Redblacks out to snap losing streak at home
Curious CFL fact: Two teams sharing the best road record are also the only teams yet to win a home game in 2016.
So, Ottawa Redblacks fans, you’re not alone in your disappointment after watching your 21st century football heroes play to a tie in one game at TD Place stadium and lose the other.
Come to think of it, the Redblacks are actually ahead of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who have lost both contests on home turf, since Ottawa’s 26-26 draw against the Calgary Stampeders on July 8 produced a single point in the standings that could be critical when the regular season ends in November.
Keep in mind that the Redblacks were 7-2-0 in front of home crowds last year, just 2-7-0 in their inaugural season in 2014.
“I wouldn’t say, ‘struggle,’ ” kicker Chris Milo said when asked about the Redblacks’ inability to win before standing-room-only home crowds this year. “We’ve had a couple of plays go in favour of the other teams, but we battled hard during those games.
“The Calgary tie, we easily could have won, and even the last game (a 23-20 loss to the Toronto Argonauts), things just didn’t go our way and they made one more play than we did. That’s just the end of that.
“But we have a strong football team here, great group of guys. You can see that we have something special going on. We can feel it. We know. We’re ready to battle on Saturday.”
That would be when the Edmonton Eskimos make their lone scheduled visit of the season. Not only will that mark the return to Ottawa of their head coach, Jason Maas, who last season was the Redblacks’ offensive co-ordinator, but he’ll be bringing along the quarterback who leads the CFL in passing yards (Mike Reilly) and pass-catchers who rank first and third in receiving yards (Derel Walker and Adarius Bowman).
However, the Eskimos have won just two of their first five games — four at home — because they’ve been unable to stop their opponents, particularly when it comes to the passing attack. The defensive line that applied great pressure on Redblacks quarterback Henry Burris in the Grey Cup game last November has just eight total sacks in 2016, and the Eskimos rank eighth among the nine CFL teams in pass touchdowns allowed (13) and dead last in passing yards allowed per game (370.8).
They gave up four of those touchdowns and 543 total passing yards to Redblacks quarterbacks Burris and Trevor Harris in the June 25 season opener.
Harris, who was spectacular in relief of an injured Burris that evening, remains sidelined by right knee and ankle injuries. Burris returned to the lineup for last Saturday’s game against the Argos and proved to be spectacularly rusty in his first game action in more than a month.
The previously injured pinky finger on his passing hand got sore after it was whacked a couple of times, but Burris said that was something he would just have to deal with for the rest of this season, and he vowed to be a more accurate passer from the experience of playing against the Argos and with the benefit of another week of practice.
Burris also noted the coincidence that the Redblacks and Tiger-Cats, who met in the East Division final last year, were the last two teams yet to win at home this season.
“If there’s any time, now’s the best time to get it done,” Burris said following practice Thursday. “There’s still such a long season to go.
“We call this place ‘home,’ and this is a place that we take pride in winning. In order for us to become a successful team, we have to win at home. If there’s any time to get it started, it’s right now.”
The sky has not fallen on the Redblacks to this point, but injuries can be blamed for some of the inconsistencies through the first third of the 18-game regular season.
Head coach Rick Campbell’s prescription for fixing the homefield woes wasn’t anything more out there than this: play well and play smart — meaning to reduce penalties, turnovers and mistakes on kicking and return teams. It’s a good thing his team won three of its first four road games, allowing the Redblacks to remain afloat at 3-2-1 overall.
“We haven’t found our groove on all three phases: offence, defence and special teams,” Campbell said. “I think we have yet to fully hit on all cylinders for 60 minutes.”
We call this place ‘home,’ and this is a place that we take pride in winning. In order for us to become a successful team, we have to win at home.