Full steam ahead for Ottawa Redblacks, with BC Lions rematch coming up

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With the great news early Sunday that receiver Jaelon Acklin was home and OK, the Ottawa Redblacks can turn their full attention to a rematch with the B.C. Lions Saturday.

Acklin was taken away from TD Place in an ambulance after being hit while going up to catch a fourth-quarter pass and falling awkwardly to the turf in Saturday’s 34-27 win over the Lions.

After the team said he had been released from hospital and all scans were negative, Acklin sent out a message on social media Sunday morning, saying: “Appreciate all the outpouring messages of love and support. I’m home with the girls (girlfriend and young daughter) and doing well.”

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There’s more great news: The red-hot Redblacks are on a roll. They’re now undefeated in their past six games (five wins and a tie); their last loss came July 5 against Winnipeg, 25-16. Also notable: The Redblacks, who have struggled to win home games through much of their history, have not lost a game at TD Place all season.

There was a bit of good, a bit of bad and a bit of ugly in Saturday’s win. But mostly, it was really good.

“It’s an extremely resilient group,” said Redblacks coach Bob Dyce. “We’ve won a number of close games where we’ve had to battle back in challenging situations.”

Quarterback Dru Brown was slinging it Saturday in a game where many members of the Redblacks’ All Decade Team returned to Ottawa — he completed 28 of 37 passes for a whopping 390 yards. The good thing: He thirsts for more. Asked post-game about his performance, he was hard on himself, especially on his lone interception.

“I need to make better decisions,” he said. “When I think football, I think about very good players. I watched one (Zach Collaros, in Winnipeg) for three years make very sound decisions, probably around 55 decisions a game. For those three years, he was pretty much 100 per cent. Occasionally he’d have a game where he’d make two or three not-good decisions. I got to have a front-row seat of how it looks.

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“The physical stuff, I’m good enough to make the throws and do the things I need to do. I have to eliminate the stupid things. It’s frustrating at times. A win makes it easier to learn from it, for sure.”

Said Dyce: “I can’t say enough about Dru. That’s his job, distribute the ball and put guys in position to be successful. Dru has a phenomenal mindset. He has character that’s strong and doesn’t waver. He’s worked hard to get where he is, he continues to work hard. His mindset is of a winner and he’s going to continue to fight.”

The past four years have been frustrating for the Redblacks and for their fans, with just 14 victories (four in each of the past two seasons). While many CFL games are decided in the final three minutes, the Redblacks were unable to come through when it counted most. That’s changed in a big way in 2024.

“If you look at the games we’ve played in, a lot of them are close and we’re pulling them out at the end,” said Brown. “I really believe good teams find ways to win, even if it’s ugly.

“If it’s a single-digit game or a double-digit game, good teams find a way. We do that here. That’s a testament to the culture they built and some of the guys they brought in and how we care about each other. We have a bunch of guys who care about the game, the preparation and each other.”

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THE GOOD: Rookie receiver Nick Mardner, the second overall selection in this year’s CFL Draft, scored the first two touchdowns of his pro career — on catches of 64 and 22 yards. Nice night for the 6-foot-6 pass catcher.

“To do that and come out with a team win is everything,” he said. “There have been times when people do great and it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t win.”

More good: Defensive back Alijah McGhee came away with an interception. Linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox had eight tackles and a couple of pass knockdowns. Damon Webb knocked the ball out of B.C. QB Nathan Rourke’s hands and it was recovered by Kene Onyeka. Defensive lineman Mike Wakefield also forced a fumble and recovered it himself. Receiver Justin Hardy had 11 catches for 114 yards, continuing his solid play. Bralon Addison had 92 yards on five catches.

THE BAD: Brown threw an interception and Addison and Ryquell Armstead each fumbled. The Lions had 165 yards rushing (99 of that from running back William Stanback, plus there was a big 51-yard run by Rourke).

THE UGLY: The hit on Acklin in the end zone and the way he hit the turf looked scary. There was mostly silence in the crowd for several minutes, while the receiver was carefully tended to, then put into an ambulance. It was terrific to hear he had been released from hospital and allowed to go home.

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