference between tying and outright winning.

Of Ottawa’s 17 possessions, nine drives gained less than ten yards. Seven resulted in punts, three finished with a turnover on downs, two in blocked field goals and one in an interception.

I loved how Condell schemed Jaelon Acklin open on a number of quick screen passes. He repeatedly had Acklin motion across the backfield to find soft spots in the defence and, thanks to solid downfield blocking from his fellow receivers, the 28-year-old repeatedly gouged Saskatchewan for significant gains.

Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com

3) It was a pretty quiet night for rookie American running back Ryquell Armstead. The 27-year-old flashed his power a few times by running over defenders, but simply couldn’t find space to run the ball, with his longest gain on the ground being just seven yards.

Overall, he finished with 13 carries for 37 yards and was a reliable checkdown option for his quarterbacks, catching five passes for 28 yards. He also didn’t get kicked out for mouthing off to a ref like the last time he suited up, so that’s a positive too.

4) Given the quarterback shuffle and inclement weather, it’s understandable why no receiver truly took over the game. Still, Ottawa’s receiving corps featured a number of solid performances. Dominique Rhymes led the way with five catches for 72 yards. Acklin had seven catches for 54 yards. Justin Hardy hauled in four catches for 54 yards but also had a drop.

Rookie sensation Kalil Pimpleton was targeted more than anyone else, but those nine targets resulted in just two receptions for 26 yards thanks to three drops and a handful of off-target throws. Canadians Nick Mardner and Daniel Oladejo each made two catches for a total of 16 yards.

5) Ottawa’s offensive line got a big boost with the return of veterans Dino Boyd and Zack Pelehos at the tackle positions. The final sack tally isn’t flattering — the Redblacks conceded five — but all of the quarterback takedowns came when Crum was in the game.

I mention that because although one sack came as a result of a man simply being beaten, the other four happened because Crum held onto the ball too long. Sometimes, it’s harder for an offensive lineman to block for a quarterback who hangs onto the ball and likes to scramble because they simply don’t know where he will be. It could be that where the offensive lineman is directing their pass-rusher just so happens to be where the quarterback has unexpectedly scrambled.

More worrying than the pass protection breakdowns was the fact that the unit continues to fail to impose its will on the ground. If you take away Crum’s scrambles, Ottawa’s 14 handoffs to running backs resulted in just 35 yards, an average of 2.5 yards per rush. That’s not good enough. The group’s lack of push was again evident on a turnover on downs in the first quarter when they failed to convert a quarterback sneak on third-and-one.

The Redblacks boast a big, experienced group in the trenches and they need more from them if they want to continue building off the team’s strong start to the season.

6) Coming into the game, Barron Miles’ defence hadn’t allowed a touchdown in more than eight quarters and the group was bolstered by the return of Frankie Griffin at linebacker and Alijah McGhee at defensive back. Ottawa’s end zone shutout streak continued until well into the fourth quarter before Saskatchewan finally solved the defence.

Saskatchewan finished the night with 321 yards of total offence, but it was a grind. Of their 18 possessions, 11 drives gained less than 15 yards. The Redblacks utterly eliminated the Riders’ ground attack, holding Saskatchewan to just 24 yards on 13 carries — good for just 1.8 yards per rush. The defence also forced four turnovers — three interceptions and a turnover on downs — and notched a sack.

The game featured a number of strong performances, but perhaps none was more impressive than that of strong-side linebacker Adarius Pickett. The 27-year-old finished with eight total tackles and a sack. His ability to drop a thunderous hit truly does set the tone for his peers.

Nearly everyone in Ottawa’s secondary shone. Deandre Lamont made eight tackles and had a knockdown. Damon Webb made six tackles, including two for a loss, and had a knockdown. McGhee made five tackles, an interception and had a knockdown. Canadian safety Alonzo Addae made three tackles and had an interception.

Although the defensive line was relatively quiet stats-wise, they did a wonderful job collapsing the pocket and forcing Shea Patterson to rush a number of throws.

Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com

All in all, it was another dominant outing from the self-proclaimed Bank Street Bullies.

7) The two blocked field goals will overshadow an otherwise excellent night from Ottawa’s special teams. Kicker Lewis Ward will be credited with two misses — which makes no sense to me, but that’s how the CFL counts blocked kicks. In terms of kicks that Saskatchewan players failed to get their mitts on, he was perfect, splitting the uprights from 14, 28, 34, 47 and 14 yards out.

Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com

The two attempts that were blocked were from 38 and 22 yards and came as a result of the middle of the field goal unit’s protection collapsing. Those six points not scored are also what sent the game into overtime, otherwise it would have been an Ottawa win in regulation.

As for the rest of the special teams, punter Richie Leone was lights out a day after being chosen as a Top 10 Redblack by fans. He hammered seven punts for an average field flip of 44.6 yards. Ottawa’s kick coverage was phenomenal, limiting the always-dangerous Mario Alford to 4.5 yards per punt return and 21 yards per kickoff.

Pickett led the way with three special teams tackles but shoutout to Addae and Gary Johnson Jr. who each made impressive open-field special teams tackles.

In his return to action, returner DeVonte Dedmon averaged 13.4 yards per punt return, but had big returns wiped out by a flag and a fumble.

8) It’s safe to say Adam Auclair was fired up for this one. Selected sixth overall in the 2020 CFL Draft by Ottawa, the Laval product departed in free agency this past off-season and signed with the Riders. During his time in Ottawa, Auclair flashed his potential but was buried on the depth chart behind linebackers like Douglas Coleman and Frankie Griffin.

In his first game against his former team, the 28-year-old flew around the field and registered nine tackles. As much as some fans will regret his departure, it’s not as if Ottawa is hurting at the position.

9) I’m not going to rail against the CFL command centre for ruling defensive pass interference on McGhee in overtime — although I did think it was a borderline call at best. Nor will I complain that they found Saskatchewan hit Crum low in double overtime, again extending the game.

What I will bleat about is the process. I LOATHE how the command centre randomly injects itself into games. It’s random and there’s never any accountability or explanations as to why it chooses to do so. Having a coach challenge and needing to make a ruling is one thing, but buzzing down to overrule refs on the field is another.

What criteria springs them into action? Any missed call? Apparently not. A blatant missed call? Sometimes. I guess my feeling is that challenges exist for a reason but if you’re going to inject yourself into the game, clearly state WHAT specific plays can be reviewed automatically. Don’t leave fans guessing.

If all contact on quarterbacks is automatically reviewed, state that. Don’t even let coaches challenge it, since it will be automatic. But the obscure process we have right now denigrates the league and makes it look Mickey Mouse.

After a wild back-and-forth game, the only thing anyone last night watching will remember is how the command centre took over and killed the flow and excitement of double overtime.

10) It was sad to see another home game with 7,000 tickets unsold. The optics of an empty stadium were even worse because although 17,000 tickets were sold, not everyone came out due to the weather forecast.

As I’ve said before, I understand why R-Nation was hesitant to support this team at the start of the year, but it should be clear to all now that this is not the team of 2019, 2021, 2022 or 2023. This is the best squad the Redblacks have fielded since 2018. They’re winning and playing entertaining football, which is everything fans in the nation’s capital have been clamouring for for half a decade. It’s time for people to show up.

11) As I wrote in 2022, I think the CFL continues to miss a slam-dunk marketing opportunity by failing to label this game The Rider Rumble. We already have the Banjo Bowl and the Labour Day Classics, so why not add one more marquee matchup each season?

12) If you missed TSN’s pre-game piece on defensive end Lorenzo Mauldin, do yourself a favour and watch it now. In three short seasons, the 31-year-old has endeared himself to fans in Ottawa and this piece will only grow his fanbase.

13) If you were wondering what had Dyce so riled up on the sidelines at the end of the game, go and read JC’s piece (complied with info gathered by John Hodge, who was at the game). The Redblacks’ tradition of allowing fans on the field after every game is something special and hopefully, one idiot doesn’t ruin things for everyone.

14) A tie is certainly better than a loss, but it’s also not as helpful as a win. Sitting at 5-2-1, the Redblacks are firmly entrenched in second place in the East and will remain there regardless of how the rest of this week’s slate of games plays out.

Some will criticize Dyce for not playing for the win at the end of double overtime, but the single point Ottawa collected will come in handy down the stretch as the Redblacks jockey for position with their eastern rivals.

Up next for Ottawa is another Thursday night matchup, this time in Calgary at McMahon Stadium.

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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