Redblacks go back to starters after injury replacements shine

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Linebacker Frankie Griffin was having a good season – and averaging more than seven defensive tackles in the last three games he played – before suffering an injury at practice almost a month ago.

Not only have the Redblacks won all three games he has missed, but the defence hasn’t allowed a touchdown in the last two.

“When I got back, I felt like I had to go 100 miles per hour the first day of practice,” Griffin said with a laugh Tuesday, two sleeps before Ottawa hosts the Saskatchewan Roughriders at TD Place.

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In Griffin’s absence, rookie Davion Taylor was exceptional in displaying some of the talents that made him a starter with the Philadelphia Eagles before suffering a serious knee injury three seasons ago.

But the Redblacks aren’t the 1925 New York Yankees and Griffin isn’t Wally Pipp, who missed a game because of a headache then watched his replacement, Lou Gehrig, set a record that stood for 56 years by playing 2,130 in a row.

Griffin will be once again be starting at the weak-side spot on Thursday, while Taylor returns to his role of a backup that gets included in some packages while also contributing on special teams.

“Davion is a great guy and a great player,” said Griffin. “Especially his first year in the league, coming from the NFL, where the game is different for him. He’s been able to pick up on a lot of things, details. He asks a lot of questions. He’s been playing really well for us and he’s going to continue to play really well.”

The same is now expected of the Redblacks defence, which has guided the team to its 5-2 start by allowing a league-low 167 points.

Ottawa has played one fewer game than every team except the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (who have played two more) but the fact the Redblacks ‘D’ is ranked has a Top 3 ranking in 16 of 24 statistical categories is nonetheless quite impressive.

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“I feel like we haven’t played our best game,” said Griffin. “We’re gonna continue to keep building, day by day, practice by practice, game by game. We’re going to continue to build and try and do what we do.”

Along with getting Griffin back, also returning to the Ottawa defence is highly touted cornerback Alijah McGee. It was expected the other backend bookend, Brandin Dandridge, was also ready to made his 2024 season debut, but that will now likely have to wait as he deals with a back strain.

That means Deandre Lamont will remain at the boundary corner, where he’s been stellar, rather than returning to his halfback job.

“Whether it be going into training camp or now, where we’ve evolved to, we knew we had a very talented group,” head coach Bob Dyce said of his ‘D’. “It really is each man’s opportunity. They’re accountable to their teammates, and they’re accountable to the whole team, and they’re outstanding athletes.

“I see a group that has really bought into the team concept of playing strong team defence. I look at our front, it’s been one of strengths of our defence over the past number of years, and those guys continue to play at an extremely high level. But you can see even how they meet this year is different. They meet more so in groups, and they’re all on the same page. You can have a strong front, but if they’re not in conjunction with the linebackers, bad things may happen. Or if the linebackers are not synchronized with the secondary, bad things can happen. When they meet as a unit, they can constantly communicate.”

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Another example of the Redblacks depth is on their return teams.

DeVonte Dedmon is back this week to field and run back kicks and punts, one game after rookie Kalil (The Thrill) Pimpleton had 209 return yards against Calgary.

“I was expecting it,” Dedmon said of Pimpleton’s incredible debut as a CFL return specialist, which included a 99-yard TD run off a punt. “He’s a hell of a player.”

In Dedmon, Pimpleton, Dandridge and the injured Tobias Harris, the Redblacks have four players who have scored a touchdown off a return in the last season and a half.

“Those guys push me every day, every single day, to be the best returner I can be,” said Dedmon. “I can only learn from them. They see what they see … I talk to them about different things.

“I’m just excited to be back under the lights on Thursday.”

The Redblacks also lead in five of 14 special teams categories, while sitting second in three others.

Credit has to go to special teams coach Cory McDiarmid but also Dyce, whose background is as a special teams coordinator.

“Dedmon is definitely our guy,” said Dyce, who goes with what he and his staff view as the best guy at each position whereas some coaches are shy about fixing something that isn’t broken. “I talked to the team about this the other day. We’ve been blessed to have some great returners here. When you look at, at Dandridge, Tobias, Dedman and Pimp …. at the same time, I tell those guys who are blocking for them, ‘you’re a big part of that.’  You get four different guys scoring, it’s not just the one guy back there who’s done it. It’s the work and the effort that those guys put in every single day and the pride that they take in their job. When you’re talking about (special teams blockers) guys like Gary Johnson, Lucas Cormier, Justin Howell, Anthony Gosselin, Marco Dubois, those guys, go to work every single day. They are ballers in my mind because I coach special teams. Maybe I see it different than the average fan. Those guys go to work every day and when you have workers like that, that’s when it allows you to have great success. I’m super appreciative.”

GOING DEEP:

Redblacks valuable special teams contributor Tyron Vrede has a knee injury that has put him on six-game injured reserve but isn’t a season-ender …With former Redblacks backup QB Caleb Evans suffering a season-ending knee injury, the Montreal Alouettes have signed another former Ottawa quarterback in Dominique Davis, who was with them in 2022. Davis spent last season with Rick Campbell and the B.C. Lions.

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