CFL.ca
CFL.ca Staff
TORONTO — With the 2014 calendar year coming to a close and the focus shifting to the off-season, CFL.ca takes a league-wide look at what went down in 2014 — one team at a time. We start with a look at the Ottawa REDBLACKS.
The REDBLACKS made a splash with their return to CFL action in 2014, but not in the standings after finishing with a league-worst record. Still, there’s a lot to be positive about when it comes to this young franchise entering 2015.
Here’s a look at the year of ups and downs for the league’s latest addition.
| CFL.ca Season Rewind |
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 The Stampeders are champions after a season full of peaks and valleys for every team in the CFL. Follow along as CFL.ca takes a look at the season that was and looks ahead to 2015 where every team hopes to stand at the top of the heap in Winnipeg. CFL.ca Season Rewind |
Overview:
After starting their season with a bye week, the REDBLACKS started play on the field with a bang in Week 2, scoring touchdowns on all three first-quarter possessions to own a 21-7 first-quarter lead. They couldn’t sustain their booming start however as the Bombers battled back for the win to hand Ottawa a loss in its first game back.
The REDBLACKS battled back with a win in their home opener against the Argos in Week 4, putting them at 1-2 and still in the middle of a four-way race in the East Division. But nine straight losses after that ended any hopes of making the playoffs, as the other three teams pulled away before a 42-20 win over the Bombers in Week 15.
It was a season characterized by tremendous week-to-week progression on defence, but struggles in a first-year offence led by a veteran in Henry Burris but supported by a rookie core of playmakers.
The Good:
Six of Ottawa’s losses game by a single score or less, while 10 losses were by 10 points or fewer. In most of the other games, the REDBLACKS still managed to keep it close throughout the first three quarters before the opposition could finally pull away in the fourth.
Also promising for the REDBLACKS is the emergence of many young players on the defensive side of the ball, including 2014 draft pick Antoine Pruneau and fellow rookie Travis Brown. Jasper Simmons also broke out in a big way for the REDBLACKS, leading the team and ranking fourth in the CFL with 80 tackles.
The Bad:
A nine-game losing streak right in the middle of the season sidelined any hope the REDBLACKS had of making the playoffs during their inaugural season. Three of those losses were by three points or less, including a 10-8 loss to Edmonton; a 7-5 loss to BC; and a 35-32 loss to Saskatchewan in overtime.
The three other teams in the East struggled over the first part of the season and the REDBLACKS stayed on par, but they just couldn’t break out of the funk as the rest eventually pulled away.
Highlight of the Season:
Ottawa’s 18-17 win over the Argos on July 18th was one the city will always remember. In the first game ever at TD Place in front if a sold out, amped up stadium, the REDBLACKS stymied Ricky Ray and the Argos’ explosive attack, eventually winning the game on a Brett Mahar with just 28 seconds left.
The game was sealed on a last-play interception on Ray as the Argos moved towards field goal range, sending the hometown crowd into frenzy.
Potential Departures:
The REDBLACKS’ free agent list is a short one, led by 2014 impact players Miles Wallace, Dobson Collins and Jonathan Williams. Joe Eppele is due to become a free agent after missing last season with due to surgery on his shoulder, and after struggling up front the REDBLACKS could use his services in 2015.
| CFL.ca REDBLACKS Columnist |
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Don Campbell » Don Campbell’s REDBLACKS coverage |
Here’s the list of REDBLACKS due to hit free agency on Feb. 10, 2015:
Dobson Collins, WR, International
Joe Eppele, OL, National
Moton Hopkins, DL, International
Alexander Krausnick-Groh, OL, National
Miles Wallace, WR, International
Jason Pottinger, LB, National
Jonathan Williams, RB, International
Why they’ll win the Grey Cup in 2015:
The REDBLACKS will be disappointed with their first season in the league, but showed better than their record indicates. The beginning of a young core that includes some solid Canadian content is in place, while the defence made headway as the season continued.
If that defence can stay together and build on its first year in the league led by young players like Pruneau, the REDBLACKS should take a step forward. The bigger question will be on the offensive side of the ball, where Ottawa was the worst in the league.
Jason Maas has been tasked with righting the ship there after joining the REDBLACKS as an offensive coordinator from the Argos, one of the league’s most successful offences of the last three years. Maas worked closely with Ray, Scott Milanovich and Marcus Brady – three of the brighter offensive minds in football – and will bring his knowledge to the Nation’s Capital.
In a number of games last season, the REDBLACKS kept things close through at least the fourth quarter and then failed to finish in the end. Part of the reason for that was the inability of the offence to stay on the field, and a tired defence as a result.
If Maas can bring over the Argos’ offensive blueprint for success, the REDBLACKS will be a different team in 2015. Both the Eskimos and Bombers engineered solid turnarounds in 2014, and there’s no reason the REDBLACKS can’t accomplish similar.
Next up, we look at the Bombers season that was. Keep a close eye on CFL.ca for the next 2014 season rewind.
