Ottawa Redblacks sunk by self-sabotage in loss to Stampeders (& eight other thoughts)

Photo courtesy: Chris Tanouye/CFL.ca

A week after having their hearts ripped out in Calgary thanks to a historic last-second field goal, the Ottawa Redblacks were unable to keep things as interesting in the second half of their home-and-home series with the Stampeders, falling by a score of 45-31 on Saturday afternoon at TD Place.

Like so many other defeats this season, Ryan Dinwiddie’s squad made a handful of painful mistakes that will haunt R-Nation through the week as the fan base chews on yet another disappointing loss.

Here are all my thoughts on the game.

15 minutes of pain

For as poorly as the Redblacks played in the first half — at times, players seemed lethargic — they went into halftime only trailing by 12. Dinwiddie’s decision to start the second half with a surprise onside kick was commendable. It was an aggressive and fearless call, something that’s been lacking for much of the season in the nation’s capital. Yet even with kicker Brett Lauther executing the kick flawlessly and rookie defensive back Kenzel Lawler recovering the ball for Ottawa, it was for naught, because Lawler was offside on the play.

It was another deflating moment in a season full of them, and unfortunately for Ottawa, just the start of what was about to go wrong. The third quarter was full of horrors and what-ifs — a microcosm of the year the Redblacks have had.

On the re-kick, the Redblacks sent it deep, but a 34-yard return from Tyreik McAllister set up a Stamps’ field goal. Instead of a stolen possession, Ottawa gave up another three points. Things only got worse from there as quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson orchestrated a crisp drive that should’ve ended in a 38-yard touchdown pass to Kalil Pimpleton, but the speedy receiver let the pass slip through his hands in the end zone. On the ensuing play, MBT was sacked for an 11-yard loss, which then pushed Ottawa out of field goal range.

On Calgary’s very next possession, Christian Matthew made an interception to get the ball back for Ottawa, but the turnover was wiped out by a roughing the passer flag on veteran defensive tackle Cleyon Laing. Given fresh life, the Stamps marched down for a touchdown.

Instead of scoring seven points of their own, which would’ve made it a 28-20 game, and stealing a possession, the Redblacks quickly found themselves trailing 34-13.

As I’ve harped on in recent weeks, games aren’t won or lost on a single play, but as the third quarter showed, if you have enough plays go the wrong way for your team, the pendulum will swing towards a loss.

Again, I ask

Why did it take until last week for MBT to be given a start? He hasn’t been perfect — in fact, his completion percentage on the year is just over 61 percent compared to Jake Maier’s 68 percent — and yet the offence looks so much more effective with the 38-year-old under centre. And that’s even taking into account his multiple off-target throws in the first half.

MBT has a gunslinger’s attitude, and it’s clear he’s willing to take chances to give his guys a chance to make a play. More often than not it works, but at times it leads to bad turnovers, as was the case with his second-quarter interception when he tried to squeeze a pass into a tight window that realistically was never open.

Still, his chemistry with nearly the entire receiving corps is clear, and you can tell how badly he wants to win. MBT finished the game with 418 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. His completion percentage was less than ideal (64 percent), but his willingness to stretch the field resulted in chunk plays which offset his incompletions.

🇨🇦 KEELAN WHITE HANGS ON

McLeod Bethel-Thompson tosses it up to Keelan White for 27 yards!

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📱: Your #CFLGameDay second screen, the official CFL App: https://t.co/qBJs7eBYd7 pic.twitter.com/t9krsLulGO

— CFL (@CFL) September 26, 2026

To me, if the goal is to avoid becoming the first team in CFL history to go winless — and that should absolutely be priority number one for the franchise right now– MBT must continue to start.

A pro’s pro

It’s truly a shame that (so far), Justin Hardy’s career with the Redblacks hasn’t resulted in more wins or playoff success, as he’s been nothing but productive since forcing his way into the starting lineup late in 2022.

JUSTIN HARDY WHAT A GRAB FOR A TOUCHDOWN! 🤯

That catch also marks his 4th consecutive 1000-yard season!

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📱: Your #CFLGameDay second screen, the official CFL App: https://t.co/qBJs7eBYd7 pic.twitter.com/GCa59NFNgo

— CFL (@CFL) September 26, 2026

Thanks to a nine-catch, 98-yard performance that also featured a touchdown, the 34-year-old veteran crossed the 1000-yard receiving mark for the fourth consecutive season against the Stamps. Hardy becomes the first Ottawa receiver to accomplish the feat since Brad Sinopoli and Greg Ellingson.

Although there aren’t many CFL receivers in their mid-30s still producing at a high level, Hardy is, and hopefully the team can find a way to ensure he’s still on the roster for 2027. All he does is put up numbers, regardless of who’s throwing him the ball.

As for the rest of the receiving corps, Ayden Eberhardt finished with seven catches for 91 yards and a touchdown, Canadian Keelan White made five grabs for 85 yards, Cade McDonald snagged four passes for 59 yards, and Pimpleton had three for 51 yards. Third-year pro Nick Mardner’s tough season continued, as four targets failed to produce a single reception.

Downright dreadful

Since firing Will Fields on August 1, Ottawa’s defence has gone on to give up 42, 33, 46, 45, 26, 40, and 45 points. That’s not to lay the blame squarely on Jeff Reinebold, who shifted from special teams coordinator to defensive coordinator, but the point is that since the change was made, it’s not as if things have gotten better.

In fact, the loss to Calgary was the seventh time this season the Redblacks have given up at least 40 points to an opponent. I don’t care if you have prime Doug Flutie under centre; if you’re giving up 40+ points in fully half your games, the losses are going to pile up.

It bears repeating just how decimated the Redblacks’ defence has been by injury. Currently there are four linebackers, five defensive backs and six defensive linemen on the six-game injured list. That adds up to 15 defensive players, which is three more than the entire starting unit.

On Saturday afternoon, things started off rough for Ottawa’s defence and frankly never got better. Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. was pressured a few times, but overall had it pretty easy in the pocket, as reflected by the fact that he completed 80 percent of his passes for 422 yards and three touchdowns. It wasn’t as if Calgary was dinking and dunking their way down the field; they were scoring and picking up chunks of yardage via explosive plays, as they finished the game with four completions of 30+ yards.

VA IS LETTING IT FLY TODAY ✈️

ANOTHER HUGE GAIN!#CFL pic.twitter.com/0Pt4jtDGaJ

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 26, 2026

The Stamps averaged 9.5 yards per play and put up 520 yards of total offence. They went three of three in the red zone, avoided turning the ball over and scored on eight of their 13 drives.

The Redblacks missed a ton of tackles throughout the game, but one player who stood out (again) for the right reason was defensive lineman Jelani Stafford. The five-foot-11, 292-pounder made six tackles and had a handful of pressures collapsing the pocket. It seems like every week Stafford is playing with energy and doing everything he can to show the coaching staff he deserves to be with the team in 2027.

Raising a black flag

There’s been plenty of lowlights during the Redblacks’ 20-game losing streak, and tying the 1994 Shreveport Pirates for the worst start in CFL history with 14 straight losses is another. The Pirates actually went on to finish 3-15 that year, so let’s see if the Redblacks can muster some kind of similar late-season rally.

A salute

The attendance for Saturday afternoon’s game was 15,480, and I tip my hat to each and every member of R-Nation who trekked down to Lansdowne. You’ve been given nothing but heartbreak and disappointment this season, and haven’t seen a win in 387 days. Yet thousands of you continue to support the team with your time, money and emotional investment.

Despite the Redblacks trailing by multiple scores for the majority of the contest, when it was a single-score game in the final three minutes, and the defence was on the field trying (and failing) to get a stop, TD Place was loud. I heard you, and everyone else watching on TV did too. Hang in there and keep doing your part because better days are ahead.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Every year it seems like the league’s efforts to promote awareness around Truth and Reconciliation and the Every Child Matters movement grow, and I think that’s a good thing. Be it adding an Indigenous CFL logo to the existing individual team logos, referees using special logos on the backs of their jerseys, TSN having Indigenous graphics on their score bug, or the orange warm-up jersey and orange laces on the punting balls, representation matters.

Hopefully meaningful conversations are sparked, and the artists highlighted and money raised for various Indigenous groups have an impact.

Pressure mounting

As I’ve previously stated, I don’t think the Redblacks will go 0-18, but time is running out for Dinwiddie’s squad to avoid making the kind of history that permanently stains a franchise. Becoming the first winless team in league history would be no small matter. It’s something that simply cannot be allowed to happen.

The next chance for the Redblacks to avoid that fate is a home date with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and that may be the team’s best remaining shot at a win. Fresh off being eliminated from the postseason themselves, at 4-11, Hamilton has the worst record of the three teams the Redblacks play to close out the season.

A win won’t magically fix the many issues plaguing the team, but it would do wonders to lift the mood around the organization right now.