Redblacks know penalty parade must stop in late-season push
It’s not like the Ottawa Redblacks are out of control, but they know the dumb penalties have to stop.
Last week, in a 40-32 loss to Winnipeg, the Redblacks took 12 penalties ... with 174 yards marched off against them. That’s a killer when you’re a team looking to do some serious damage down the stretch, maybe even win a Grey Cup.
To be fair, the Redblacks are middle of the pack in the CFL — their 1,169 yards in penalties are way behind Montreal’s 1,433. At the other end of the spectrum is Winnipeg with 842.
One of the penalties the Redblacks took against Winnipeg — and it was a dubious call with an exaggerated fall by one of the big Blue Bombers who launched himself backward after a shove, a Fosbury Flop at its best — went to offensive lineman SirVincent Rogers. The timing was certainly inopportune, it was in overtime.
“That’s a penalty I can’t take, I take full responsibility,” said Rogers. “I wanted to make sure they couldn’t get any extra push or any extra shots on our QB. As offensive linemen, we’re protectors — that’s our DNA. Of course, he did what he did — it was blatant acting. I know if I’m on my knees in a pile, I can’t launch a 300-pound man out of there. I’m not that strong. But no excuse, I can’t take that penalty.”
The Redblacks tally up penalties in practice so they can stay on top of it. Asked about the tidying up the penalties, coach Rick Campbell said: “I’ve been keeping track of it from the beginning of the year. Most of the time, how we practise is how we play. They players can see how impactful penalties can be. We need to make sure we’re playing within the rules.”