A LONG, GOOD ‘BYE’ FOR REDBLACKS, IF LIONS CAN BEAT ARGOS ON SATURDAY
Scheduling quirk could see Ottawa play one game in 36 days en route to division final
When the Canadian Football League schedule was announced early this year, the Ottawa Redblacks were steaming mad.
The schedule, which included a stretch of three games in 11 days early in the season, didn’t give the Redblacks a bye week until they’d already played 17 games.
After one more game, they had another bye — in the final week of the season. Two bye weeks in the final three weeks of the season? Unsafe? Certainly ridiculous, right?
And now, if B.C. knocks off Toronto on Saturday night, the Redblacks would finish first in the CFL East and receive a bye into the division final. So, get this: The Redblacks could have a situation in which they would have played one game in 36 days before competing for the division championship.
Odd schedule aside, the Redblacks are hoping for a Lions win.
Said Redblacks coach Rick Campbell on Wednesday after a short practice in the rain: “Absolutely. One home game to get to the Grey Cup? I don’t think you can beat that scenario.”
“Health is more important so we would prefer to have a bye,” said Redblacks GM Marcel Desjardins.
“We’ll be fans of the B.C. Lions, but regardless of the outcome, we know we have a home playoff game here and we’ll be ready for whatever happens,” said Campbell. “The way the schedule worked out, we want to stay active and sharp heading into the playoffs. We’re really focusing on us, things we want to work on. It’s not about any of the teams we could potentially play. We’ll worry about that next week.”
While many Redblacks players left Ottawa to visit family and friends during the first bye in mid- October, they’re on the practice field three days this week. As it turns out, teams aren’t required to give players time off during bye weeks.
“We’re not sure if we’re going to finish first or second,” said Redblacks fullback Patrick Lavoie, one of the team’s player reps. “If we finish first, I’m pretty sure we’re not here right now. I wouldn’t say we’re banged up, but guys are tired, they need some rest.
“There’s no need to be sitting at home right now, we want to be in our routine,” said Campbell.
The CFL plans to have three bye weeks built into next season’s schedule and teams will be mandated to give the players at least five days off during one of those weeks.
THE INJURY REPORT: Look for both OL SirVincent Rogers and WR Joshua Stangby to be practising as early as next week. Said Campbell: “They have to be cleared by a doctor, but it’s looking really good right now. Hopefully both guys are back at practice next week, regardless of our status.” DL Connor Williams (concussion) will not return this season.
SIMPLY OUTSTANDING: The Redblacks’ CFL award nominees were announced on Wednesday. A couple of the decisions could have gone in another direction. For most outstanding player, QB Trevor Harris and RB William Powell were strong candidates. LB Taylor Reed also could easily have got the nod as top defensive player. And Keelan Johnson, the league’s leading tackler on special teams (with 29), could have won the vote. But credit goes to WR Greg Ellingson (MOP), Antoine Pruneau (defence), Brad Sinopoli (Canadian), Alex Mateas (offensive lineman), Diontae Spencer (special teams) and Sherrod Baltimore (rookie). Said Campbell: “They’re deserving guys. I’m really happy for any of our guys who get recognition individually. We were saying in a meeting the biggest award coming up that nobody votes on is the Grey Cup — that’s really the only one that matters.”
STRONG DOWN STRETCH: Finishing 7-3 helped the Redblacks to an 8-9-1 record, the same as the 2016 season when they won the Grey Cup. Said Desjardins: “The best part of this year compared to last year is we competed in pretty much every game. We had a chance to win. I can’t say that would have been the case last year — there were a couple of games we weren’t even close. There’s a belief that no matter what happens during the course of the game, we have a chance to win late, whether we’re winning or leading, something we’ve proven in the last three games. I don’t know how many times we would have done that last year.”
THE END AROUND: QB Trevor Harris will be at the Telus Store at the St. Laurent Centre on Friday from 5-7 p.m. for an autograph session and Facebook Live Q&A … The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed former RB Shakir Bell, who was cut by the Redblacks in June … For those griping about the wet weather this week, well, Regina had five centimetres of snow on Wednesday … Ticats DB Mariel Cooper was fined for a late hit out of bounds on the Redblacks’ Jake Harty last week.