What do we know about the Ottawa Redblacks through one-sixth of the CFL season?
Article content
With just one victory in three games, the Ottawa Redblacks can be considered no worse than No. 4 on anyone’s current list of CFL power rankings.
How much higher they go will depend on their defence.
Recommended Videos
tap here to see other videos from our team.
What do we know about the Ottawa Redblacks through one-sixth of the CFL season? Back to video
tap here to see other videos from our team.
After losing their first two games to the only 3-0 teams in the league, Mother Nature thought it was November, not June, as she forced the Redblacks to ground and pound their way through Saturday’s chilly clash with the previously unbeaten Calgary Stampeders at old McMahon Stadium.
“I think that was probably some of the toughest conditions I’ve ever thrown (into) in my life,” quarterback Dustin Crum told TSN1200’s A.J. Jakubec in the visitors’ locker room. “Normally, when you get wind, it’s hard to throw, (but) if you throw a good spiral, you can cut it a little bit. When you add the rain to it, and you can’t spin it, and the wind’s going …. it was a mess, for sure.”
And so it was through little fault of his own that Crum, who wanted to prove he’s developing into a passer, wound up with a 41 percent completion rate while making his first start in 603 days.
But he was also the most frequent contributor (11 carries, 64 yards) to a run game that broke out for 239 yards compared to the usually sufficient 160 put up by the Stamps, who are led by league-leading rusher Dedrick Mills.
It was their dominance along the ground, along with their remarkable ability to keep a zero in the turnovers column on such a wet day that saw the Stamps commit five, and a display of discipline with only four penalties that added up to the 20-12 win.
With the personnel for a passing attack that should be one of the best in the CFL when Dru Brown returns from injury, a complementary running game that was missing much of last season should make it difficult for opponents to keep Ottawa out of the end zone.
And while the defence deserves credit for its Mother Nature-aided performance on Saturday, a truer test arrives next Sunday when the Redblacks host the desperate and recently embarrassed Toronto Argos.
Especially if the 0-3 defending champs are bolstered by the return from injury of quarterback Chad Kelly, who led the Toronto offence to an average of 41 points in three meetings with Ottawa last season.
What made the Redblacks’ running game so good against a Calgary defence that allowed a total of 114 yards on the ground in the first two weeks?
Ottawa GM Shawn Burke was as pleased about his trade for Daniel Adeboboye from the Argos as he was about any other off-season acquisition, and the 26-year-old Toronto native showed why against the Stamps.
Adeboboye rushed for 96 yards on 10 carries that included the biggest play of the game, a 52-yard burst up the middle that preceded him scoring the afternoon’s only touchdown on a nine-yard reception.
A former Argo who already has two Grey Cup rings, Adeboboye received more work than he may have normally had because the ratio rule limits the number of snaps American William Stanback is in for while Ottawa is forced to start another American on the offensive line.
Stanback did enough with his time in the game – running nine times for 82 yards, including 76 on a key second-quarter drive that followed a goal-line stand and set up one of Lewis Ward’s four field goals – to prove there’s still plenty of life in his 30-year-old legs.
But also having a big day was the O-Line, which gave up one sack when it wasn’t creating running holes.
“It starts with those guys up front,” head coach Bob Dyce told Jakubec. “I thought they were physical and they kind of imposed their will on (the Stampeders defensive front) with their physical (play) and pass protection too.”
Dyce also threw accolades at his receivers – who dropped about five slippery balls thrown by Crum – for their contributions in the run game.
“I have to give them credit, they do a great job,” said Dyce. “They take their blocking seriously. You don’t get those long runs if those guys aren’t working. So it was a whole offensive unit (with the same) mindset.”
How bad is the Redblacks’ injury situation?
For the Calgary game, Ottawa had 11 players on its one-game injured list and three more on the six-game. The Stamps, by comparison, had nine on the one-game list and eight on the six-game. But hitting the Redblacks hardest is that of their 14 injured players, 10 are Canadians. Calary’s list of injured Canadians is at an easier-managed seven.
“We’ve talked about that fact,” said Dyce. “Even though we’ve got some guys down, we have faith in everybody in the room. “Those (Canadian replacements) have stood up all year, and they showed it today.”
If the Redblacks can get one of their three injured Canadian O-lineman back – and it sounds like Eric Starczala is the closest to returning – then he can move in at centre and Jacob Ruby can slide down to right tackle, to replace American Darta Lee.
That would allow the Redblacks to utilize Stanback and Adeboboye as they wish and not have their decision dictated by the ratio rule.
Who has been the most pleasant surprise on defence?
While Charlie Ringland did a nice job as a fill-in for fellow Canadian Alonzo Addae (season-ending elbow injury) at safety with an interception (on a pass he should have dropped as it came on a Stampeders third down game and gave the Redblacks worse field position than they otherwise would have had) and five defensive tackles, American Adrian Frye has solidified the strong-side cornerback spot.
Frye, a 26-year-old Texas Tech product who made his first CFL start last Oct. 25, had five defensive tackles and a tackle for a loss on the goal-line stand that rates as Saturday’s defensive play of the game. He also had another forced fumble, giving him three in two road games to go along with the fumble recovery he had in Saskatchewan.
“At the goal line, it’s just who wants it more,” Frye told Jakubec when asked about stopping former NFL quarterback P.J. Walker, who had nine starts with the Carolina Panthers (2020-23) and is now a Calgary backup. “When it came down to it, I just flew off the edge and figured he was gonna try to get to the perimeter, find one of them, B or C gap holes. I just flew down there and hoped I could fill it for him.”
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.