OFFENCE STILL GETTING UP TO SPEED
Defence has upper hand during scrimmage, but Redblacks quarterback not worried
While it was the Ottawa Redblacks’ defence that did its best to steal the show during Sunday’s Fan Fest scrimmage at TD Place, there were some huge offensive moments as well.
As the Redblacks get further into the CFL pre-season — they play the Montreal Alouettes Thursday night at home — look for quarterback Trevor Harris and the offence to look more and more comfortable.
“Defences are typically ahead of offences at this point,” Harris said. “Offences start to heat up toward the end of camp. Hopefully we can get the ball rolling and start steamrolling.”
Speaking about what his team was able to do offensively Sunday — an effort that included big plays from receivers Noel Thomas Jr., Linell Bonner III and running back Cedrick O’Neal — Redblacks offensive coordinator Jaime Elizondo said: “The big thing that jumps out were the turnovers. Two of those were poor decisions. The third one was the receiver fell down. I thought all the quarterbacks handled it well. We threw some deep balls that were effective. We stayed aggressive, which has been the goal the entire camp. After the first turnover, we came back and threw whatever it was — a 75- or 80-yard touchdown.
“One of those interceptions we were breaking it off at 10 yards, instead of taking it the full 12. All those little details that go into executing an offence are a challenge. I thought, execution-wise, it was good, but it wasn’t great. I’m looking for us to continue trending upwards and to stay aggressive.”
Protecting the quarterback plays into this as well.
“We have to do a better job of continuing to protect the edges,” Elizondo said. “We have some great defensive linemen this year who are going to really make us better.”
So what needs to get better as the Redblacks work toward their season-opener June 21 at home against the Saskatchewan Roughriders?
“We need consistency, attention to details and aggressiveness,” Elizondo said. “We have to get back to up-speed, hightempo, fast football, which has been good for us. We huddled more last year than I would have liked. When we get into the flow of a game and we’re dictating the tempo, that’s when we’re pretty good.”
Harris said he wished he could have back three throws he made during the scrimmage. For the Redblacks to step ahead, the quarterback will need to elevate his game. That’s something Elizondo expects to happen.
“He’s changed a lot of things in his drop,” he said. “He’s way more comfortable in the pocket. He worked on some things with his base that have made a big difference. He’s throwing the ball with more velocity. He’s put in a helluva off-season. But he needs consistency.”
CATCHING ON: It’s going to be difficult for the Redblacks coaching staff to settle on which receivers to keep on the roster. Greg Ellingson, Brad Sinopoli and Diontae Spencer are locks in starting roles. But several rookies are shining. If the Redblacks start a second Canadian receiver, Julian Feoli- Gudino may have the edge, but second-year player Austen Hartley has seen startingteam reps.
Asked about receivers, Elizondo said: “There are a lot of good football players in that group with varied skill sets. Ultimately one of the things we consider is not only their physical ability, but which of them can learn and play multiple spots. When there’s only 46 guys on the roster, when a guy goes down, you have to be prepared to step in.
“It’s interesting to see when the tempo gets a little faster and you get into a game format, who rises, who shines and who disappears a bit. We’ll see what happens Thursday night. We’ll see who elevates their game.”
THE D RISING: There’s been plenty of talk about increased aggressiveness on defence, forcing fumbles, sacking the quarterback and making interceptions. If Sunday’s scrimmage was any indication, the defence has taken a big step forward already.
“I was standing behind watching,” said Redblacks coach Rick Campbell. “The pressure up front had a lot to do with it. Our DBs made some real good plays, but the D -line was getting some pressure and making the quarterback have to move his feet around. Any time you can get the quarterback to feel a bit uncomfortable, he’s worried about the pass rush, those things happen.”
Said Harris: “Everybody talks about every other defence in the league. Nobody talks about who we’ve got — Jonathan Newsome, A.C. Leonard, Avery Ellis. We’ve got some guys who can really put pressure on the quarterback. We’ve got some interior guys nobody’s heard of yet. Our defensive line is going to be a problem (for other teams).”
SHERROD SHIFTS: Getting plenty of reps at cornerback so far — he played defensive half in 2017 — Sherrod Baltimore said he’s comfortable: “I’m a playmaker, I’m a baller, as long as I’m on the field, I’ll play wherever they put me ... No matter where I am on the field, I can cover whoever, whenever. It doesn’t matter who I’m covering, I’m going to do my thing and lock them up.” THE END AROUND: In a poll released by the CFL last week, the Redblacks didn’t get a single vote from 75 media/CFL types picking which team will win the Grey Cup. Said Harris: “Those guys aren’t going to take one single football snap this year, the guys who make those predictions. It’s really no biggie. I really don’t know what to say about it because it’s so irrelevant.” ... Sinopoli, who left Sunday’s scrimmage after being knocked to the ground by Loucheiz Purifoy, was on the sidelines Monday, but not participating. Sinopoli said he was OK. Said Harris: “Brad’s an extremely tough guy so whenever you see him down, you know there’s something wrong. He’s fine, he’s just being smart. We’ve had many talks about that — him and Greg, whenever they’re sore and tired, I tell them to be smart, we need them for the season.” ... There was a bit of a scuffle between OL Jon Gott and DL Harold Brantley during Monday’s practice. Said Campbell: “Obviously fighting ’s not good. You don’t want people punching and breaking a hand on a helmet. At the same time, these guys are fighting for jobs and they’re fighting for our football team to be good. We’re also in the second week of training camp, sometimes this happens. I’m not mad at the guys. I’d be mad at guys for hurting themselves doing it, but it’s just part of the deal in training camp.”