The defence never let up in the Argo loss, coaches say
Coaches make best of collapse against Argos as they look ahead to Alouettes
If it seemed like the Ottawa Redblacks were sitting back a bit on defence in the later stages of last week’s 42-41 collapse in Toronto, it wasn’t because defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe softened the game plan.
“Prevent defence? Prevent defence prevents you from winning,” said Thorpe when asked if anything changed once his team built a large lead. “That’s never been our philosophy. We have to execute the call no matter what the score is, no matter what the field position is. We try and put blinders on the scoreboard. You have to be smart, obviously, when it comes to situational football. You can’t (change your philosophy when you have a lead).”
Redblacks coach Rick Campbell said: “We certainly weren’t taking our foot off the gas; we were playing the game all the way through. We weren’t trying to sit back; we were trying to stop them any way we could and get off the field. We were trying to be aggressive and win the game, and just didn’t get it done.
“It’s very disappointing (to lose after having a 24-point lead) and a tough one to get over, but obviously there’s a lot of football left to be played so we need to make sure we move forward.”
It looks like the Redblacks will have a couple of new starters on defence for Saturday’s home game (8 p.m.) against the Montreal Alouettes. SAM linebacker Anthony Cioffi is likely out. Justin Howell, a rookie out of Carleton University, could get into the lineup at safety, with Antoine Pruneau shifting to SAM. Sherrod Baltimore will play, taking over for Loucheiz Purifoy, who was released on Monday.
Speaking about Howell, Thorpe said: “He’s done a real nice job for us, coming in and learning the defence, along with the style and tempo we play with. This game moves a little faster and he’s really caught up with it. He spends time after practice with the coaches, reviewing and getting up to speed. He’s really matured quickly.”
The Redblacks defence will line up this week against former Heisman Trophy winner and first-round NFL draft pick Johnny Manziel, who will start his second game for the Alouettes after being picked up in a trade with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats three weeks ago. While Manziel’s mobility is a strength, it doesn’t mean the Redblacks’ defensive philosophy will change much.
“The quarterbacks we’ve faced, going back to (the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’) Jeremiah Masoli, these are guys that can be elusive with the legs, extend plays in the pocket,” Thorpe said. “The job’s the same: We have to stop Montreal’s offence. We have to continue to do what we do. We look at how we need to be disruptive, whether that happens in the pocket with the quarterback or in front of the line of scrimmage with our coverage.”
Manziel threw four interceptions in an ugly loss to Hamilton last week, but will have had a full week of practices to get more comfortable with his team’s offensive scheme.
Sinopoli Out?: For the second straight day, receiver Brad Sinopoli didn’t practise. That means Sinopoli, who came up limping during practice Tuesday, won’t play Saturday, right? Not necessarily.
“I’m not putting money (on him being out),” Campbell said. “He keeps feeling better. I’m not saying he’s playing, but I’m definitely not ready to say he’s not. We’re going to let him walk in here (Friday) and see how he’s feeling. He’s doing quite a bit of stuff on the sidelines so we’ll let that one play out.”
Asked about both Sinopoli and Cioffi, Campbell said: “I’m not ruling Cioffi out, but I would say he’s much less of a chance (of playing) than Brad. I’m not counting on Cioffi, but Brad, I’m not going to be surprised if he ends up playing.”
Rough Riders in town: The Redblacks will honour the 1968 and 1969 Grey Cup-winning Rough Riders Saturday. Alumni at the reunion event will include Margene Adkins, Bo Scott and Canadian Football Hall of Famers Gene Gaines, Don Sutherin, Ken Lehmann, Whit Tucker, Ronnie Stewart and Russ Jackson.
Twenty-three alumni will be in attendance, as well as family members representing six alumni players who have died. The group will also take part in a throwback party with ticket holders in The Arena at TD Place, starting at 5:30 p.m. All ticket holders for the RedblacksAls game are invited to go to the party, meet the players and enjoy a live band playing music from the 1950s and ’60s.
Diversity is strength: Twelve trailblazers will be honoured as the CFL dedicates weeks 10 and 11 (Aug. 17-25) as part of its Diversity is Strength theme.
Jo-Anne Polak, the first female GM in North American professional sports, will be among those honoured. She took over the Ottawa Rough Riders late in 1988 and was on the job for three years. Also among the 12 trailblazers is Bernie Custis, the first black quarterback in pro football. Teams will wear special-edition T-shirts on the sideline to honour the trailblazers.
Throw to big man: Rookie offensive lineman Mark Korte wore No. 75 last week, making him an eligible receiver, lining up at tight end.
“He’s a young guy who’s athletic and has good feet,” Campbell said. “We like him. We want to make sure we utilize him. He actually played some special teams, too. We want to get the most out of all our guys.”
End around: At Bodog.ca, the Redblacks are favoured by 15 points to beat Montreal. The over-under is 50 points ... Manziel’s debut (a 50-11 loss) captured 406,000 viewers in the U.S. on ESPN2. The previous highest-rated CFL game on ESPN2 had been 347,000 (Saskatchewan versus Edmonton on June 29, 2013) ... On Saturday, it’s Purolator Tackle Hunger night, with RNation encouraged to bring non-perishable food or cash donations to help support families in need. A donation gets you the chance to have your photo taken with the Grey Cup.