REDBLACKS FIZZLE IN THE RAIN
BLUE BOMBERS 29, REDBLACKS 9
It didn’t just rain for the Ottawa Redblacks, it poured.
In a game that was delayed 20 minutes because of heavy winds and pelting rain, with a storm watch in the area, the Redblacks fell 29-9 to the Blue Bombers on Friday night.
A Toronto Argonauts win over Montreal on Saturday would knock the Redblacks (5-8-1) back into second place. The Bombers improved to 9-3.
The Blue Bombers beat the Redblacks 33-30 Aug. 4 at TD Place. But Friday’s game was nothing like that. For the most part, whatever could go wrong for the Ottawa side, did.
Other than the running of William Powell (who dashed for 107 yards), the Redblacks couldn’t generate much offence against a Winnipeg defence that had allowed an average of 31.3 points per game.
Third-string QB Ryan Lindley, getting the start after injuries to both Trevor Harris and Drew Tate, couldn’t find a rhythm, but he also didn’t get help from his receivers on a soggy night. Ottawa had just 60 yards passing in the first half, with Lindley completing 6-of-16 attempts. For the game, Lindley had 151 yards in passing. The Bombers put up 283 yards of offence in the first half alone.
Winnipeg took a 3-0 lead 9:52 into the first quarter with a 27-yard Justin Medlock field goal. The Redblacks got a point back when Brett Maher’s punt travelled 65 yards for a single.
After their drive was stopped by a nice defensive play by Sherrod Baltimore and a sack by Adrian James, the Bombers settled for a 37-yard field goal 2:34 into the second quarter.
Winnipeg QB Matt Nichols, who wound up with 319 yards passing, scrambled around in the pocket, evaded a couple of defenders and connected with Darvin Adams for 37 yards to the Ottawa 47. But the defence held and the Bombers punted, with Ottawa taking over on its own 12. The Redblacks marched down field, thanks largely to the running of Powell, and made it 6-2 when a Maher punt travelled 70 yards through the back of the end zone for a single.
Nichols found Clarence Denmark open behind Nick Taylor for a 40-yard pass connection. On the next play, Weston Dressler took a handoff on a jet sweep and scooted for an 18-yard gain around the right end. But the Bombers again settled for a field goal, this time from 25 yards out, with 3:01 left in the first half.
On the Redblacks possession, the ball was ripped out of Powell’s hands as he fought for more yardage and the Bombers pounced on the fumble at the Ottawa 35. Three plays later, Andrew Harris ran 24 yards into the end zone and, with the convert, the Bombers led 16-2.
A 22-yard dash by Harris and a 16-yard run by Ryan Lankford on a jet sweep (with a horse collar penalty tacked on) moved Winnipeg to the Ottawa four. On the next play, Timothy Flanders fought off a couple of tacklers and found the end zone. It was 22-2 with the convert failing after a botched snap.
With nearly 10 minutes gone in the third quarter, the Redblacks finally got into Winnipeg territory. After a rare first down, Maher missed a 46-yard field wide left — for another single point.
Ottawa at least got some momentum a minute into the fourth quarter when the ball slipped out of Nichols’ hand into the arms of Jonathan Newsome. But a couple of plays later, the ball slipped out of Lindley’s hands and Winnipeg took over on its own 23.
With under seven minutes to go, Lindley got into a bit of a groove, with four straight connections. With 5:16 left, the Redblacks tossed the challenge flag and a roughing-the-passer penalty was assessed, giving Ottawa the ball on the Winnipeg 11. Powell ran into the end zone on the next play. The two-point convert was stopped.
Brad Sinopoli recovered an onside kickoff, giving the Redblacks a flicker of hope with 4:25 left. Greg Ellingson got his hands on a long Lindley pass, but it bounced into the hands of Moe Leggett for an interception.
SECOND AND LONG: The Redblacks’ scratches were Mossis Madu Jr. and Anthony Gosselin ... When the game started, the rain was pelting down, with winds gusting from 31 km/h-45 km/h. All this while everyone in Ottawa had the air conditioning cranked up, still enjoying summer ... Zach Evans was flagged for roughing Nichols midway through the first quarter. Instead of a sack, the Redblacks took a 15-yard penalty — there was helmet to helmet contact ... Bombers coach Mike O’Shea used his challenge with 1:30 left in the first half, with the CFL Command Centre calling Antoine Pruneau for pass interference. It gave Winnipeg the ball on its own 49. But it didn’t pay off when Winnipeg wound up punting.
THE END AROUND: The Redblacks flirted with their worst-ever point total for a single game. Back on Oct. 11, 2014, the Redblacks’ expansion season, they scored just three points in a 41-3 loss to B.C. ... There were a lot of rain ponchos and more and more empty seats — large sections were practically empty — at Investors Group Field as the game moved along. A couch and a big-screen TV were certainly a better option at that point. Attendance was announced at 26,588 ... Give the Bombers credit. With a 22-2 lead and with less than seven minutes remaining in the third quarter, Nichols was still slinging deep. From inside his own 20-yard line on first down, he just missed Adams on what would have been a TD pass, throwing into the wind. With 10:40 left, Nichols again found Adams open and the receiver sped 75 yards for a touchdown and a 29-3 lead.