Redblacks lose more than game
Ottawa down to third-string QB after Harris injured during loss to Saskatchewan
REGINA — Defensive backs Jermaine Robinson and Abdul Kanneh appeared angry with themselves.
Kicker Chris Milo was uncharacteristically terse.
Defensive tackle Zack Evans used “bittersweet” to describe what would otherwise have been probably the best game of his professional football career.
Quarterback Brock Jensen voiced disappointment after coming up short in a situation in which he never expected to be the first place.
Frankly, it was good to see and hear all those things because there was no way the Ottawa Redblacks should have been pleased after collectively laying a big green egg on the turf at Regina’s Mosaic Stadium Friday night. The Saskatchewan Roughriders were a tough-minded, scrappy bunch for the entire 60 minutes and made the Redblacks pay for letting them hang in there by seizing a 30-29 victory, their first of the CFL regular season.
On the plus side, the Redblacks are 3-1-1 despite playing four of five games on the road, but they’re heading into a stretch of four straight home games sandwiched around a bye week facing a massive unknown.
“To be determined,” was Rick Campbell’s response to a question about the identity of the Redblacks starting for their July 31 home game against the Toronto Argonauts.
An experienced coach, Campbell emphasized he was not a medical professional, so those who are will be consulted before the Redblacks know when Trevor Harris’ injured right knee or Henry Burris’ injured pinky finger will be sufficiently healed for either of the veteran quarterbacks to line up behind centre.
Jensen, who spent last season on the injured list and whose previous 2016 regular-season experience featured a failed experiment as a puntteam blocker, was thrust into the fray after Roughriders defensive lineman Corvey Irvin sacked Harris on the Redblacks fourth play from scrimmage, landing on the quarterback’s leg and bending it unnaturally.
Jensen finished up 20-for-29 for 271 yards, but most of that production came in the first half when slotback Brad Sinopoli turned a couple of short throws into long touchdown plays. He also didn’t throw an interception or commit a fumble, but Jensen apparently failed to see a couple of open receivers downfield because he was quick to scramble under pressure and missed on a couple of throws.
Overall, he was not the reason the Redblacks lost, but neither did he help them fend off the Roughriders.
“It came down to they made one more play than we did, but (Jensen) gave us a chance to win (Friday night),” Campbell said, “and we just needed to make one more play in order to win the game.”
Jensen appeared to be a little harder on himself.
“We did some good things and we didn’t do some good things,” he said. “As far as me and how we ran the offence. … It’s a tough place to play here in Saskatchewan and everything, but I have to be better.”
Jensen did direct a 10-play drive for a go-ahead field goal by Milo with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but those three points could have been seven if the Redblacks offence hadn’t stalled inside the Roughriders’ 10-yard line.
Then there were the combined 12 points comprising the touchdown and convert the Roughriders scored after blocking a punt and five points the Redblacks didn’t count because one field-goal attempt was blocked and another missed wide left.