Is this Ottawa Team the Worst in CFL History?
Figure There has been very little to cheer about in Ottawa this season - Source: Unsplash
Ottawa has never been one of the most successful cities when it comes to Canadian Football. Even in its team’s latest incarnation, aside from a few impressive seasons around ten years ago, there has been little to cheer about when it comes to the Redblacks. But this year has been something else.
At the time of writing, Ottawa has lost all ten of its regular season games, extending a losing streak that began at the tail end of last term to 16. Although the Redblacks will not now play most of the better teams in the CFL before the end of the campaign, there is a real chance that this team will be the first to ever record a winless season in the modern CFL era.
CFL fans may still be keen to learn how to choose a Canadian sportsbook to back their favorite teams, but it is very unlikely that the Redblacks will be under consideration. With that in mind, can we now say that this Ottawa team is the worst the CFL has ever seen?
Low Expectations
Last season the Ottawa Redblacks finished with six straight losses that suggested that there would be further problems in the 2026 CFL season. An overhaul of personnel, on and off the field of play, was seen as the only way to change things around. We now know that has not changed a single thing.
The Redblacks were projected to finish with the worst record in the league, even with the appointment of Grey Cup-winning head coach Ryan Dinwiddle. His tactical changes have not worked, and now Ottawa is exceeding expectations of a dismal season, only in the sense that it is performing even worse than anyone expected.
Opponents With Something to Play For
For Ottawa not to be considered the worst team we have ever seen in the CFL era of Canadian football, it will somehow have to win at least one game before the end of the 2026 regular season. There are many reasons why even that relatively simple task may not be achieved, including how opponents are treating games against the Redblacks.
The very best teams might now be off the slate for Ottawa, but with a six-team playoff format, even some of the others will still have something to play for in the coming weeks. The Redblacks may benefit from playing Toronto and Hamilton at the end of the season, but is there any guarantee that Ottawa’s own players will not just want this year to end by that point?
Most League Losses Streak
As much as it is difficult to see Ottawa winning even one game this year, for this team to be considered the worst ever, we really have to take a look at the history books. The Redblacks already have the longest losing streak in the modern era, but there is still time to turn things around before it gets historically bad.
Teams representing Ottawa unfortunately have some form in this regard. The longest losing streak in Canadian football history belongs to the Senators and Rough Riders, who combined to lose 25 in a row from 1928 to 1932. To beat that record, the Redblacks would have to keep losing into next season. But, at the current time, that prediction is far from outlandish.
Predictable Failures
Losing every single game is surely enough to dampen the enjoyment of sports for any Redblacks fan, but the manner of defeats that doesn’t help the situation. Losses have become far too predictable, with even slight glimmers of hope quickly erased as games move into their later stages.
Although the Ottawa defense has been at fault on numerous occasions this season, many fans are more depressed about how predictable the team is with the ball. Opposing defensive coordinators have found it far too easy to figure out what play is coming next, and that has stifled Ottawa’s chances of coming back into games, even when there is the opportunity to do so.
Another Overhaul Needed?
When professional sports teams find themselves in the position where Ottawa currently resides, it is natural to think that a complete overhaul and reset is needed to change things around. But the Redblacks only just did that a few months ago, making another set of big changes a risky move.
August saw some very big names leave the organization, and there will be a feeling, even amongst some of the most disgruntled fans, that the new hierarchy should be given more time to get things right. There are on-field changes that need to be made in the offseason, but stability is probably key at the moment – and an acceptance that things might remain bad for a while in the hope that there will be an improvement next season.
Figure There might have to be small steps to improvement for Ottawa - Source: Unsplash
One Win Might Change Things
There is very little that Redblacks fans can cling to at the current time that will make them feel any better, and not believe that this team may well be the worst the Canadian Football League has ever seen. A winless season would certainly add weight to that argument, but maybe all this team needs is one win.
A 1-17 record is not one to shout about, but if Ottawa does manage to overcome an opponent before the end of the season, especially at the end of the campaign, it might be just the spark the team needs. Patronizing the Redblacks with faint praise is not what is needed, but a win might recapture some belief in what Dinwiddle is hoping to achieve at the club. This team is not the worst ever in the history of the CFL – at the moment – and a win might make all the difference in the long run.