Redblacks rough up Bombers in road rout
Another hot night for QB Harris in showdown of 5-3 teams
Anybody still doubting what the 2018 Ottawa Redblacks can become?
The Redblacks tore the Winnipeg Blue Bombers apart 44-21 Friday night in a showdown of 5-3 teams. It was as about as complete of a game as you could expect from Ottawa, which overcame three slip-ups.
Anybody doubting what quarterback Trevor Harris is capable of ? All he did against the Bombers was put up 361 yards of passing on 29 completions — finding seams and holes and moving his team up and down the field.
Anybody doubting that this year’s version of the Redblacks can finish games? They certainly took to heart a 42-41 loss to Toronto two weeks ago when they blew a 24-point lead. There was no let-up Friday. The Redblacks were relentless.
It was a terrific first half, maybe the best of the season, for the Redblacks, who led 22-7 after 30 minutes. With a time of possession advantage of 17:53-12:07, the Redblacks put up 241 yards of passing, with Harris completing 22 of his 29 attempts. Ottawa had 19 first downs, compared to Winnipeg ’s six.
The Redblacks scored first. A 26-yard catch and run by J-C Beaulieu to the one-yard line set up a one-yard lean over the middle by backup quarterback Dominique Davis, a former Blue Bomber. Greg Ellingson caught a two-point convert attempt and it was 8-0 Ottawa 8:19 into the game.
The Bombers got a touchdown of their own with 2:52 left in the quarter when Darvin Adams caught a 45-yard pass into the end zone from Matt Nicholls, just beyond a diving attempt by Redblacks defensive back Jonathan Rose. The Bombers kicked a convert and trailed by one.
On the Redblacks’ next possession Harris, looking to scramble for a first down, coughed up the ball as he was falling to the turf for a fumble at his own 39-yard line. With a bit more than a minute left in the quarter, the Bombers challenged an incomplete pass, looking for pass interference on a first-and-20 pass. The CFL Command Centre ruled, however, that the call on the field stood.
The Redblacks extended their lead. Brad Sinopoli, the CFL’s reception leader, caught passes of 11 and 17 yards, and William Powell took a screen pass 18 yards and rushed for another six, setting up another one-yard touchdown run by Davis.
Starting deep in their own end after an illegal block on a punt return, the Redblacks got a 21-yard reception from Ellingson. Completions of 25 yards to RJ Harris and 12 to Diontae Spencer set up a 41-yard Lewis Ward field goal.
The Bombers continued to struggle on offence — they heard some boos with a bit more than a minute left in the first half — with the Redblacks defence stepping up in a big way. A pass interference call on the Bombers on a pass intended for Dominique Rhymes gave Ottawa new life deep in its own end. Passes of 11 and 26 yards to Ellingson and another of six to Spencer set up a 38-yard Ward field goal.
After an unsuccessful Redblacks challenge, looking for a fumble call — the Command Centre ruled incomplete pass — Nichols had Ryan Lankford inside the Ottawa five-yard line, but the receiver couldn’t hang on as he hit the turf. A nice play call saw Andrew Harris get the ball and run a draw for a first down to the Ottawa 31. A 13-yard pass to Lankford took it to the Redblacks’ 13. Andrew Harris took a direct snap and barrelled 13 yards into the end zone for a touchdown with 7:47 left in the third quarter. The convert made it 22-14 for the visitors.
It didn’t take long for the Redblacks to respond. A huge 59-yard completion to Rhymes, who was streaking down the right sideline, gave Ottawa the ball on the Winnipeg five. On the next play, Harris lobbed a ball into the arms of Rhymes in the left corner of the end zone for the touchdown. A roughing-the-passer penalty gave Ottawa a second attempt at a convert and Powell ran it in for the two points.
Huge? The Redblacks defence came up with a big play of its own. Blitzing defensive back Corey Tindal laid a big whack on Nicholls and Avery Williams picked up the fumble and ran 43 yards into the end zone. Powell ran into the end zone untouched around the left end for the twopoint convert.
Adams got behind Rose and Nicholls found him for a 72-yard touchdown pass 15 seconds into the fourth quarter. The convert made it 38-21.
Powell sent fans scurrying for the exits with 7:21 left when he danced into the end zone from 28 yards out, following runs of 16 and six yards. Ward, on a field goal streak, missed a convert.
With 3:39 left, a Winnipeg third-down gamble failed deep in Ottawa territory. The Bombers got the ball back with 1:24 left. Rose picked off a pass with two seconds left.
The Redblacks will have a bye next week, returning to the field to play Montreal at home Aug. 31.