This week for the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks has been about special teams, and locking in the special teams unit for the future. On Tuesday the team announced the contract extension of DeVonte Dedmon, arguably the best returner in the CFL, on Wednesday they extended punter Richie Leone, and today, Thursday November 4th Lewis Ward’s contract was extended. The contract, like the other two signed this week goes through the 2022 CFL season and concretes the Redblacks chances of having the best special teams unit for another season.
Day 4⃣: Lew staying through 2022!
With this exciting news, we want to give one lucky winner (4) tickets to Saturday’s game AND Lewis' game worn jersey.
Over the 2021 CFL season Lewis Ward has made 27 of 30 field goal attempts and is 100% in conversions. He has a career 92% field goal percentage on 132 attempts, including the 69 consecutive made field goals from the 2018 season through the first weeks of 2019 and has clearly made a mark on the city of Ottawa, making this extension a big thing for R-Nation.
Ward and the Redblacks will play their final home game of the 2021 CFL season this Saturday at TD Place at 4:00 eastern against the Toronto Argonauts, and after the November 19th game against the Montreal Alouettes they will officially be in their off-season.
After the 2021 NFL trade deadline passed on Tuesday, November 2nd at 4:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time, a falling out between pro bowl receiver Odell Beckham Jr and the Cleveland Browns began. The 28 year old wide out has played in 6 of the Browns’ 8 games this NFL season, catching 17 passes for 232 yards while also getting two carries for 14 yards. Many have considered the season to be disappointing from Beckham Jr, as he has gone over the 1,000 yard marker 5 times in his 8 year NFL career, but in the games he has played in with the Browns this season, as well as the 2020 NFL season, despite not putting up the numbers expected of him he has served a large role on the offence. He has been a super star receiver and leader for Baker Mayfield and Kevin Stefanski’s offence in Cleveland. With big play potential, opposing defences are always concerned about him making his way into the end zone and while he still gets in the end zone and makes those plays defences try to defend, his threat to NFL defences also opens up opportunities to those around Beckham Jr in the offence. Players like Jarvis Landry, David Njoku, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Rashard Higgins, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt have had big roles with Beckham Jr at wide out, but for Beckham Jr’s side of the story, he’d like a bigger role.
His role with the Browns is significant, as mentioned, but with his skill set, he deserves to be the number one receiver in an offence, or at least the primary target, and if it does not evolve into that once again, Odell Beckham Jr deserves the opportunity to play with another team where he will get a better role. The only problem, the trade deadline has passed. Comments made by Odell Beckham Sr and NBA great LeBron James on Tuesday during the trade deadline weren’t enough for the Browns to move Odell, therefore to have the chance to play with another team he will have to be released by the Cleveland Browns, something that looks to be on the trend right now around the world.
A number of athletes and icons around the world have joined the “Free Odell” trend, including TV personality and former NFL star Shannon Sharpe. By getting the Dreamathon official “Free Odell” shirt, you can join the trend too.
On Tuesday, to open the first week of the new month the Ottawa Redblacks had announced that they extended the contract of slot receiver and return specialist DeVonte Dedmon. This news brought a lot of excitement to all of R-Nation, knowing that one of their favourite players, and maybe the most electric player in all of the CFL will be back in the nation’s capital, but it isn’t the only good news Redblacks fans will get before their final home game of the 2021 CFL season on Saturday. Adding to Tuesday’s transaction, the Redblacks also announced the extension of punter Richie Leone on Wednesday. The contract brings Leone back for the 2022 CFL season with the Ottawa Redblacks and may just give them the best special teams unit in the league for another season.
This year the Redblacks’ special teams unit, coached by coordinator Bob Dyce has been the best in the CFL. There have been just two major plays given up by the unit, a field goal miss return touchdown for Lucky Whitehead in week 4 and a Dejon Brissett blocked punt touchdown in week 10, but other than those two mishaps, the Redblacks have been nearly perfect on special teams. Return specialist DeVonte Dedmon leads the CFL in return yards by a total 726 yards (Dedmon with 1,648 and Frankie Williams with 922), and that is with him missing 3 games already this season, place kicker Lewis Ward may not have another streak going this year but is kicking 90%, 27 of 30 with 0 missed converts and the talk of the town on Wednesday after signing his contract, Richie Leone averages 46.9 yards per punt as well as 60.7 yards per kickoff.
Over the years, with the kickers, punters and returners that the Ottawa Redblacks have had on the roster, they have always had one of the best special teams units in the CFL, thanks to the front office and coach Bob Dyce that will continue to be the case.
The past two CFL seasons have not been great for the Ottawa Redblacks. In 2019, after losing in the Grey Cup the previous year the Redblacks went 3-15 and missed the playoffs for the first time since the inaugural season in 2014, then this year the team sits at 2-10 with just two games remaining in the season, putting them out of playoff contention, but despite the team losing 25 of the last 30 games they’ve played there is no denying that there has been a lot of positives from the Ottawa Redblacks. One of the biggest and most influential positives that have come out of the last two seasons for the Ottawa Redblacks has been the discovery of slotback receiver and kickoff return specialist DeVonte Dedmon from William and Mary University.
Jean-Marc Edmé found Dedmon and signed him following his 2018 season with the Tribe in which he had 605 yards receiving and 6 touchdown catches. Over his career with the Tribe he gained an all-purpose 3,825 yards and scored 23 touchdowns in 44 games played, putting his name in the same category as some W&M greats like Mike Tomlin, Michael “Pinball” Clemons and Sean McDermott, but just because he had success in University in the CAA doesn’t mean he had it easy and could just walk on to the Ottawa Redblacks. DeVonte Dedmon came to Ottawa Redblacks training camp in 2019 and the team told him to pack for just two weeks. Going into the opportunity Dedmon had the impression that they saw him as just a camp body, someone to catch kicks and passes during training camp, and with defensive back Troy Stoudermire and receiver Ryan Lankford on the roster with returning experience in the CFL it didn’t look like there was much for Dedmon in Ottawa and that he may have just been a camp body. He said in a podcast with Jordan Zlomislic of JZ Media, “I was told to pack for two weeks and I was like ‘what?’ because the season is 18 games, and that made me like a body for training camp and then I told my dad I was number 79 too and you could hear it in his voice, like thats not a good look but he pretty much told me to do what I do like I’ve done all my life and it will all work out.”
PHOTO BY ERROL MCGIHON /Postmedia
For Dedmon, it did all end up working out. On his first touch in the CFL, he went for a 100 yard kickoff return touchdown against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the 2019 pre-season. The big play, and a good training camp gave him a spot on the roster for the 2019 season, however he did suffer an injury during the pre-season which sidelined him until week 6 when the Redblacks traveled to Winnipeg. He ended up playing in the week 6 game against the Blue Bombers as well as 4 other games that season and in the 5 games played he had over 940 yards and two return touchdowns on just 43 touches. DeVonte Dedmon averaged 22 yards every time he laid hands on a football in the time played with the Redblacks in 2019 and despite suffering injuries the Redblacks wanted another look at Dedmon moving forward.
At the end of the 2019 CFL season he was 23 years old and looked to be a fresh player they’d like to keep around for a number of years, but unfortunately the unexpected happened. The 2020 CFL season was cancelled, and everything that the Redblacks may have had in mind for the 2020 season was pretty well scrapped, except for the idea of having DeVonte Dedmon in Ottawa, that was able to still happen for the 2021 CFL season which began on August 7th, 2021. Dedmon signed a one year contract for the 2021 CFL season and has made the most of it, adding two more return touchdowns to his stat line as well as a rushing touchdown he has been looked at to be one of the most electric players in the CFL today, and potentially history if he continues on the path he is on. This 2021 season, Dedmon has 1,914 all-purpose yards, a league lead and that is in just 9 games played. That is an average of 213 yards per game played, insane numbers for a skill position player like himself, and Ottawa Redblacks fans can get used to those numbers and the big plays he makes and he on Tuesday signed a one year extension with the Redblacks, locking him up in the nation’s capital for the 2022 CFL season next year. The contract which was done between Dedmon and interim assistant general manager Jean-Marc Edmé as well as Jeremy Snyder marks the biggest move thus far for the Redblacks since the firing of general manager Marcel Desjardins and it should be a forecast as to what is to come with the Redblacks organization as they look to trend upwards moving forward.
In the JZ Media podcast “Talking Phresh” with Jordan Zlomislic and Ottawa barber Jean Phresh which was published on Sunday October 31st DeVonte Dedmon told Zlomislic after being asked about NFL dreams and aspirations the following: “Ottawa is my home. I love the city, and I am blessed to have the opportunity I have to be here with this team.” and with him staying in his “hometown” of Ottawa, Ontario there is only more success to be expected from him and the Ottawa Redblacks moving forward. Jeremy Snyder also spoke out about the transaction, “We’re excited to keep DeVonte in red and black for next season,” said REDBLACKS Interim General Manager Jeremy Snyder. “DeVonte’s skill set is special and has the reputation of altering the game when he is on the field. He is a true threat with the ball in his hands to score at any time. This is the first step of many to build for a better 2022.”
Over Halloween weekend, or what some may call “Halloweekend” Canadian football fans were given quite the treat. The Ottawa Redblacks, Calgary Stampeders, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Edmonton Elks took part in the CFL’s Friday night double header, on Saturday another CFL double header kicked off alongside a full Saturday slate of NCAA football and on Sunday the Canadians in the NFL had games, big games.
On Sunday, Brampton, Ontario native Joshua Palmer caught his first career NFL touchdown with the Los Angeles Chargers. A 24 yard connection with Justin Herbert marks Palmer’s 7th catch on his young rookie NFL season, and his teammate Christian Covington from Vancouver, B.C also made quite the impact with the Chargers against the New England Patriots having made 5 tackles of his own, giving him 24 tackles and a sack on the season. Ottawa’s Eli Ankou made his debut with the Tennessee Titans after being signed last week. Ankou, in his 5th NFL season, with his 9th NFL team made 2 tackles with the Titans in their win over the Indianapolis Colts. Canadian tail back Chuba Hubbard scored his second touchdown of the 2021 NFL season and had 91 yards of offence on 25 touches against the Falcons while other rookies Jevon Holland and Benjamin St Juste made impacts in defensive backfields, St Juste making 6 tackles and a tackle for loss with Washington and Holland making 5 tackles for the Dolphins. Steelers wide receiver from Abbotsford, B.C Chase Claypool had 6 offensive touches in a 15-10 win over the Browns for 61 yards, giving him over 400 yards in the first half of the 2021 NFL season.
Canadians are clearly starting to establish themselves into the NFL quite well, growing into primary roles on both sides of the football and at all positions, but this is not the most Canadians you will see making plays in the NFL. A number of players are eligible for next year’s NFL Draft and are making plays south of the border this season and the long list of Canadians in the NCAA continues to grow and improve.
Defensive playmaker Enock Makonzo from Coastal Carolina made 11 tackles and had 3 quarterback hurries in their win over Troy University last Thursday, Illinois’ Sydney Brown also made over 10 tackles and had a pass deflection on the weekend while Jesse Luketa, an Ottawa-raised linebacker and edge rusher from Penn State made 7 tackles and a tackle for loss, Deane Leonard of Ole Miss made 6 tackles, West Virginia’s Alonzo Addae had 6 tackles and a tackle for loss in a win over Iowa State and defensive linemen Isaiah Bagnah of Boise State, Luiji Vilain from Wake Forest, WVU’s Akeem Mesidor and NC State’s Daniel Joseph had big games as well over the weekend. Mesidor made 4 tackles and a tackle for loss, Joseph had 6 tackles and a sack, Isaiah Bagnah, a Lethbridge, Alberta-raised pass rusher had 7 tackles and a sack, giving him 6 sacks on the season and 9 on his early NCAAF career and Luiji Vilain had 4 tackles and a tackle for loss in his NFL Draft year with Wake Forest, remaining undefeated.
Recapping the 𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 from the first 7 weeks 🎥
As for Canadians on the offensive side of the ball, with John Metchie and Alabama on a bye week it was Chase Brown’s 70 yard offensive performance for Illinois, Jared Wayne of Peterborough’s 6 catches for 78 yards and a score for Pittsburgh and Buffalo’s Dominic Johnson of Windsor who made 4 catches for 96 yards and a score who headlined the Canadian playmaker group this weekend. Hawaii’s Nick Mardner also caught 4 passes for 32 yards adding to his 615 yards and 3 touchdowns this season and Penn State’s Theo Johnson, Dominic Johnson’s brother had 41 yards on 4 catches against Ohio State, but the performer of the week on offence would have had to be Johnson of Buffalo with the 96 yard game and a score.
The Canadians playing down south are in for yet another big weekend next week, so stay tuned for that but also be tuned in to both the CFL and U-Sports’ seasons as they both near the playoffs in their respective schedules on the north side of the Canada-USA border.
On Thursday night at TD Place the University of Ottawa Gee Gees beat the Carleton University Ravens 24-19. The win marks their second win over their inner city rivals and the second game which Ottawa-raised running back J.P Cimankinda ran for more than 100 yards on the ground. Cimankinda ran for 133 yards on 22 carries in the Panda game on October 2nd against the Ravens with 15,000 fans in attendance, on Thursday he was given the ball 18 times and ran for 113 yards, averaging 6.3 yards per carry, and having a long run of 29 yards.
At 6-foot-1, 230 pounds J.P Cimankinda has been a game changing running back for the Gee Gees. Before coming to UOttawa he ran for 799 yards and 7 touchdowns in the final 5 games of the 2019 OUA season with the Guelph Gryphons, establishing a solid run game and consistent run game with the Gryphons having ran for 100 plus yards in each of his 5 starts and he has brought that exact run game to the nation’s capital. With both of the 100 yard games against the Ravens into the mix, J.P has ran for 437 yards and a score in his first regular season with the Garnet and Grey. In the 4 games which he has 10 or more carries, he’s ran for 409 yards, averaging over 100 yards per game, the other two games he ran the ball 5 and 3 times and a lot of the yards gained this season for Cimankinda have come after contact. He has solidified his role with the University of Ottawa Gee Gees as a power back and watching Cimankinda play as a football fan a comparison you can make is to Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry. Derrick “King” Henry is the NFL’s leading rusher this season, having ran for 869 yards and 10 touchdowns in 7 games and doing so quietly. Henry makes the big plays, he runs for the 70-plus yard touchdowns and is flashy doing so but there are also a number of 3, 4 and 5 yard runs throughout the game which is what tires down the defences and establishes himself into the game plan as the run game gets moving. Those are similar things you see when J.P Cimankinda plays, he runs for 4, or 5 yards here and there to start off the game, but as the defence sees more and more of him he, or his teammate Dawson Odei are able to make the longer runs which end up changing the outcome of the game, extending drives and getting the ball in the end zone.
Cimankinda is eligible for this year’s CFL Draft, but still has eligibility left at the University of Ottawa so Gee Gees fans can expect to see more from him past the 2021 OUA playoffs which kickoff next weekend, however do not be surprised if you see his name in the CFL very soon. His brother, Alain Cimankinda was drafted by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 4th round of the 2021 CFL Draft and has spent the 2021 CFL season with the Roughriders on their practice squad/injury reserve behind the veteran pass rushers they have in Saskatchewan. J.P may find himself being drafted by the Roughriders as well, and it wouldn’t be the first time two brothers have the opportunity to play with each other on CFL teams but what can be rare is the impact that J.P Cimankinda could have on a CFL team. Canadian running backs aren’t always given the best opportunities in the CFL, but if Cimankinda is drafted by an organization he will create the opportunity for himself to make an impact. He has that William Stanback skill set with the Andrew Harris ratio breaking eligibility, giving a CFL team the opportunity to have one of the best backs in the league if given the opportunities.
In Thursday night’s Gee Gees win, quarterback Ben Maracle also found himself having quite the performance, throwing for 142 yards and a score while even running in two touchdowns of his own. His passing touchdown was to Daniel Oladejo on what looked to be a good candidate for OUA Catch of the Year, a 50/50 ball, full extension, it doesn’t get much better than that. Oladejo had 42 yards receiving on the night, leading the pack while Nathan Walker had 39. Rookie receiver Rodney Estime also made two catches for 21 yards but the real offensive attack came with the run game of both Cimankinda and Odei who combined for 196 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, the Gee Gee’s defence held Reid Vankoughnett’s passing attack out of the end zone, but gave up two rushing scores from quarterbacks, one on a sneak and the other on a scramble. Gee Gees’ Max Charbonneau led the team with 9 tackles while James Peter had 5, T.K Victome had 4, Frednick Eveillard had a sack and Eric Cumberbatch broke up a pass. The defence forced a number of punts and held the Ravens out of the end zone on multiple occasions, a large reason to the win at the end of the day.
Be on the lookout for J.P Cimankinda as he and his University of Ottawa Gee Gees teammates face off against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues next weekend to kickoff their OUA Playoff run, and don’t forget the name as it may just be one you hear watching the CFL on TSN soon.
The city of Ottawa is on the rise. There has always been talent all around the nation’s capital in all fields, but of all fields, one section which the city has seen a lot of growth in over recent years has come in the pop culture of Ottawa, Ontario. Sports, music and entertainment in Ottawa may not be anywhere close to Hollywood or southern states like Florida, however we are now in the position where if you are from Ottawa, you could see someone you know or recognize when you turn on the television or go onto social media. In the sports world this is something we have seen a lot of as of recently, Ottawa natives Neville Gallimore and Eli Ankou are now on NFL rosters, and basketball player Marial Shayok from Ottawa recently played with the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers while a number of hockey players from the capital make their mark on the NHL but while we do see athletes make their way to the spotlight from Ottawa, alongside many artists, actors and actresses, they are not always given the opportunity to talk about themselves on a platform based in Ottawa.
Giving that exact opportunity, Jordan Zlomislic of JZ Media has officially launched the “Talking Phresh” barber shop talk podcast in affiliation with Ottawa barber Jean Phresh and Ginuwine Eyma, the CEO of Ginuwine Brand. Starting with athletes in Ottawa, whether that be from the city or playing in the city, the first episode of “Talking Phresh” features CFL Ottawa REDBLACKS’ wide receiver and kickoff return specialist DeVonte Dedmon. Part one of the two episodes with Dedmon includes an introduction to all four people on the podcast, a chance to learn more about Jordan Zlomislic, Ginuwine Eyma, Jean Phresh and DeVonte Dedmon as well as some casual conversations, like those you may listen in on and chip into at your local barber shop.
See some quotes found in the first episode of “Talking Phresh” on the images below and watch the JZ Media production now.
The Ottawa Redblacks and Calgary Stampeders kicked off week 13 of the 2021 CFL season on Friday night at TD Place and after a long week for the Ottawa Redblacks which began with the firing of long time general manager Marcel Desjardins, the team fell short at home to the Calgary Stampeders in a 26-13 loss. Ottawa’s loss marks the team’s 10th on the season and now have back to back CFL seasons a double digit number in the loss column, but there continues to be bright spots to the Ottawa Redblacks and things to look forward to for the R-Nation fan base.
In Friday night’s loss, we were able to get another look at 23 year old rookie quarterback Caleb Evans. Despite losing to the Stampeders in his 6th start of his CFL career, one bright spot taken away from the game was that it was the first game since his win over Edmonton in which he hadn’t thrown an interception. Evans made good decisions throughout the evening, throwing the ball away and deciding to take sacks instead of throwing the ball into coverage throwing it into space and once again he was able to use his legs to extend plays as well as drives. He ran for 68 yards on the ground to add to his 173 yards in the air and Caleb Evans was also able to find Kenny Stafford in the end zone for an 11 yard touchdown. The touchdown marks Evans’ 5th passing touchdown on the season and his third to Kenny Stafford. Stafford has now played in 6 games with the Redblacks, 4 home games and has 3 touchdowns at TD Place. The 31 year old receiver has proven to be a good pickup for the offence and is a great veteran presence to play alongside developing receivers RJ Harris, Ryan Davis and Nate Behar.
Photo (and featured image) from Ottawa Redblacks twitter
Caleb Evans found Canadian receiver Nate Behar on 5 occasions against Calgary as well, including one 50 yard gain in a throw on the run, combining for 98 yards on all 5 receptions. The Redblacks’ offence also ran the ball quite well in the first half prior to losing De’Lance Turner to an injury. Turner ran for 55 yards on 13 rushes and caught 2 passes on Friday as he continues to prove himself and make room for himself on the roster moving forward. Ottawa recently signed running back Patrick Carr out of Houston who had 1,546 yards and 10 touchdowns over his collegiate career. There is a chance we see Carr in the lineup at some point in the next two games, or possibly Justin Davis if he returns from injury to see where the running game stands for the 2022 CFL season while Ryan Davis, RJ Harris, Kenny Stafford and Nate Behar continue to make their mark in the pass game.
On the defensive side of the football Avery Williams had yet another great game, making 8 tackles, forcing and recovering a fumble against the Stampeders while defensive backs Brandin Dandridge, Ranthony Texada and Randall Evans each had good performances of their own. Dandridge made a number of plays on the ball, breaking up passes, same with Texada and Randall Evans made 6 tackles from his half back position. One thing that was missing for the Redblacks though, was the pressure on the quarterback. The Redblacks did not get a single sack against the Stampeders and did not win the battle in the trenches. That was a large part of the success that Calgary had on Friday night, Bo Levi Mitchell threw for 242 yards and had just 7 incompletions while his tail back KaDeem Carey ran for 103 and a score. Calgary’s defence had 5 sacks on the night and clearly had an impact on the game, when the Redblacks’ defence finds a way to get to the quarterback consistently and take away the comfort that quarterbacks have in the backfield they will see success, especially with the linebacking crew and secondary they have growing.
Another bright spot from Friday night’s game of course comes from the special teams unit, and it should now be clear league wide that Bob Dyce’s special teams unit in Ottawa is the best in the CFL. Justin Howell continues to make his presence felt on the punt team, making two special teams tackles on 8 Richie Leone punts and kick returner Terry Williams made his mark in place of the injured DeVonte Dedmon. Dedmon is irreplaceable, and without him for two games now that is proven however Terry Williams is making a great first impression on the CFL. He gained 131 yards on 9 returns on Friday, giving him 259 return yards over two games and one thing that has opened the eyes of a number of Redblacks fans is his insane burst of speed when he catches the ball. As soon as the ball is in his hands he is ready to make one break, and depending how long Dedmon is sidelined, Williams may just break one return for a touchdown. If he does indeed do so, that could help solidify himself a spot on next year’s Ottawa Redblacks roster, as we look into the future of the Ottawa Redblacks, having Terry Williams and DeVonte Dedmon back to return kicks and having their speed on the offensive side of the ball can be dangerous to all CFL defences.
The next Redblacks game is next Saturday at home against the Toronto Argonauts and marks the Ottawa Redblacks’ 2021 home finale.
On Friday, the Ottawa Redblacks and Calgary Stampeders will be kicking off week 13 of the 2021 CFL season at TD Place in Ottawa. It will mark the first and only time this season where the two teams face off against each other. Despite the playoffs being out of the picture for the Ottawa Redblacks, the week 13 matchup against the Stampeders will still be a big game for the team’s future. The organization parted ways with long time general manager Marcel Desjardins on Monday and have all eyes on the future of the Redblacks, they have eyes on bringing this Ottawa Redblacks franchise back on top, like they were in 2016 winning the Grey Cup.
To be back on top though, a lot has to go right and a lot of work has to be put in, all starting with Friday night’s game against Calgary. The Ottawa Redblacks will aim to win the game on Friday as well as the other two games left on the 2021 CFL schedule to gain confidence moving into the off-season, and included in the following three games against the Stampeders, Argonauts and Alouettes will be a number of young players who they will see back with the organization in the 2022 CFL season.
Starting for the Redblacks on offence against the Stampeders will be 23 year old quarterback Caleb Evans, 26 year old running back De’Lance Turner, 24 year old receiver Ryan Davis, and 23 year old Jakub Szott, all CFL rookies with plenty of potential with the franchise. On defence defensive backs Brandin Dandridge (25) and Ranthony Texada (26) will get the start alongside 26 year old linebacker Frankie Griffin and 23 year old edge rusher Tre Hornbuckle.
The looks that the Ottawa Redblacks as well as the Redblacks fan base will get at these players alongside the players that have established themselves in the capital will have a big impact on the future of the franchise as they search for their new general manager and their new identity but what really matters is winning. To win Friday night’s game, the Ottawa Redblacks will need to establish a run game for rookie quarterback Caleb Evans to have as a safety blanket in his offence. He will also have to make good decisions throughout the game himself and avoid turning the ball over to come away with the win. As for the defensive side of the ball, stopping KaDeem Carey in the run game and getting to Bo Levi Mitchell in the backfield will be a crucial part of winning the game at TD Place.
Come to TD Place as the Redblacks and Stampeders kickoff against each other at 7:30 on Friday night or watch on TSN to take a look at what’s next for the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks.
Since the Ottawa Redblacks came into the CFL in 2014 the franchise has had just one identity. Led by general manager Marcel Desjardins and for the longest time head coach Rick Campbell, the Ottawa Redblacks looked to be a young franchise that has been having success and has a lot more on the horizon, however a lot of that narrative has changed. The downfall of the Redblacks began during week 4 of the 2019 CFL season. After a 2-0 start, where the Ottawa Redblacks beat the Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders Marcel Desjardins’ off-season decisions were exposed. They fell to the 3-0 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 29-14, and then the losses started to pile up, only seeing one more win during the rest of the 18 game CFL schedule. Ottawa finished the season 3-15 and all eyes were on the losses of key players from the 2018 Grey Cup run, quarterback Trevor Harris, running back William Powell, receivers Greg Ellingson and Diontae Spencer, offensive linemen Sir Vincent Rogers and Jon Gott, defensive lineman A.C Leonard, linebacker Kyries Hebert and defensive back Rico Murray. Diontae Spencer’s route to the NFL was the only of the group which Desjardins couldn’t stop, but many members of R-Nation were disappointed in losing what was the identity of the 2018 Ottawa Redblacks.
The players lost during that off-season were replaced by free agent acquisitions Jonathon Jennings, John Crockett, Caleb Holley, Nate Behar, Shaneil Jenkins, Darius Jackson, Julien Laurent, Jerod Fernandez, Brandin Dandridge, Gump Hayes and Chris Randle but the newcomers were not good enough for the Redblacks to have a winning season. At the end of the 2019 CFL season head coach Rick Campbell decided to walk away from the organization and join the B.C Lions as the head coach/co-general manager. Marcel Desjardins and the front office then brought in a new coaching staff led by head coach Paul LaPolice. LaPolice, over a two year long CFL off-season thanks to the cancelation of the 2020 CFL season due to COVID-19 brought in a number of his former players from his time spent with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as well as other free agents. They brought in quarterback Matt Nichols, running back Timothy Flanders, receivers Daniel Petermann and Anthony Coombs, defensive linemen Cleyon Laing, Stefan Charles and Davon Coleman, linebackers Micah Awe and Don Unamba and defensive back Abdul Kanneh as headline players in the off-season, but also lost a number of key players. Ottawa was going to be without Caleb Holley, Brad Sinopoli, John Crockett, Dominique Rhymes, Alex Mateas, Jason Lauzon-Seguin, Evan Johnson, Alex Fontana, George Uko, Michael Wakefield, J.R Tavai, Danny Mason, Anthony Cioffi, Kevin Brown, Jonathan Rose, Chris Randle, and Corey Tindal for the 2021 CFL season and although they may have brought in a lot of talent during the off-season the losses once again overpowered the additions.
With just 3 games remaining on the 2021 CFL schedule for the Ottawa Redblacks, the team sits at 2-9 and on Monday they announced the parting ways of the franchise and general manager Marcel Desjardins. Going back to the first point; the Redblacks have only had one identity over the 8 seasons they’ve been in the CFL and it looks like that is going to change with a new general manager coming to the capital soon.
The new general manager will come to Ottawa and work with a team that has a lot of talent but will have to add to it. Ottawa’s top performers of the 2021 CFL season have been quarterback Caleb Evans (933 yards and 4 touchdowns passing, 218 rush yards), running back De’Lance Turner (148 yards of offence on 26 touches in 3 games), receivers RJ Harris and Ryan Davis (combining for 1,032 yards), defensive linemen Praise Martin-Oguike, Avery Ellis and Davon Coleman (10 sacks combined), linebacking core Micah Awe and Avery Williams (3rd and 4th for CFL tackle lead, 129 tackles and 3 sacks total), defensive backs Randall Evans, Abdul Kanneh, Brandin Dandridge and Sherrod Baltimore (7 interceptions, 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery combined) and special teamers Lewis Ward, Richie Leone, and DeVonte Dedmon (no explanation needed). The talent is there for the 2021 Ottawa Redblacks, but there are some missing pieces to the puzzle. When the new general manager comes to town, that will look to change and the Redblacks will then have the goal of bringing the Grey Cup back to the nation’s capital.
JZ MEDIA 