Ottawa Redblacks have hearts torn out in Calgary, fall to 0-13 (& 10 other thoughts)

Leah Hennel/CFL.ca

If R-Nation thought they were numb to losing, surprise!

There are tough losses, then there are painful losses, and then there are losses that rip your heart out and leave you feeling sick.

This was one of those.

Here are all my thoughts on the Ottawa Redblacks losing 40-38 on a 62-yard field goal with no time left at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.

Canadian Rene Paredes 62-yard walk-off field goal to break Ottawa hearts 💔 #Calgary #CalStampeders #Ottawa #Redblacks #RNation #CFL pic.twitter.com/deh6JtLSAg

— 3DownNation (@3DownNation) September 20, 2026

Makes you wonder why

How did it take until the team’s 13th game for McLeod Bethel-Thompson to get a start at quarterback? That’s the question that many fans will be asking in the aftermath of Ottawa’s loss in Calgary.

Although the 38-year-old was far from perfect, the offence looked as good as it has all season with him under centre. Even if Bethel-Thompson only completed 56.3 percent of his passes against the Stampeders, what stood out was his willingness — time and time again — to push the ball down the field.

There were numerous overthrows to seemingly open receivers, but perhaps some of that can be chalked up to the windy conditions and/or the veteran only having one week of practice with the starters under his belt.

Either way, Bethel-Thompson has the arm strength to force defenders to cover the whole field, and he’s not afraid to throw the ball up and give his receivers a chance.

And frankly, despite the less-than-ideal completion percentage (some of which came as a result of being rushed to throw under pressure), you can’t argue with the results. The veteran pivot threw for 379 yards and five touchdowns, and looked especially in sync with receivers Justin Hardy and Keelan White (more on that in a minute).

IT’S KEELAN WHITE AGAIN 🔥 #CFL

His second touchdown of the game! pic.twitter.com/DSVMjXV4GR

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 20, 2026

The biggest blemish on Bethel-Thompson’s night came with 2:49 left in the game, when his off-target pass intended for Hardy bounced off the receiver’s outstretched hand and was picked off. The ensuing field goal that Calgary kicked loomed large in what turned out to be a two-point loss.

Even with that crucial mistake and his (at times) inaccurate passing, the quarterback clearly brings a dimension to the offence that was never present with Jake Maier under centre. Not only does the offence move the ball in better rhythm, it also comes up a bit more clutch. The Redblacks went score-for-score with the Stampeders in the second half, scoring on four of their last five possessions, three of which were touchdowns.

What it all means is that if the Redblacks are serious about getting into the win column, Bethel-Thompson needs to continue to start. In fact, it’s impossible not to wonder if the team’s first win would have come weeks ago if he’d been named the starter a month ago.

While I do believe there is value in seeing what rookie quarterback Bryson Barnes looks like in real CFL action so the team can plan for 2027, to me, the priority has to be ending this cursed losing streak. Until that’s accomplished, nobody should be looking ahead to next season.

Disappointing defence

While Jeff Reinebold’s defence will be heavily criticized, it’s worth bearing in mind that there’s simply so many new and inexperienced faces at every level of it.

There’s rookies starting on the defensive line, at linebacker and in the secondary. And it’s not like these young players are having a chance to gel and become familiarized with those playing alongside them, because each week has brought another handful of changes thanks to the unending slew of injuries hammering the Redblacks on the defensive side of the ball.

With that said, as much as the unit might be lacking experience, there’s no excuse for poor effort and lack of situational awareness.

After Ottawa’s offence scored a touchdown at the end of the first half, Calgary got the ball back with 55 seconds left. The only thing the defence can’t do in that situation is allow a receiver to get behind the last man, and yet that’s exactly what happened as the unit conceded a 60-yard touchdown pass.

It was beyond deflating, given that the Redblacks had positive momentum and were about to go into the break with only their second halftime lead of the season.

60 YARDS IN THE AIR!

Vernon Adams Jr. lets it FLY ✈️ #CFL pic.twitter.com/OtS1s52xZu

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 20, 2026

Things didn’t improve over the game’s final 30 minutes either, as the defence allowed the Stampeders to score on six of their seven second-half possessions, including each of their final four drives. Every time they had a chance to come up clutch, they failed.

Overall, Calgary put up 496 yards of offence, while averaging eight yards per play. Of Calgary’s 357 passing yards, 170 came after the catch, meaning receivers were running wide open, or tackles were being missed. The Redblacks also failed to register a sack and their lone turnover of the night came courtesy of Alonzo Addae, when he picked off Adams Jr. in the second quarter.

WHAT A PICK BY ALONZO ADDAE! #CFL pic.twitter.com/SMpr7fwGju

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 19, 2026

In terms of guys who stood out for the right reasons, middle linebacker Nyles Morgan was yet again always around the ball, notching seven tackles. Addae, who got the start at halfback instead of his usual safety position, registered five tackles, an interception, and a knockdown.

Scott Hutter, who started at safety, made nine total tackles, but was badly beat on Calgary’s final touchdown pass. In his pro debut, rookie defensive back Kenzel Lawler had two tackles and two knockdowns.

Costly coaching

I don’t like to beat at dead horse, but it’s stunning to me how head coach and offensive coordinator Ryan Dinwiddie simply refuses to lean into the ground game.

Much like last week, the majority of the matchup was a one-score game. And just like last week, Dinwiddie’s run-to-pass ratio was heavily skewed towards the throwing the ball, with 48 passes to just six handoffs.

The worst part was that when called upon, Canadian running back Daniel Adeboboye produced. The 27-year-old started in the place of Greg Bell (who was moved to the six-game injured list) and turned his six carries into 40 yards. Adeboboye’s longest rush of the night was good for 19 yards, and overall he averaged 6.7 yards per carry. He also caught three passes for 21 yards and was effective in pass protection while picking up the blitz.

While it can be argued that the quick passing game — think screens and slants — does the same thing as running the ball, that’s not entirely true.

Pounding the rock allows offensive linemen to play more aggressive and impose their will on the defence’s front seven. It’s a change from a passive pass-blocking mentality to a hunting mindset that comes from running the ball. It’s also a more effective way to wear down a defence and slow down the pass rush.

Yet for whatever reason, not running the ball has been something the Redblacks have actively chosen to do all year long. It’s a huge reason why the Redblacks still have yet to hit 100 yards rushing in any game this season.

Wasted opportunity

Speaking of costly coaching decisions, the decision to eschew a short field goal to go for it on third-and-10 from Calgary’s 11-yard line in the second quarter was awful. While I love aggressive coaching as much as anyone, it has to be rooted in logic. And going for it in that situation made no sense.

At that point of the game, it was 7-0 and the Redblacks had already squandered an opportunity to score points in the first quarter when a field goal was missed.

The offence was moving the ball well, so there was truly no need to press simply because they were in the red zone. Taking the points would’ve rewarded a good drive and cut into the deficit. Instead, the Redblacks lined up and went for it, and wound up turning the ball over on downs.

After the game, Dinwiddie explained the situation, saying he believed he saw the refs throw a flag for offside, and so he was looking at his play-sheet for a call for second-and-five. By the time he realized it was third down, it was too late to take the offence off the field.

He argued that what should have happened was for Bethel-Thompson to take a delay of game and then he would’ve brought out the field goal unit. Instead, things were rushed and Ottawa ran a play before they were ready as they didn’t want to burn a timeout so early in the game.

To his credit, Dinwiddie took the blame for the situation and outcome, but it’s something that just can’t happen to an 0-12 team clawing for its first win. It stings even more when you realize that three points could’ve been the difference in the two-point loss.

Horseshoes and hand grenades

The turnover on downs in the red zone wasn’t the only play that will haunt the Redblacks and their fans.

There was also Brett Lauther’s missed field goal in the first quarter, Calgary’s 60-yard touchdown bomb down sideline in the last minute of the first half, Bethel-Thompson’s late interception, the ghost rouge in the third quarter that could’ve changed the entire late-game strategy for both teams, and Vernon Adams Jr.’s second-last pass of the night that was popped up by Alonzo Addae and nearly intercepted by Kyahva Tezino.

Every week, R-Nation is reminded that the margin between victory and defeat is razor thin, but somehow their team keeps coming out on the wrong side of those game-defining plays.

If it ain’t broke

Count me among those who would like to see the entirety of the Redblacks’ current receiving corps return for 2027.

While there clearly needs to be improvement across the roster, one position that doesn’t need an upgrade is the team’s pass-catchers. Justin Hardy, Kalil Pimpleton, Keelan White, and Ayden Eberthardt are studs and provide a mix of great hands, crisp route-running, and speed.

Hardy was nearly unstoppable against Calgary, turning 19 targets into 12 catches for 129 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers should’ve been even more impressive, as he was open at least three times when Bethel-Thompson missed him.

Keelan White continued his stellar season with a trio of catches for 63 yards and three touchdowns. The former first-round draft pick didn’t catch everything thrown his way (he had a drop), but everything he did secure turned into six points.

Pimpleton was his usual shifty self and did some serious damage on short screen passes, turning six receptions into 88 yards and a touchdown.

Through no fault of his own, Eberhardt left a lot of meat on the bone, finishing with a single reception on four targets, although the one catch he made was good for 60 yards, with 43 of them coming after the catch. Twice, the speedy 28-year-old was open deep but Bethel-Thompson overthrew him. He also had a drop.

Cade McDonald seemed to make one of the catches of the year along the sideline in the first quarter, but upon review was deemed to have landed out of bounds before securing possession. The rookie American also had a drop in the end zone and finished with a single catch for 10 yards.

Cade McDonald makes a catch of the year candidate but after a challenge, it is ruled an incompletion 🤯 #CFL pic.twitter.com/d4ciQt2lw6

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 19, 2026

Finally, Nick Mardner, who entered the game when McDonald was shaken up, had a bad drop that came as a result of seemingly not expecting to be targeted and failing to look back at his quarterback. He finished with one grab for eight yards.

Not the difference

Sometimes special teams are the difference between winning and losing a game, be it through game-changing plays or hidden yardage that sets up scoring drives. That wasn’t the case on Saturday night.

Ottawa’s special teams were solid, if unspectacular. Yes, Lauther’s second miss of the season stung, but it came in the first quarter. And he made his other kick from 37 yards out to bring his season total to 29-of-31 field goals, good for a 93.5 percent success rate for 2027.

In terms of the return game, Pimpleton was bottled up, averaging just 7.3 yards per punt return and 21.2 on kickoffs. Likewise, the Redblacks did a good job containing the always dangerous Tyreik McAllister, limiting Calgary’s specialist to 7.8 yards per punt return and 26.8 yards on kickoffs.

Canadian Eric Cumberbatch led the way on kick coverage with two special teams tackles.

New week, new injuries

With 21 players currently on the six-game injured list, it remains to be seen if that list grows this week.

Against Calgary, defensive back Adrian Frye, linebackers Lucas Cormier and Nyles Morgan, offensive lineman Sam Carson, and receiver Cade McDonald were all shaken up and had to be assisted off the field at various points of the game. Even if some of them returned to play, it remains to be seen if their injuries will linger.

In a season where so much has gone wrong, Ottawa continues to have no injury luck.

Darkest before the dawn?

If things are truly darkest before the dawn, then R-Nation has to be hoping and praying that the sun is about to come up. Because after two consecutive last-second field goal defeats, things feel bleaker than ever.

Just when fans in the nation’s capital thought they had seen every possible way to lose, they were subjected to seeing Calgary kicker Rene Paredes come up with a 62-yard game-winning kick. Not only was it five yards longer than the 41-year-old’s previous career-long, it was the third-longest field goal in CFL history.

It was truly a stunning way to lose and the disbelief that was written on the faces of those standing on Ottawa’s sideline was surely mirrored by fans watching at home.

Picking up the pieces

As much as the loss felt devastating in the moment, there’s no choice for Ryan Dinwiddie’s squad but to put it behind them and quickly begin preparations for Friday night’s rematch at TD Place.

Ottawa’s sixth one-score loss of the season was painful, but the team cannot dwell on it if they hope to finally put the franchise’s 19-game losing streak to bed.

The silver lining is that with McLeod Bethel-Thompson under centre these past two weeks, Ottawa’s offence suddenly looks alive and plenty dangerous.

If the defence can simply shore itself up a little bit, be it with a couple of timely stops or perhaps getting a few healthy bodies back, there’s no reason to believe a victory at home next week is out of reach.