Redblacks a raging dumpster fire

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/08/2022 (855 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With the reigning back-to-back Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers on the shelf this past week, it was up to the other eight teams across the CFL to give the country an entertaining weekend of three-down football.

With no Thursday game scheduled, the Edmonton Elks (3-7) and Ottawa Redblacks (1-8) kicked off the first of a double-header on Friday, with the Elks scoring 27 unanswered points to earn a 30-12 road win at TD Place. The B.C. Lions (8-1) then went into Saskatchewan to play the Roughriders (5-5), where they left with a 28-10 triumph but lost their star quarterback, Nathan Rourke, for the remainder of the regular season.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-7) and Montreal Alouettes (4-6) kicked things off on Saturday, a game that went down to the final moments as David Cote booted a 48-yard field with no time remaining to seal a 29-28 victory for the Alouettes at Molson Stadium. The Calgary Stampeders (6-3) opted for a quarterback change at halftime, with Jake Maier replacing Bo Levi Mitchell, and it worked, as the Stampeders edged the Toronto Argonauts (4-5), 22-19, at BMO Field.

As I’ve often said in this space, there’s never a boring week in the CFL, and Week 11 certainly didn’t disappoint. Now let’s get into it in the latest edition of CFL Rundown.

1) I apologize for sounding like a broken record, but the Ottawa Redblacks have become a raging dumpster fire. The Elks are a bad team, and yet the Redblacks made them look like a juggernaut in the final 35 minutes, scoring three consecutive TD drives and four total over that stretch, while keeping Ottawa scoreless.

2) The loss, which was the Redblacks’ 19th in their last 20 home games, prompted ownership to speak out, with Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group president and CEO Mark Goudie taking to Twitter to address the fans. Among his several comments, Goudie proclaimed the Redblacks need to be better and more entertaining, while also urging fans to keep the faith during these tough times.

3) What Goudie predictably didn’t discuss openly was the status of head coach Paul LaPolice. If LaPolice’s seat was hot before, it’s on fire right now, along with his team’s chances for a playoff berth in an embarrassingly weak East Division. I understand Ottawa lost their No. 1 QB in Jeremiah Masoli after just four games, and that although they were still winless, they had tight games against the Bombers and Lions, but how much more will the fan base take before heads start rolling?

4) Even with a dismal record and no reason to think things will get better, I’m not sure firing LaPolice is the right decision at the moment. He’s not only the head coach but also the offensive co-ordinator, so replacing him mid-season wouldn’t come without notable growing pains, especially with the Redblacks still having a slim shot at making the post-season. Unless LaPolice, who is a combined 4-19 as Ottawa’s coach, can somehow make ground on Toronto, Montreal and Hamilton, I can’t see a situation where he’s back in 2023.

5) Edmonton isn’t in a much better spot, even with their most recent win. If they hope to leapfrog Saskatchewan for fourth in the West, the Elks better find a way to win against their own division, as all three of their victories have come against the East. If the Elks continue to fall, expect teams to be eyeing their roster. Names such as Kenny Lawler and Sergio Castillo would be prime targets.

6) Watching Rourke limp off the field early in the fourth quarter after getting sacked by Roughriders DE Pete Robertson, my first thought, based on Rourke’s facial expression, was that it might not be too bad. Oh, how wrong I was, with the Lions announcing Sunday that Rourke was likely to miss the remainder of the regular season as he undergoes surgery to repair a Lisfranc sprain in his right foot.

7) I’ve spent a lot of time in this column writing about Rourke’s record-breaking season, and his current absence from action is a massive blow to not only the Lions but the entire CFL. While Michael O’Connor is a suitable backup, he’s unproven at this level and there’s little to suggest a seamless transition is going to happen. The Lions have a solid defence, one of the best in the league, but with a shoddy special-teams group and an Rourke-less offence, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

8) Nothing against O’Connor, but if the Lions hope to continue their stellar season and legitimately push for their first Grey Cup since winning it at home in 2011, they need to at least try to trade for a better QB. I know the options are slim, but there’s currently QB controversies in Saskatchewan, Calgary, Ottawa, Montreal and Hamilton. Of those teams, could any of Bo Levi Mitchell, Cody Fajardo, Nick Arbuckle, Vernon Adams Jr. or Dane Evans/Matthew Shiltz be available?

9) Speaking of Fajardo, the Roughriders have made him the starter again this week after replacing him with Mason Fine late in the second quarter against the Lions. Fine looked good early, guiding Saskatchewan to its only touchdown on his very first drive. But you’re not going to instill much confidence in the coaching staff when you don’t score a single point over the final two quarters.

10) Rourke dominated the headlines, but Saskatchewan was also bitten badly by the injury bug, losing stud running back Jamal Morrow to a broken hand (6-8 weeks), as well as top receiver Duke Williams for at least a week, possibly more, with a hip issue. It’s a good thing they’re welcoming back receivers Kyran Moore (knee) and Shaq Evans (ankle) this week following long absences.

11) On the topic of Williams, it was interesting to see him get fined for his nacho-eating TD celebration. I understand the move by the league, so long as it’s an attempt to limit contact with fans while COVID-19 remains a serious concern. But to not then fine Winnipeg’s Brady Oliveira and Ottawa’s Dom Davis, among others, who have jumped into the stands, it seems like a real buzz-killer against someone trying to entertain the masses.

12) It was a nice break not having to talk about Roughriders D-lineman Garett Marino while he served a four-game suspension for intentionally injuring Masoli, while also getting games for using racially insensitive language and another illegal hit. But Marino has served his time and was back in action last week. Prior to playing the Lions, he addressed the media and offered up a weak apology, using talking points that, like his original statement, were prepared by the Roughriders PR team. Among the worst parts was Marino hoping to apologize to Masoli, contradicting earlier comments that he had tried to do so already.

13) It didn’t take Marino long to prove he only has one gear on the field, as he bowled over Lions centre Peter Godber (which he was later fined for) after a play was ruled offside, nearly took off Lucky Whitehead’s face with a flying elbow and had a couple questionably late hits on Rourke. Just think, Marino has eight games left to prove his critics right that he doesn’t belong in the CFL. Let’s just hope it doesn’t derail another club’s season.

14) I mentioned Evans and Shiltz as potential trade targets because Shiltz looked pretty decent despite losing to the Alouettes. Shiltz completed close to 70 per cent of his passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns, while not committing a single turnover. That Evans was hurt but still dressed as the No. 3 was interesting, but Shiltz might be a better backup plan in Hamilton than first thought.

15) After beating the Bombers and Tiger-Cats, the Alouettes have now won back-to-back games for the first time this season. With their next three games all on home turf, against Ottawa, B.C. and Hamilton, respectively, Montreal might just make a push for top spot in the East. I’m sure that’s what owner Gary Stern is predicting.

16) Is the Bo Levi Mitchell era over? Mitchell was replaced with Jake Maier for the second half and Maier helped erase a nine-point deficit to beat the Argonauts. That wouldn’t be a big thing if not for the Stampeders opting to go with Maier again this week in Winnipeg, marking the first time Mitchell has been benched in a “meaningful” game since taking over the starting role in late 2013. Mitchell wasn’t happy with the move, but in a post in his Instagram account he threw his support behind his teammate while also claiming he’ll be back on the field. I don’t actually envision Mitchell getting traded from an organization he’s led the better part of the last 10 years, but it’s the first time his future has been in real doubt.

17) Someone who won’t be hitting the field again this year is Argonauts RB Andrew Harris. Harris, who injured himself in Week 10, has officially been ruled out for the rest of the year and will undergo surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle. In talking with reporters, Harris said he had more gas in the tank but didn’t rule out the possibility of retiring.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton