What did we learn from Redblacks' slump-stopping win over Calgary Stampeders?
Article content
Facing an injury-depleted and schedule-challenged opponent, the Ottawa Redblacks’ ‘must-win’ game against the Calgary Stampeders on Thursday night was almost a ‘can’t lose.’
All the cards, on paper at least, were stacked in their favour.
Recommended Videos
tap here to see other videos from our team.
What did we learn from Redblacks' slump-stopping win over Calgary Stampeders? Back to video
tap here to see other videos from our team.
But stacked cards on paper can sometimes collapse and, to their credit, the Redblacks didn’t let that happen.
So what does the 31-11 victory tell us?
Other than the fact that the Redblacks are now 2-0 against the Stampeders and 0-6 against the rest of the CFL?
Well, for one thing, it tells us the Redblacks can still become this year’s version of the 2024 Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who also started 2-6 before going on to play in the Grey Cup.
It tells us that the offence can score against one of the best defences in the league, even if all of Ottawa’s points came in two quarters and one of them was a Dustin Crum plunge in the fourth that only came because Calgary coach Dave Dickenson elected to gamble on third-and-10 from his own nine-yard line with two minutes left.
It tells us that the defence, under new coordinator Will Fields, can be opportunistic and shut down an opponent, even though Calgary star QB Vernon Adams Jr. missed the game with a head injury and his replacement, P.J. Walker, was less than average (54.1% completion rate) when he wasn’t throwing three interceptions.
It also tells us that head coach Bob Dyce still has his players’ ears because most of them used his favourite s-word in their own interviews when discussing about what the Redblacks must do going forward.
“We talk about stacking things and stacking wins,” Dyce said when asked if victory coming off a bye week against a team missing several banged-up parts and playing its fourth game in 19 days can be considered an honest-to-goodness building block. “The only thing we’re focused on now is stacking for next week. But definite positive things happened out there.”
Next week, the Redblacks will be in Toronto to face the Argos, who on Friday night visit the Blue Bombers in a rematch of the 2024 Grey Cup.
After Thursday’s result, the Redblacks and the Argos were tied at four points, with Toronto holding a game in hand.
Like the Redblacks, the Argos will be facing a backup quarterback in Winnipeg, but no matter what happens on Friday, Ottawa can and needs to avenge the 29-16 Week 4 loss to the Double Blue without its own injured No. 1 QB.
From there, the Redblacks travel to take on the now 3-3 Blue Bombers, then come back home to face the now 1-5 Edmonton Elks, then have their second bye before a back-to-back home-and-away showdown with the now 3-5 B.C. Lions, then return home to face the Blue Bombers again.
In short, the Redblacks are positioned to do some stacking, just like Winnipeg did after its own 2-6 start a year ago.
Who was the star of the Redblacks’ first home win of the season?
Co-sharing that honour with receiver Justin Hardy and the first two-touchdown game of his CFL career was the Redblacks’ defence.
Granted, it was facing a quarterback making his first start in the league, but along with the red-zone interceptions by Amari Henderson, Deandre Lamont and a 61-yard pick six by Alijah McGhee, it held the league’s top rushing team to just 35 yards and Dedrick Mills, the country’s second-leading rusher, to just 11 yards on seven carries.
“That was a hell of a performance by those guys,” Dyce said of the unit, which allowed Calgary just three points in the first half and scored a touchdown in the second. “Those guys made plays every single time they had an opportunity. We talk about maximizing opportunities in critical situations, and that’s what they did. I think P.J. is a good quarterback, and they’ve got a good offence, and I think Coach Field did a great job in having a plan to eliminate those guys.”
Middle linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox led the defence in tackles with seven, while Henderson had two pass knockdowns to go with his first interception as a Redblack.
“I had a club on (my hand) for the last couple of weeks due to a dislocated pinky, so it’s my first game without the club,” the former Saskatchewan DB said. “And I knew whenever the ball was in there, I was going to have an opportunity to make a play and I just made a play.”
How do the Redblacks build momentum off a decent performance against one of the best defences in the CFL?
It wasn’t exceptional by any standards. Ottawa didn’t get a first down in the first 13 minutes and Dru Brown was sacked twice and picked off in a third quarter that saw him throw for just 12 yards.
But they did have a season-high five plays of more than 20 yards and Eugene Lewis had his best game as a Redblack with five catches for 110 yards.
“It sounds super simple, because it is very simple,” Brown said of building off this night. “There are certain plays that are easier to execute at times, but if everyone does what they’re supposed to, then we should be able to continuously move the ball forward. And I think, being able to kind of put together some good football at times gives us confidence and kind of shows what we can do.”
How did Hardy make himself invisible to catch a TD pass deep in the end zone with nary a Stampeder 15 yards from his personal space?
Asked if he as ever been as open as he was for his second score of the game, the veteran receiver leaned back, thought and smiled.
“I was pretty open … that might have been the most open I have been, though, I will say,” Hardy stated.
How did it happen?
“Everybody is flowing,” Hardy explained. “Defence, moving, offence, moving. They get in the wrong position and I just find the open space. I didn’t even run the right route. I just ran to the space.”
With the ball on the Calgary 15, Brown threw it about 30 yards to Hardy as he waited deep in the endzone.
His main task was to just make sure he didn’t miss his target.
“It was a good (play) design, for sure,” Brown said. “They just didn’t cover him because of what we were doing. Our defence covers that play pretty well in practice at times. But (the Stamps) were doing some different things that they hadn’t necessarily shown a ton of and that was one of the things that they went to. You’d have to ask them why, but the play design kind of unlocked him.”
How did the Redblacks escape this one health-wise?
Right tackle Zack Pelehos, who missed the start of the season with a training-camp foot injury, left the game after limping off the field during the first offensive series. And McGhee suffered an undisclosed injury following his interception that prevented him from finishing the game.
Dyce didn’t have updates on their status immediately after the game and didn’t mention anyone else who might have been dinged up.
What is the Redblacks’ mindset after their first win in six weeks?
One step at a time, of course, but now that they’ve snapped a four-game slump, they have need to go on a winning streak of similar length.
“We’ve got to have a sense of urgency,” Henderson said. “We always talk about that. It is still early in the season, we’ve got a lot of games left, but the time is now. We can’t wait. And it’s all across the board, from the coaching staff to the players, we all have just got to have a sense of urgency.
“It all starts with practice. Come in and work, then just execute when it’s time, execute when the game comes.”
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.