What a fantastic season the Ottawa Redblacks have had so far. It’s the best start in Redblacks’ franchise history and the best for any of Ottawa’s CFL clubs since the 1978 Rough Riders started 6-1. The Rough Riders finished that season in first place with a 12-4 record but ultimately lost the East Final to the Montreal Alouettes.
Through seven games, the Redblacks are second in the East with a 5-2 record, 1.5 games behind the defending Grey Cup Champion 7-1 Alouettes. Ottawa has played one less game than Montreal.
In 2022 and 2023, the Redblacks finished last in the East with a subpar 4-14 record. The Redblacks struggled mightily at home, finishing 3-15 at TD Place over two seasons, including going winless (0-9) at home in 2022.
Just over a third of the way into the 18-game 2024 season, the Redblacks have already bested their win total from the previous two campaigns. They are also off to a red-hot start at home this season, winning all four games at TD Place. The last time they started 4-0 at home was 1978.
In their previous 33 home games before this season, Ottawa produced a terrible 4-29 record.
The Redblacks’ recent success come down to a multitude of factors.
Better coaching and a killer instinct
Ottawa is poised, focused and mentally tough enough to close out close games. They focus on the details, do the small but important things right and limit game-changing mistakes. As a result, they win close games that they lost in previous seasons.
Four of five Ottawa wins this season have been decided by six points or less. The team’s combined margin of victory in those four games was 15 points. In 2023, Ottawa posted a record of 1-7 in games decided by seven or fewer points.
This comes down to great coaching and discipline. The players are more experienced and know how to perform better in tight games. At the same time, coaching and play-calling have improved. The coaching staff is making smarter decisions (tactical and personnel-wise) to put the team in better positions to win.
Full credit to head coach Bob Dyce, offensive coordinator Tommy Condell and defensive coordinator Barron Miles for the significant strides they’ve made.
Of course, pessimists will point out that Ottawa’s five wins have come against teams with a combined record of 7-29. Naysayers might predict Ottawa will fall apart when the schedule gets tough. After all, Ottawa hasn’t been good down the stretch in recent years.
But that line of thinking ignores how the Redblacks have been playing. They look leaps and bounds better than last year’s squad. That’s partly because they acquired talented free agents such as QB Dru Brown, LB Jovan Santos Knox, and DB Adarius Pickett, among others. But it’s also because of the additional time the players have had to develop chemistry with one another, and the fact that the coaching staff has been in place from last season.
It’s hard to play well with frequent coaching changes as players are constantly starting from scratch and learning new systems.
Improved quarterback play
A key reason for the team’s stellar start is quarterback Dru Brown, who is having a sensational year as the Redblacks’ signal caller. In his first season so far as a CFL starter, he has completed 145 of 221 passes for 1,881 yards, six touchdown passes and only four interceptions.
Last year for the Blue Bombers, Brown threw for 983 yards and nine TDs in 18 games. It’s worth noting that he only started two games with the Bombers in 2023; in week 11 against Calgary and in the final game of the season — also against the Stampeders — when he threw for 278 yards and two TDs.
Almost half of his touchdown passes last year came in a week 10 matchup against the Elks. Brown came in to relieve the injured Zach Collaros in the second quarter, and in just 45 minutes of action, Brown completed 17/24 passes for 307 yards and notched four TDs. His other three TD passes came on designed, short-yardage plays.
That’s not to discredit Brown. Considering that this is his first season as a true starter, the way Brown’s been able to perform so well every week even though teams have film on him speaks volumes about his high football IQ, his ability to command a game, control his offence and consistently improvise to make big plays. He’s been sensational.
Of course, Brown has benefited from an improved offensive line and rush attack in Ottawa, but he has been nothing short of phenomenal this year. He’s a gunslinger always looking to make a huge play. He’s not afraid to launch the ball trusting his receivers to make a challenging catch. His incredible accuracy means he’s not afraid of throwing the ball into tight spaces, and whenever he makes a mistake — misses a read, over or underthrows a pass, throws an interception — he doesn’t let it sink his game. He dusts himself off and continues to perform without fear.
Brown has consistently led Ottawa on long scoring drives, using his arm and legs to pick up key first downs to extend drives. While he may only have 35 rush yards, his ability to scramble outside the pocket and move around behind his blockers to evade defenders — creating extra time for his receivers to get open — has been a big advantage Ottawa lacked in recent years.
Redblacks Nation thought Jeremiah Masoli was going to be the answer at quarterback, but he played only five games in 2022 and 2023 because of injuries. So, Ottawa was uncertain who was going to be their starting QB until they signed Brown. His time in Winnipeg — learning from Zac Collaros, a three-time Grey Cup Champion (two as a starter) and one of the best CFL QBs in recent history — helped Brown become the player he is today.
A bold prediction: Brown will amass 4,000 yards passing and 25 TD throws by the end of the season.
Better, more consistent targets
Ottawa has also gotten a major production boost from its receivers, specifically rookie Khalil Pimpleton, a recruit from the New York Giants practice squad. In three games, Pimpleton has caught 16 passes for 289 yards and one TD. His play has sparked the Redblacks’ pass attack, which has struggled in recent years. Pimpleton’s 111 yards after the catch proves he can beat defenders with the ball in his hands, which has been critical for the Redblacks to make breakthrough plays on offense.
Pimpleton’s speed also draws defenders to him, opening up room for other receivers.
Finally, he has been dynamic as a punt and kick returner in addition to being a difference-maker on offence. He has two kickoff returns for 61 yards and has returned eight punts for 162 yards and a TD.
Jaelon Acklin, a standout free agent receiver from a few seasons ago, is having an excellent start to this season. In seven games, he has 29 receptions for 293 yards (on pace to beat last season’s total of 892) and already has two TD catches, one more than all of 2023.
Bralon Addison has 16 catches for 168 yards and Justin Hardy, arguably Ottawa’s best receiver, is on pace to have the best year of his career. In seven games, he has 39 catches for 607 yards (fourth most in the CFL). That includes 162 post-catch yards and three TD catches. He is 400 yards and one TD catch away from breaking his personal best for single-season yards and TD receptions and still has 11 games left to add to those tallies.
What has helped the receivers find so much space? Primarily, it’s their skill and Brown’s ability to get them the ball. But Ottawa’s strong running game has helped.
Backfield in motion
After starting running back Devonte Williams tore his ACL in pre-season, Ottawa was left without an obvious rushing leader. But rookie Ryquell Armstead impressed at training camp enough to earn his spot as the starter and hasn’t looked back since.
So far this season, Armstead has 79 carries for an impressive 390 yards (fourth most in the CFL) and two touchdowns. He has rushed for more than 90 yards twice, recording 16 carries for 95 yards in Week 2 against Winnipeg and 17 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown run in Week 5 against Winnipeg. He also rushed 12 times for 53 yards and a TD in Week 7 against Edmonton.
Armstead is a dynamic and powerful runner who sees the field well. He patiently waits for gaps to appear before smashing through those holes. He has a big frame and can easily break tackles and carry defenders with him as he runs. In addition, he is a pass threat out of the backfield, recording 18 receptions for 161 yards. And he also is an excellent pass blocker.
Armstead’s strong runs are a constant threat, often forcing defences to bring extra players closer to the line of scrimmage and leaving more one-on-one matchups down the sidelines — which Ottawa’s receivers have exploited. As the season goes on, expect Armstead will only get better as a runner and pass blocker. As a bonus, backup QB Dustin Crum has also found the endzone four times, tied for third-most in the CFL for rush TDs.
Improved line play
So far this season, the Redblacks have 15 sacks, fourth most in the league behind Toronto and Montreal — with 18 each— and BC with 17. Bryce Carter and Lorenzo Mauldin each have four and Michael Wakefield has three. They are generating a lot of pressure and are on pace to surpass their 2023 total of 45 sacks, which was top-three last year.
Not only are the sacks killing opposition drives, but they also get Ottawa’s defence off the field more consistently and give Ottawa’s offence more time to operate. In addition, they are not just sacking the opposition quarterback, but are also pressuring often with designed blitzes that force turnovers and misreads.
Ottawa has three interceptions, a significant help. Adding all-star defensive back Adarius Pickett has worked out very well. He can make any tackle look easy, blitz the QB and guard almost any receiver.
The offensive line isn’t perfect, but it is opening up more gaps for Armstead to exploit and he’s now 615 yards away from surpassing 1,005 rush yards on the season, which would beat Devonte Williams’ 1,004 in 2023.
The O-line has significantly improved its pass protection, giving Brown more time to move around in the pocket, scan the field, progress through his reads, and make a play. They have only given up 16 sacks through seven games and are projected to give up 41 sacks on the season, much improved from the crippling 71 allowed last year. The off-season additions of 2022 Grey Cup champion Dariusz Bladek and Phillip Norman has helped bolster Ottawa’s O-line. That’s in addition to the continued development of 2022 first-round pick Zack Pelehos and sophomore Dontae Bull — Ottawa’s No. 1 overall draft pick in 2023 – as well as Drew Desjarlais, who has found his form after an off-year in 2023.
Next-man-up mentality
Ottawa has had a critically important next-man-up mentality at defensive back, specifically cornerback, as the Redblacks have been hit hard with injuries at a key position.
The Redblacks have six DBs on the injured list. One is out for the entire season and three — Brandon Dandrige, Monshadrik Hunter and Tobias Harris — are on the six-game injured list; Dandrige and Hunter are arguably Ottawa’s best two CBs. On top of that, Justin Howell and Alijah McGee are on the one-game injured list.
Even with a depleted secondary, Ottawa has only allowed 167 points so far this season, third-fewest in the CFL behind the Alouettes and the Saskatchewan Roughriders, tied for first in the West. Impressive.
Ottawa finished dead last in the CFL in 2023, giving up 5,304 passing yards (400 more than the second-worst team). The secondary gave up so many big plays — often at the worst possible times, allowing opponents to get crucial first downs and TDs. In 2024, the Redblacks have given up the second-fewest passing yards in the league (1,714), only than the East-leaders Als (1,465) are better.
It’s a major improvement, and it stems from better coaching, better schematics, more cohesion and chemistry being created between players (who’ve had more time to play alongside each other), an effective pass rush, and simply more focus and talent on the roster compared to last year.
There’s still a long way to go in the 2024 season and the Redblacks are far from a perfect. But being second in the East at this stage is quite encouraging.
This is a young, developing team with impressive talent at most positions (including QB) that will only improve. They’re led by a smart, energetic head coach who, along with his staff, will only get better. It’s looking like a safe bet that Ottawa will snap its four-year playoff drought in 2024.
The Redblacks’ next test is against the West-leading Roughriders (5-2) on Thursday at home.