OH! Big mistakes hurt Redblacks in loss to Argos

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TORONTO – Four big mistakes – the explosive plays that head coach Paul LaPolice talks about being deciding factors in how a game can be balanced – killed the Ottawa Redblacks Wednesday night at BMO Field.

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One blocked punt, one screen pass and two interceptions. Four touchdowns for the Toronto Argos. And although Ottawa had a blocked punt for a touchdown of their own, it was game over: Argos 35, Redblacks 16.

The Redblacks defense was excellent in the first half. The offense got the ball moving, but he couldn’t finish the deal often enough. QB Caleb Evans, who led the Redblacks to a 34-24 win over Edmonton last week in his CFL debut, did some good things again (he completed 23 of 40 passes for 334 yards). But he also did some bad things, things that put the game out of his league. And special teams that are usually really special, let an Argo free down the middle for an easy, locked clearance.

Ottawa actually led 9-8 at halftime.

“Every time you lose, it’s frustrating,” said Redblacks wide receiver RJ Harris, who had four receptions for 84 yards. “You always want to come out on top. We were in the game the whole time. Take away those four plays. Although the scoreboard did not show it, we felt the energy on the bench. We watch the movie, we see where we went wrong, we correct those mistakes, we try not to make them again, and we keep moving forward. “

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“We went into halftime and talked about what we had to do in the second half,” LaPolice said. “We made a couple of critical mistakes. There is not much consolation (in losing). As I told the players, you either win or you learn. I wish we learned ”.

Evans discovered earlier in the day that there had been a shooting (with four injured) at Timberview High School in Arlington, TX. – the school where his younger brother Titus is.

“I found out around 11 this morning,” Evans said after the game. “I texted my brother as soon as I found out to make sure he was okay. He answered the text message, telling me the details. It is very sad. I’m still not sure what happened, but I’m glad everyone at home is safe. “

The Redblacks, with a 2-6 record, will be rEsume practicing on Friday in preparation for a Thanksgiving game in Montreal. LaPolice said Evans would be the team’s starting quarterback again.

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The Argos started the game at their 39-yard line and worked their way downfield, landing a 54-yard punt single from Boris Bede to take a 1-0 lead.

On Ottawa’s first play from scrimmage, Evans couldn’t find anything open and ran 22 yards down the middle. Evans then found Ryan Davis to complete 18 yards. After another first try, the Redblacks landed a 28-yard field goal from Lewis Ward to take a 3-1 lead.

A 28-yard finish for Harris brought the Redblacks to Toronto’s 35th. Ottawa settled for Ward’s 28-yard field goal and it went 6-1 2:50 in the second quarter.

Argos’ special teams, led by former Redblacks defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Mark Nelson, held a huge lead with 3:20 left in the second quarter when Dion Pellerin out-shoved the Redblacks blockers and blocked a Richie Leone clearance. Dejon Brissett picked up the ball and ran 23 yards into the end zone for a touchdown. The convert made it 8-6 for the locals.

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Ward’s 32-yard field goal put it 9-8 at Ottawa with 16 seconds left in the first half.

A beautifully set up screen pass, with McLeod Bethel-Thompson throwing it to running back DJ Foster, went for a 63-yard touchdown down the left sideline early in the third quarter. The two-point conversion attempt, a pass, was intercepted by Brandin Dandridge. It was 14-9 for the Argos.

Two plays in a row, the second a sack by Redblacks defensive lineman Cleyon Laing, pushed the Argos back deep into their own side. After a 16-yard return from DeVonte Dedmon, Ottawa started at 41 Toronto. After Evans headed a snap, he tried to throw a pass to Ryan Davis, but the ball was thrown into the air by Cordarro Law, intercepted by Dexter McCoil. and took 71 yards for a touchdown. The convert made it 21-9 for the Argos.

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A 21-yard touchdown pass to Damion Jeanpiere with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter made it 28-9 for Toronto.

Chris Edwards stopped in front of a pass destined for Anthony Coombs and ran 82 yards for a touchdown.

The Redblacks put up a great special teams game on their own, with Brendan Gillanders diving to block a Boris Bede punt and Frederic Chagnon picked up in the end zone for the touchdown with 11:30 left in the game, making it 35. -sixteen.

The Redblacks recovered the ball on a Chandler Worthy fumble on the kickoff return. The ball was knocked out by Dwayne Norman and recovered by Treshaun Abrahams-Webster. But after two and out, Ottawa left.

At third and less than a yard, the Argos posted 25 on their own and paid off with a first down.

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The Redblacks got the ball rolling, but another interception (Evans’ third of the game), this time hooked by Eli Mencer, gave Toronto the ball on their own 21.

Ottawa received a heavy penalty when Chagnon hit Bede after he had cleared. With 1:25 to play, the game was over.

SECOND AND LONG

The Redblacks defense was huge with just under five minutes to go in the first quarter, scoring a third and one for the Argos in the Ottawa 40. Abdul Kanneh and Micah Awe led the charge, stopping Argos QB Antonio well. Pipkin. close to the yard he needed … Good pass from a Don Unamba who bombed at 5 1/2 minutes into the second quarter. After a punt, Ottawa started a march on their own 46 … The first penalty of the game came 6:19 in the second quarter, with no yards at the Argos … Trivia: When the Redblacks left with two quarterbacks outfield with no CFL experience a week ago against Edmonton, it was the first time a CFL team did it since 1994 when Las Vegas did it with Anthony Calvillo and Len Williams … RJ Harris has now caught a pass in 22 straight games. .. With four return kicks for touchdowns in his first 11 CFL Games, DeVonte Dedmon was outscored only by Calgary’s Derrick Crawford (10 games in 1990)… Evans stopped a disturbing long-term trend for Ottawa quarterbacks. From 1981 to 2019, 23 different quarterbacks first started their careers in Ottawa. Only Kerry Joseph in 2003 (34-32 against the Argos) led them to victory. The other 22 first-time starters, including Will Arndt, Ryan Lindley and Brock Jensen with the Redblacks, lost their debut.