THE CANADIAN PRESS
The Ottawa REDBLACKS have looked good to start the 2016 season. In fact, they’ve been downright scary on the offensive side of the ball, because so far, no one has shown the ability to meaningfully slow them down. The man leading that Ottawa offence isn’t who the team had envisioned heading into the season which leaves Ottawa in a very interesting dilemma a few weeks down the road.
Decision looming
We all knew the REDBLACKS were going to have to make a tough choice between Trevor Harris and Henry Burris at some point down the road. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I certainly didn’t think that choice was going to come in the first half of this season. Well, with the way the former has played since Burris was injured in Week 1, that decision seems to be very much in the offing.
Let’s just run down what Harris has done in his roughly six quarters of work this season. Ottawa’s big off-season signing has thrown a grand total of eight incomplete passes on 45 attempts; he has a touchdown to interceptions ratio of 6:0; and he’s averaging more than 15 yards per completion. Yeah, that’s pretty good.
I know, I know, you’re yelling at me about the sample size right now, and I get it. Six quarters of football is not enough time for a team to make a definitive judgment. In reality, though, Harris’s sample size is much bigger than what we’ve seen the last two weeks in red and black.
Remember, Harris was in the Most Outstanding Player conversation for most of last season, and for good reason. Harris led the league with 33 passing touchdowns and finished third with 4,354 passing yards. Yeah, Ricky Ray supplanted him at the end of the season and into the playoffs, but that doesn’t change Harris’s high quality 2015 campaign.
The point is Harris is not an unknown commodity. The REDBLACKS targeted him in free agency because they wanted him to be their quarterback of the future. But they also knew Harris was capable of being a number one guy right now and he’s proven them right in the early stages of this season. When Burris is ready to return in a few weeks, Ottawa will be making its decision based on more than just Harris’s work in relief.
So what is the best course of action for the REDBLACKS once they actually have to make their choice? It’s obviously tough to forecast with a great deal of certainty because we don’t know how Harris going to play or how long Burris is going to be on the shelf.
One thing I do know, however, is it would be tough to go away from Harris if he continues in a similar groove. I’m all for the notion of not losing your job to injury, but if I’m head coach Rick Campbell, I’m not rushing Burris back. If Harris is still playing well, which is very likely, then I don’t go away from him until I feel I have to. It may not fit the typical football narrative, but it could very well be best for the team.
WEEK 2 QUICK HITS
» Harris lights out again in REDBLACKS’ win
» Lions spoil Ticats’ home-opener
» Argos get Lemon from Riders
» Stamps in dominant form in win over Bombers
» Nye: Riders much improved but have a ways to go
Trevor Harris drops back to pass in Week 2 action in Montreal (The Canadian Press)
In the end, these are good problems to have, as difficult as they might be. Unlike Harris, Burris wasn’t just in MOP consideration last year; he was the guy who won the award. Having that to fall back on is a luxury to have if you’re Ottawa, the same way having Harris as backup to the start the season was. I’d rather be in their situation than crossing off dates on the calendar until Burris returns.
We all knew the REDBLACKS were going to have to give the ball to Harris permanently at some point down the road. The fact they might be faced with that decision before the 2016 season is half done, though, is considerably more surprising.
Ominous start
It has been an ugly start to 2016 for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. They’ve lost convincingly to the Alouettes and, most recently, the Calgary Stampeders on Friday night. Don’t let those scores fool you, either, because Winnipeg hasn’t really been overly competitive in its first eight quarters of the season.
The big challenge now is for the Bombers not to panic, because now more than ever, they need to stay the course.
I’ll tell you what I mean by that. Right now, Winnipeg has looked dreadful. Its passing game has been anemic when games have still been in reach and the ground game has struggled. If this continues, I would totally understand wanting to shake things up. The Bombers can’t afford to do that, though.
General Manager Kyle Walters really does need to be careful. For a struggling team like the Bombers are right now, a “shake up” move typically consists of trading away Canadian draft picks for help right now. The problem for the Bombers is that line of thinking has been their biggest downfall in recent years.
Winnipeg has missed the playoffs the last four seasons and six of its last seven campaigns. The number one reason why is a lack of homegrown, Canadian talent. The only way back to prominence is by rebuilding that base. Trading away picks is not a good way of accomplishing that.
The Bombers were very active in free agency, which is just fine. Adding Harris, Ryan Smith, and Justin Medlock, among others, is going to help this team. Free agency is a way to add players to your roster for, well, free, without having to give up assets. Harris is going to come around and Medlock is only starting to show his worth in Winnipeg.
The Bombers are only 0-2 and this season is more than salvageable despite what has been a very mediocre start. If things don’t turn around, though, Walters has to guard against sacrificing the future of his club. I know fans in Winnipeg are impatient and I know there is a lot of pressure to win right now. But continuing to build up a Canadian base is the long term solution for the Bombers and I hope that is their priority, regardless of their record.
Quick hits
Shawn Lemon has a new opportunity with the Toronto Argonauts, but he has to make sure he takes advantage of it. The Riders traded Lemon to Toronto over the weekend when it was clear things weren’t going to work out in Regina. Well, now it’s time to make things work with the Argos.
Lemon was not happy with the way he was being used in Saskatchewan, but equally, the team wasn’t thrilled with him. Lemon requested a trade and got his wish, but it’s on him to use this change of scenery as a positive. The guy is still one of the league’s most feared edge rushers and his numbers last year in Ottawa prove that. Now let’s see him show that once again in double blue.
Solomon Elimimian says he’s not surprised with how well the BC Lions have played so far, but I’m not ashamed to say I am. After a solid win over Calgary to open the season, the Lions dismantled the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday night to move to 2-0.
It’s what they’re doing on the defensive side of the ball that sticks out most. Ticats quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was lights out in week one, but was rendered ineffective for four quarters against the Lions. It’s nice to see Elimiman and Adam Bighill reunited and I always enjoy watching Ryan Phillips make an impact like he did against Hamilton. It’s only two games, but a tip of the hat is in order for the Lions.
