On Saturday afternoon, the Ottawa Redblacks did almost everything wrong at Tim Horton’s Field.
When you consider that their offence gave the ball away six times, that their defence averaged giving up a first down per pass attempt, that they were penalized nearly a dozen times, and that they allowed a punt return touchdown, it’s a wonder they only lost by a score of 37-21 to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Here are all my thoughts on the game.
1) Dru Brown is a huge part of why Ottawa finds itself on the cusp of clinching a playoff spot for the first time since 2018. In fact, no starting quarterback in the league has more wins under his belt this season than Brown’s seven victories. Yet against the Ticats, Brown looked off from the start and never got in sync with his receiving corps. There were passes that were wildly off-target, skipped short, put high and a couple of others that were fortunate not to be picked off.
Without a doubt part of the reason the 27-year-old pivot struggled to get into a rhythm was due to the heavy pressure he routinely faced when he dropped back to pass. That pressure — especially when it came off the edge — forced him to scramble and throw on the run, something that isn’t a strength of his.
On top of his accuracy issues, Brown uncharacteristically took two time count violations, turning second-and-manageable into second-and-longs. Before being pulled, Brown failed to lead a touchdown drive and completed 17 of the 27 passes he attempted for 164 yards and an interception. He also fumbled while being sacked.
2) 36-year-old veteran Jeremiah Masoli replaced Brown with just over three minutes left in the third quarter and immediately provided a spark. Masoli looked decisive and was precise with his throws. He faced the same pressure as Brown but did a bit better of a job evading it using his legs while keeping his eyes down the field. Masoli led two long scoring drives to cut the deficit to a single score by the middle of the fourth quarter but ultimately was done in by a pair of turnovers of his own.
The former Ticat finished the game by completing 68 percent of his passes for 183 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. The interceptions both came on balls that were underthrown. In particular, the first really felt like a missed opportunity, as it seemed like Justin Hardy would have scored a long touchdown if only the ball had been better placed.
Tabbies with the interception 😯#CFLGameDay📷
📺: RDS2 /@CTV
📷: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/nRDdREvS2f— CFL (@CFL) September 14, 2024
3) There will surely be some talk of a quarterback controversy this week amongst R-Nation, but it would be ill-advised to minimize Brown’s contributions this season simply because of one bad game. It’s undeniable that Masoli entering the game provided a spark and brought the offence to life, but that’s exactly what you want from your veteran pivot.
As opposed to a full fledged controversy, what I think happens is that Brown’s leash is shortened. Head coach Bob Dyce knows he’s got a veteran who can come in cold and engineer drives to put points on the board when necessary, so perhaps if Brown has another off-game, Dyce doesn’t wait until the end of the third quarter to make a change.
4) Last week, offensive coordinator Tommy Condell purposely eschewed the run game, instead leaning on hitch screens and swing passes on early downs. He tried to do something similar against the Ticats, but it simply didn’t work. That lack of early down production had a real impact on his offence establishing any kind of flow.
Obviously, the way the game played out forced Condell’s hand somewhat but yet again, it was another week of a wildly unbalanced pass-to-run ratio.
The Redblacks dropped back to pass 46 times while handing off the ball just 14 times. After the first quarter, Ottawa had five rushing yards. In the second quarter, they mustered 12 rushing yards. Over two drives in the third quarter, Condell called seven of Ottawa’s 14 total runs, which led to 47 yards on the ground. In the game’s final 15 minutes, there were three more runs, which resulted in another 32 rushing yards.
The point I’m trying to make is that when the Redblacks ran the ball, they had success and sustained drives. Waiting until they were so far behind to do so only complicated matters. Clearly, a play-caller is handcuffed when their offence turns the ball over six times — Ottawa fumbled twice, had a turnover on downs and threw three interceptions — but you’d still like to see a bit more balance to make play-action a factor for the defence.
Overall, the Redblacks finished the night with 26 first downs and 438 yards of offence. They converted 54 percent of their second-down opportunities and improved on their league-worst red zone efficiency by punching in two touchdowns on three trips inside Hamilton’s 20-yard line.
5) In his second career start, American rookie Khalan Laborn was again solid. He turned 13 carries into 84 yards, averaging 6.5 yards per rush and busted off three runs of 10+ yards.
The team tried to make him a factor in the passing game via screen plays, but to Hamilton’s credit, they repeatedly snuffed those out. Laborn’s four catches resulted in exactly nine yards.
The 25-year-old was again effective in picking up the blitz and delivered a few punishing blocks while in pass protection.
6) For the second week in a row, Justin Hardy and Dominique Rhymes combined for 23 targets. The duo has been leaned on heavily in recent weeks and continues to produce strong results.
Rhymes finished with ten catches for 129 yards and a touchdown. Four of his receptions moved the chains on second down. He also had an unfortunate red zone fumble which killed a promising early drive.
The 32-year-old Hardy made eight catches for 103 yards, four of which came on second down. It was Hardy’s league-leading fifth 100+ yard game of the season. He also made a pair of tackles on balls that were intercepted. Thanks to his performance, Hardy crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the second consecutive season.
As for the rest of the receiving corps, in his return to action following a scary concussion a few weeks ago, Jaelon Acklin made six catches for 72 yards. American Andre Miller snagged a pair of passes for 34 yards, while fellow rookies Eli Stove and Nick Mardner both finished without a reception.
7) With starting right tackle Zack Pelehos moved to the six-game injured list as a result of last week’s leg injury, it was curious to see the team choose to start second-year pro Drake Centers in his place. I say that because veteran Jacob Ruby has already started multiple games at right tackle this season and played well. Instead of getting the nod, he remained the team’s sixth offensive lineman in a backup role.
To say Centers struggled would be putting it lightly. The Tatum, Texas native was under siege and frequently responsible for the pressure hounding the quarterbacks.
Ruby did wind up playing, but not in relief of Centers. Instead, he came in for left tackle Dino Boyd when he exited the game in the fourth quarter. If Boyd is forced to miss any games, it will be interesting to see if Dontae Bull, the first overall pick in the 2023 CFL draft, resurfaces. The fact that Bull has not started while the team deals with injuries at his position and remained a healthy scratch shows just how far down the depth chart he has sunk.
As for how the group played against the Ticats, the pass protection was leaky, although they will only be credited with conceding a single sack thanks to the mobility of the quarterbacks. The unit was okay in the ground game, but once again failed to convert a third-and-one quarterback sneak. Part of the blame for the turnover on downs belongs with short-yardage quarterback Dustin Crum, who failed to get his shoulders low, but the offensive line needs to get more push in those situations.
8) It was a really poor performance from Barron Miles’ defensive unit. Although they were opportunistic with a pair of first-half turnovers, the secondary was porous and the tackling at all levels was just bad. Plus, Bo Levi Mitchell had all day to throw. Not only was he not sacked, he was rarely hit or forced to throw early.
The Ticats found success through the air, Ottawa gave up 11.1 yards per pass and on the ground, Hamilton averaged 5.2 yards per run. The Ticats averaged 9.8 yards per second down play, which led to them converting 59 percent of their second down opportunities.
In the secondary, certain players repeatedly took poor angles and at times, it seemed like they were uninterested in making contact. Of Hamilton’s 299 passing yards, 158 of those yards came after the catch.
Despite all of Ottawa’s struggles, it was a one-score game late in the fourth quarter. The defence had an opportunity to make a stop and give their offence a chance to tie things up. Instead, they conceded a seven-play, 68-yard touchdown drive that took nearly four minutes off the clock and ended the Redblacks’ comeback attempt.
Safety Alonzo Addae led the way with eight tackles. Defensive back Damon Webb had four tackles and would have scored a touchdown for the second week in a row if not for the Command Centre ruling a fumble as down by contact.
Middle linebacker Davion Taylor had five tackles and a fumble recovery, while defensive back (and occasional kick returner) Brandin Dandridge had one tackle, an end zone interception and a pass knockdown.
9) Once again, Lewis Ward was perfect, splitting the uprights from 34 and 30 yards out. Punter Richie Leone smashed four balls for an average of 51.7 yards per kick, although his net field position flip was 27 yards per punt thanks to Lawrence Woods III taking an 83-yard punt to the house.
Lawrence Woods III goes 83 yards to the house 🚨#CFLGameDay📷
📺: RDS2 / @CTV
📷: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/1ftWOtWt5p— CFL (@CFL) September 14, 2024
One thing I want to highlight on Woods’ return is that fullback Marco Dubois never stopped sprinting after him. Often on punt return touchdowns, the cover team pulls up running when it becomes apparent their opponent will score. In fact, you can see a few Ottawa players do exactly that around the 20-yard line, but Dubois keeps going full speed. That effort deserves recognition and is why he occasionally tracks returner down from behind when they least expect it.
In terms of special teams tackles, Canadian rookie Dawson Pierre led the way with two. The Concordia product was Ottawa’s third-round pick in the 2024 CFL draft.
10) It wasn’t just that the Redblacks were flagged 10 times for 87 yards, it was when the flags occurred that hurt. Twice, the offence turned second-and-short into second-and-long thanks to time count violations. There was a procedure call that did the same. There was a holding call that wiped out another first down.
And of course, there was the back-to-back defensive pass interference and face mask calls that helped the Ticats restore their two-score lead late in the fourth quarter.
Dyce’s squad had done a good job avoiding penalty trouble for most of the season, but this is the second time in three weeks that their sloppy, undisciplined play has come back to haunt them in a big way.
11) It’s no exaggeration to say Ottawa has been ravaged by injuries this season. They currently have thirteen players on the six-game injured list, including the likes of Bralon Addison, Money Hunter, Javon Santos-Knox, DeVonte Dedmon, Tobias Harris, Tyron Vrede, Zack Pelehos, Bryce Carter and Khalil Pimpleton.
Against Hamilton, the team saw star linebacker Adarius Pickett injure himself on the first defensive snap of the game. Worryingly, he was in crutches and using a boot on the sidelines by the middle of the second quarter, which likely doesn’t bode well. The team also lost starting left tackle Dino Boyd late in the game.
Ottawa’s depth has been tested all season long, and the “next man up” mantra that has served them well so far will continue to be leaned upon.
12) All four of Ottawa’s losses have come on the road, with the team wearing their white uniforms. Maybe it’s time to see if they can pack their “new” retro-inspired blacks or start using their red thirds?
13) Quick shout out to the entire 2024 Hall of Fame class, but especially to Ed Laverty, the first person to enter the Hall solely for their contributions to flag football. If you’re from Ottawa and ever played flag, it was likely in a league that Laverty built. Every year more than 1,000 people in the nation’s capital play in winter and summer flag football leagues. Be it recreational or competitive, on a men’s, women’s or co-ed team, Laverty touched the lives of many over five decades.
14) With the loss, the Redblacks’ record drops to 8-4-1 and an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2018 slips through their fingers.
It is Ottawa’s second disappointing performance in three weeks, and one has to wonder if the lull in their play is a result of waning focus in a season where the team seems playoff bound, or if it’s a result of endless injuries to starters piling up.
Either way, Dyce will need to have his team fully motivated and prepared for next week’s clash with the first-place Montreal Alouettes. If Ottawa harbours any hopes of winning the East, it’s a game they must come away from victorious. Beyond the ramifications in the standings, next Saturday’s home game at TD Place will be a great measuring stick to see where Ottawa is as a team.
