Time for Redblacks to fix what ails them
While the Ottawa Redblacks have a bye week to erase the stench of a 45-13 shellacking Saturday night in Vancouver, the time is now for general manager Marcel Desjardins to shuffle the deck.
I'm a patient guy. After a Game 2 loss and a second straight bad offensive display, I said it was best to wait. After more of the same in Game 3, I said it was best to wait. After an embarrassing Game 4 loss, with a bit more offence, I said, wait. After Game 5, it's time for some changes — and those changes have now begun.
On Sunday, the Redblacks announced a flurry of new signings. Hoping to add juice to their offence, the Redblacks were active on the day after the loss in Vancouver, signing receivers Kenny Stafford — who has loads of CFL experience — longtime Dallas Cowboy Terrance Williams, (another) Terry Williams, Damon Sheehy-Giuseppe and running back De'Lance Turner, who also has NFL experience.
Something needed to change, after what happened on that football field in B.C. Place on Sunday. The one-sided loss magnified what's wrong with the 2021 Ottawa Redblacks — they just aren't very good. There are some really, really good guys in that locker-room; problem is there aren't enough really, really good football players. Look around the league, look at the starting rosters. How many players from this Redblacks team could start for Winnipeg? Or Saskatchewan? Or Calgary? Or B.C.? Or Toronto? Or Montreal? Or Hamilton?
The Redblacks have lost four straight and, with a 1-4 record, are just one game behind the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (at 2-3) in the CFL East standings. So it's not like the Redblacks should pull the plug and go into full rebuild mode. There is time to save a season, there are some good pieces in place. But identify the weak spots and fix them.
Some people are calling for Desjardins to be fired — it's the whole “what have ya done for me lately” thing. After all, the Redblacks were 3-15 in 2019, the last season they played. But Desjardins and his football ops crew also took the team to three Grey Cups in the previous five seasons, winning in 2016, their third year in the league. That has to count for something. Desjardins is in the final year of his contract — he will be judged, but now is not the time to do it.
There is some optimism from within the football team, but maybe the glass isn't really half full.
“The way we're playing right now, we're not going to win,” said defensive back Antoine Pruneau. “But I get the feeling we can turn things around. We've got some guys that are going to come back from injury soon. I believe there's a lot of talent on this team. Right now, this is our team and we're going to have to find ways to win with the players that are here.”
So what has to happen? At least for optics' sake, the Redblacks need to airlift in some players with CFL experience, and Sunday's additions are a step in the right direction. Money shouldn't be an issue. The Redblacks haven't spent the money they saved when Alex Mateas and Brad Sinopoli retired. Not doing anything and hoping things fix themselves is not the way to go.
It's probably too late to bring a new quarterback in, so they're going to have to dance with what they have. Dominique Davis has put up nice passing yardage the past couple of weeks — 291 and 333 yards. He moves around well and has a big arm so he's got the tools needed to succeed. But he also makes bad decisions; he seems to lock in on his target early, giving defensive backs a heads up where he's throwing.
The Redblacks need to take another look at Matt Nichols, who they will pay nearly $320,000 this season. They also need to test third- and fourth-stringers Caleb Evans and Taryn Christion.
While the offence continues to make mistakes, the defence has been atrocious the past two weeks. Some of it comes down to the basics — Tackling 101. Some of it comes down to executing the play calls.
“As I told the team, we'll evaluate everything, see what we have to do differently — whether it's defensively, offensively or special teams,” said Redblacks head coach Paul LaPolice.