Ottawa Redblacks inch closer to historical humiliation in loss to B.C. (& six other thoughts)

Photo courtesy: David Friederich/B.C. Lions

For stretches of Friday night’s game, the night owls of R-Nation who chose to stay up for the 10:00 p.m. EDT start had brief moments where they might have believed Ryan Dinwiddie’s team would end their onerous losing streak.

In particular, there was a span between the second and third quarters where the Ottawa Redblacks’ defence forced three turnovers and the offence did just enough to make it a three-point game. Yet ultimately, as has been the case FAR too many times this season, things fell apart.

Over the game’s final 20 minutes, the B.C. Lions outscored Ottawa 20-3, going on to win 41-20, handing the Redblacks their 22nd consecutive loss.

Here are all my thoughts on the game.

Doubting Dinwiddie

For the second week in a row, quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson used his post-game comments to highlight his team’s inability to make adjustments. Following last week’s loss at home to the Hamilton Ticats, MBT said the Redblacks failed to adjust at halftime. Following last night’s loss in Vancouver, the veteran stated that the team had no plan for the second half.

It was a startling admission from a self-described “frustrated and pissed off” MBT. His comments are proven true by the fact that Ottawa mustered only six points over the game’s final 30 minutes.

Overall, the 38-year-old was solid against arguably the league’s best defence, completing 71 percent of his passes for 253 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The pick shouldn’t be held against him, as it came in the fourth quarter with an unblocked blitzed bearing down on him. MBT was also responsible for two other turnovers, both of which were fumbles that happened as he was sacked. The veteran pivot made some great throws, such as when he hit a streaking Justin Hardy in stride to set up the offence in the red zone in the third quarter, and some that were fortunate not to result in turnovers. Yet MBT repeatedly extended plays as the pocket collapsed around him and got the ball into his receivers’ hands.

Justin Hardy catches the DEEP SHOT for Ottawa!

#CFL https://t.co/pfxZGpF7Gt

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 10, 2026

If the quarterback isn’t what’s holding back the offence, then we must turn our gaze to the play-caller. The fact of the matter is, a major reason why Ryan Dinwiddie was hired was due to his reputation as an offensive guru. But 16 games into his tenure, fans in the nation’s capital are still waiting for any glimpse of that prowess.

The Redblacks are last in the league in explosive plays, worst in the league in the red zone, have a -26 turnover ratio, and score the fewest points of any team in the CFL. Despite having a bevy of explosive playmakers at the receiver position and a running back that produces when given a chance to do so, the team often struggles to sustain drives.

Against the Lions, Ottawa averaged 5.3 yards per play and converted just 43 percent of their second-down opportunities. Of their 13 possessions, eight picked up one (or fewer) first downs. Eight drives also gained less than 20 yards.

Dinwiddie hasn’t suddenly forgotten how to coach, and it’s certainly not on him when catchable balls that would result in explosive plays are dropped (as was the case with Kalil Pimpleton in the second quarter), or when offensive linemen are beat clean and strip sacks occur. But as the offensive coordinator in a results-oriented business, the buck stops with him.

Simply put, Dinwiddie hasn’t been good enough. Not with Jake Maier under centre, and not with MBT under centre. Perhaps turning to rookie Bryson Barnes next week works, but count me among those who are highly doubtful. While having a game plan tailored to his skill set is interesting, what’s more interesting to me is the team doing their damnedest to avoid becoming the first winless team in league history. Evaluating the quarterback position for 2027 is a luxury the team doesn’t have as long as there’s a zero in the win column.

Making his case

In one of his media availabilities this week, Canadian running back Daniel Adeboboye responded to a question about the team’s motivation by stating that everyone was playing for jobs, and more specifically, he believed he had plenty to play for because he feels he’s capable of being a starter in the league.

It’s hard to argue with him, because all he does when the team actually puts the ball in his hands is produce. Against the Lions, the 27-year-old turned eight carries into 43 yards (good for 5.4 per rush attempt) and five catches into 51 yards and a touchdown.

REDBLACKS TOUCHDOWN! 🔥

Daniel Adeboboye makes his way through the defence for the TD.

#CFL https://t.co/qUiYv4swZR

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 10, 2026

Through 16 games, Adeboboye is averaging 5.9 yards per carry and 7.6 yards per reception. He has 10 runs of 10+ yards, three runs of 20+ (on just 58 carries), two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown.

Since joining the Redblacks in 2025, Adeboboye has repeatedly demonstrated that good things happen when he’s given opportunities. Obviously hindsight is 20/20, but given how poorly the Greg Bell signing has panned out this season, it’s worth wondering how this year would have played out if Ottawa spent the money they used to make Bell the highest-paid American running back elsewhere, and simply went with Adeboboye as their starter.

Both backs are signed through the 2027 season, which is something that bears watching.

Another ugly night

For a span of five drives that stretched between the second and third quarters, Jeff Reinebold’s defence looked like they might be able to contribute to a win. There was a turnover on downs, a punt forced, an interception, and a fumble. Unfortunately, the offence failed, as it so often has this season, to play complementary football and cash in those gifts, turning the trio of turnovers into just a pair of field goals.

But other than those three positive plays, the Redblacks defence was once again mostly horrific. It was the eighth time this season the unit gave up 40+ points. Be it on the ground or in the air, the Lions bullied Ottawa.

Nathan Rourke set the tone early, marching down the field for a touchdown on his first possession by connecting on all seven of the passes he attempted to four different receivers. Rourke finished the night completing 81 percent of his passes for 360 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, which came as a result of a spectacular effort from Alonzo Addae.

A couple big plays for the BC Lions have them moving early!

#CFL https://t.co/KN4s2WX2Fj

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 10, 2026

Not only did the Lions average 11.6 yards per pass, but they also bullied the Redblacks on the ground, putting up 175 rushing yards. Far be it from me to question the toughness of anyone who plays football at the highest professional level in Canada, but it certainly did seem at times that some defenders weren’t overly interested in making tackles. Far too often, Zander Horvath and James Butler were 10 yards past the line of scrimmage before anyone even got a hand on them. A prime example of what I’m talking about can be seen on Horvath’s sneak touchdown from the 11-yard line in the first quarter. He literally strolls in untouched. In the second quarter, Butler had a 22-yard romp through half a dozen defenders. And so on it went.

James Butler just wouldn’t go down! 💪

#CFL https://t.co/Ndzd5XqilS

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 10, 2026

B.C. finished the game by going five-for-five in the red zone (compared to Ottawa going one-for-two) and converting on 68 percent of their second-down opportunities. That actually doesn’t tell the full story, as they averaged 11 yards per first-down play. It’s no wonder they were able to sustain drives when they didn’t turn the ball over.

Steady as she goes

While the decision to trade Brett Lauther has been met with mixed reviews from fans in the nation’s capital, handing the job to Dutch rookie Paul Geelen hasn’t aged poorly. The six-foot-six kicker went four-for-four on his field goal attempts in Vancouver, splitting the uprights from 38, 24, 52 and 18 yards out. To date, he’s made seven of the eight field goals he’s attempted since the Lauther trade. The only blemish to his game on the night was missing the kick on the convert following Adeboboye’s touchdown.

As for the rest of Ottawa’s special teams, Kalil Pimpleton had another moment of brilliance when he took a Lions missed convert 126 yards for a two-point return. Pimpleton also averaged 20 yards per punt return and 21.5 yards per kickoff.

MISSED CONVERT RETURNED ALL THE WAY FOR TWO! 🤯

📺: TSN and CFL+
📱: Download the official CFL App and follow along LIVE: https://t.co/qBJs7eBYd7

Mobil Thanksgiving Weekend | #CFLGameDay https://t.co/oQQocXiq8L

— CFL (@CFL) October 10, 2026

Noah Gettman punted four times but only averaged a 38.5-yard net field positional flip as the Redblacks ‘ coverage units allowed Lions returner Jermaine Jackson to average 14.3 yards per punt return. Canadian fullback Anthony Gosselin led the way with two special teams tackles.

Still streaking

Not only did the Redblacks lose their 22nd consecutive game, stretching the worst start in CFL history to 16 defeats, but the loss also means they remain winless at BC Place since their 30-25 victory all the way back on October 7, 2017. In fact, since pro football returned to Ottawa with the Redblacks in 2014, the team is just 2-10 in Vancouver. Talk about a house of horrors.

Pressed for time

With the loss, the Redblacks organization is down to exactly two more chances to avoid becoming the first team to have a winless season in modern CFL history. Technically six teams went winless before 1958 in the IRFU (Interprovincial Rugby Football Union) and WIFU (Western Interprovincial Football Union) leagues, but that’s ancient history, especially considering five of the six teams no longer exist — R.I.P. Montreal Royals and Hamilton Wildcats — and because back in those days seasons were six or twelve games.

At 0-16, the Redblacks are currently tied with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns as having the most losses in a single pro football season. While that’s humiliating in its own right, going 0-18 would make the organization a global laughing stock. A true winless season will invite headlines from across the sports world.

It’s an outcome that must be avoided at all costs, which is why the team’s final two games, at home against Toronto next Friday night, and on the road in Hamilton in two weeks’ time, loom so large.

For that reason, I cannot fathom why anyone in the organization would even contemplate treating either of the games as an opportunity to evaluate a rookie at the game’s most important position. If the team truly wanted to get a look at Barnes in 2026, it should’ve come at the expense of one of Jake Maier’s dozen starts.

It doesn’t make any sense to me to be so worried about ruining a young quarterback’s confidence that you don’t play him in the middle of the season, yet are willing to turn to the rookie with two games left as your franchise desperately seeks to avoid historically embarrassing itself. In a season that’s featured more than its fair share of questionable coaching decisions, doing so would perhaps be the most controversial of them all.