Was it perfect? No. Did it result in another victory for the boys in the red and black? Yes. It also resulted in the most passing yards Dru Brown has compiled in a single game as far back as I can track. I looked back at game logs during his stint with San Mateo Community College in 2015. He never topped 425 yards passing in college, and he had not even managed 400 yards of passing since November 21, 2015, against Chabot during a 76-55 victory.

Higher Stakes Lead to Career Performance

In this game, the margin of error was much smaller than it was on that November day nearly 9 years ago. Dueling a seasoned veteran on the opposite side of the field in Mcleod Bethel-Thompson. Both passers threw it 35 or more times, and both completed 68% of their passes or more. Brown came into this game having accounted for big plays in nearly every game, and to most receivers on the roster.

In week two it was Justin Hardy going for 42 yards, and Bralon Addison for 30 yards. In week three he had plays of 52, 43, 25, and 18 to Hardy, Rhymes, Acklin, and Mardner. In week four it was Acklin, Hardy, and Armstead for 28, 33, and 25. In this game, Brown and Ottawa’s offense took big plays to another level producing 70, 66, and 68-yard plays by Pimpleton, Rhymes, and Hardy. Of his 480 passing yards, 222 of them came after the catch. This breaks down to an average air yards of 9.92 yards per passing attempt. Dru Brown was dialed in during this game even if some errant throws still need to be corrected long term.

Brown completed passes to seven different receivers, in lieu of Bralon Addison playing, he developed a quick connection with stand-in Kalil Pimpleton. Pimpleton would finish with the biggest play of the day, 70 yards. He also finished with 3 other receptions on 5 total targets for 83 yards. Rhymes and Hardy also topped 100 yards on the day. This was Hardy’s third 100-yard game this season and the fifth total 100-yard game by a Redblacks receiver in just five games. At this time last season, Ottawa had not logged a single 100-yard game, in fact, they didn’t see their first 100-yard receiver until week 10 last year.

This Week was Huge for the Redblacks Playoff Hopes Long Term

The Redblacks currently stand 3-2 with wins over Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Hamilton. All three of those teams currently stand below them in the standings. One of their losses came to Winnipeg, and one loss came to Montreal. Montreal just fell to Toronto this week with Cody Fajardo getting injured, Winnipeg beat Calgary, and BC defeated the previously undefeated Roughriders.

Right now, BC and Montreal stand atop the standings in each division with a 5-1 record. Saskatchewan is a close second at 4-1. Toronto, and Ottawa both sit at 3-2. As of right now, Ottawa at worst is the 3 seed in the East division, and with the crossover rule, as long as they stay one win ahead of Calgary or Winnipeg, they will ensure they punch a ticket to the playoffs. We are nearly a third of the way through the season, and many of these scenarios can change drastically by the time the playoffs come around, but for now, it’s a good place to be. It’s up to Bob Dyce and company to continue finding ways to win tough games.

New Faces Make Large Impact in Week 6

The Redblacks were forced to turn to their depth at two positions in week 6 with Bralon Addison and Frankie Griffin both missing the game due to injury. This paved the way for Kalil Pimpleton and Davion Taylor to come in and start.

Kalil Pimpleton made big play after, big play in this game. First, it was a tough catch met with an immediate hit by a defender, then it was another tough catch. Soon after it was a 70-yard burst for a touchdown. By the end of the day he had caught 4 passes on 5 targets totalling 153 yards and 1 touchdown. He also added 1 kick return for 13 yards. Suddenly, Pimpleton went from depth piece, and virtual after thought to a player fans now expect to start the rest of the way due to one huge game.

Davion Taylor had an underrated performance in week five collecting 3 tackles on defense, and 3 on special teams. This week he got the start at Weakside linebacker and managed to make 4 tackles on defense, including 1 for a loss. He also hit a receiver just as the ball arrived resulting in an incomplete pass. In back-to-back weeks, Taylor already has 10 tackles as he begins to work his way into the defense more and more. In week three he also collected 3 special teams tackles. Not bad for a pair of guys who are technically CFL rookies.

Week Seven Rematch

In week seven, Ottawa will play host to the same Elks team they just defeated on the road thanks to a perfect day by Lewis Ward. On a day when the offense could not seem to finish drives with touchdowns, Ward was 5 of 5 on his field goal attempts, and 2 of 2 on extra points producing 17 of 37 points on the day. Ward has been playing as well as he ever has this season, and it has paid off in big-time moments for the Redblacks. He has converted 17 of 18 field goal attempts and 5 of 6 convert attempts. Will another week’s worth of preparation help Ottawa finish drives in the endzone and turn this close victory into a blowout win in week 7?

Turnovers

If not for two turnovers, this game could have gotten out of hand fairly early. The first turnover allowed the Elks to take an early lead in this game. Before the fumbled snap, the Redblacks were winning 3-0 and driving down the field. They had just crossed into Edmonton territory on a 13-yard pass to Jaelon Acklin. With the ball at the 45-yard line, the mishandled snap led to a 4-yard loss before it was recovered by Edmonton. The Elks were able to immediately turn this into a touchdown going up 7-3.

Late in the third quarter when Dru Brown threw the ill-advised pass that fell in the hands of Elks’ defender Kordell Jackson, Ottawa had just taken possession three plays earlier after forcing an Edmonton punt. The two plays before the interception were short passes to Justin Hardy that accounted for 12 yards bringing them up to the 21-yard line. The pass that resulted in an interception came on first down on a play when Brown was flushed from the pocket and forced to scramble to the right. I believe he came up short as he threw the ball between two Redblacks receivers, but this ball should have been thrown away due to the coverage at the time, of course, hindsight is always 20/20, and had Brown been able to put this pass on the money, maybe it changes everything for Ottawa. Luckily for the Redblacks their defense stepped up and forced a turnover on downs after Edmonton missed a field goal.

This game was not far from turning into an Ottawa loss. If not for a turnover by Edmonton in the second quarter, and a missed field goal in the fourth quarter, this game could have ended a completely different way. Ottawa was on the lucky end of this one, but they may not get so lucky the next time, if they cannot clean up some of these bone head mistakes, and it doesn’t just stop in the turnover department.

Defense Allows Elks Back in the Game, Only To Shut Them Down When It Matters Most

Jovan Santos-Knox had two sacks in this game, while Alonzo Addae and Ardarius Pickett combined for the only turnover forced on the day. Michael Wakefield added a sack. Lorenzo Mauldin IV, and Davion Taylor each produced tackles for a loss. Ottawa also had two sacks taken away via penalty.

The turnover caused by Pickett and Addae allowed Ottawa to score a touchdown before half and bring the game back within one score after Edmonton had taken a 15-3 lead. This was a direct result of the fumble lost by Ottawa which gave the Elks a short field early in the game. Edmonton took advantage and nearly had a commanding lead heading into halftime.

Taylor also broke up a pass helping prevent Edmonton from putting points on the board after the interception thrown by Dru Brown. Mauldin’s tackle for a loss directly resulted in a two-and-out by Edmonton, despite an offsides penalty on James Peter during the drive. If not for Mauldin’s tackle for a 5-yard loss, this penalty would have resulted in a first down for Edmonton.

In the fourth quarter, the defense forced the end of a drive and nearly created another turnover in the process. On first down MBT dropped back to pass, only for Wakefield to burst through the line and swallow him up. MBT lost the ball in the process but was able to fall on it. On second and 17 knowing Edmonton had no choice but to pass, Barron Miles dialed up a blitz sending Jovan Santos-Knox who crashed through the line and managed another sack, this time for a 10-yard loss. This drive resulted in a net loss of 3 yards for Edmonton and resulted in a punt. On the following drive, the Redblacks kicked a field goal to bring the score to 31-18.

Ottawa had ANOTHER sack removed by a penalty. This time Blessman Ta’ala had sacked Bethel-Thompson on 1st and goal from the 7-yard line, but Cleyon Laing was called for roughing the passer. The play goes from a 5-yard loss to a 3-yard gain and an automatic first down for Edmonton. The Elks scored on the very next play.

Ottawa nearly stopped another touchdown drive by Edmonton on three separate occasions. With just over two minutes left in the game, the Elks took possession of the ball down by 7. After a quick first down conversion by Edmonton, Ottawa stood tall and forced a third and 6. MBT found Eugene Lewis for 7 yards to convert another first down. Two plays later MBT finds Lewis again this time for 22 yards. On 1st and 10, Jovan Santos-Knox gets his second sack of the game, but Lorenzo Mauldin IV comes up injured as well. On second and 11 the defense forces an incomplete pass this time forcing 3rd and 11. MBT looks for Lewis deep and comes up incomplete but Ottawa shoots themselves in the foot with a pass interference penalty resulting in a 21-yard gain. Ottawa’s defense stops Dakota Prukop twice from the 1-yard line only for him to punch it in on third down for a touchdown. Boris Bede makes the convert attempt and ties the game.

If Ottawa is going to beat Edmonton in week seven, these things can not continue to happen. Mistakes are nearly unavoidable, but it’s the gravity and timing of these mistakes that have proven to be tough to overcome for Ottawa. Even in victory, Ottawa seems to make a handful of costly mistakes each week.

While I have lauded Bob Dyce and his staff in the past for their ability to install discipline, this week was a show that even while they have improved overall, there is still a lot of room for improvement by this 3-2 team that has won those three games by a combined 9 points. They have been outscored by opponents by 26 points so far this season. Losing to Winnipeg by 9 points, and Montreal by 26 points, with the defense allowing an average of 29.4 points per game through five games so far. Barron Miles might feel his seat start to get warm if this defense continues to allow points in droves. Currently his unit is allowing an average of 29.4 points per game.

Injury Report and Depth Chart

Redblacks fans will be happy to hear that Kalil Pimpleton will get a chance to start at wide receiver once again after exploding on the scene last week against Edmonton. However, it comes at the cost of Devonte Dedmon who is on the injury list this week, with Bralon Addison returning but listed as a back-up likely due to his health. Pimpleton’s performance in week 6 turned heads but I believe it is his ability to play special teams, and the injury to Dedmon that gave him another start this week. Perhaps they should try and get Pimpleton involved in the run game similar to how they have been using Justin Hardy, Bralon Addison, and Devonte Dedmon. It would appear Pimpleton has the burst to make it a dangerous part of the offense.

At linebacker, Frankie Griffin is still out, but Tyron Vrede has returned to the field. Davion Taylor will start at weakside linebacker once again. If he continues performing like he did over the last few weeks, he may usurp Griffin in the starting lineup. James Peter will suit up for this game as well. He has been the main beneficiary of the depth Ottawa needed to keep on the active roster at linebacker. He has been asked to make the leap to the active roster each time an injury has occurred. This is certainly a good way to slowly develop a recent draft pick.

The biggest injury news of the week may be at right tackle. Zach Pelehos has returned to the injury list. This time Jacob Ruby, and not former first-round pick Dontae Bull will get the start. This is an interesting decision by the Redblacks however, this could be tied to whatever made him a healthy scratch last week. This is a situation to monitor, as this may spell the beginning of the end for Bull if they trust Ruby more, and Pelehos returns. At that point, Bull is a luxury, and not as much of a necessity even with his ability to play both sides of the line.

Chris Jones Relieved of Duties

After this loss, Edmonton’s Head Coach and General Manager was relieved of his duties. This comes after an 8-33 record in just over two seasons with the Elks. The one-time NFL coach likely wishes he never resigned from Saskatchewan after signing a contract extension with the Roughriders in 2019. Alas, Jones may never be a head coach or general manager in the CFL again. Could we see him resurface as a candidate for Defensive Coordinator positions in the near future?

With Jones gone, Offensive Coordinator Jarious Jackson has been promoted to Interim Head Coach. All indications are he will retain play-calling duties as well. Edmonton also looked to improve their pass rush by hiring recent CFL defensive lineman Almondo Sewell as their defensive line coach replacing Nate O’Neal who opted to resign from his position.

Also promoted in this process was Assistant General Manager Geroy Simon who has been a hot name for General Manager openings in the recent past Ottawa even expressed interest in Simon before hiring Shawn Burke in 2022. All three men have an opportunity to make these jobs permanent if they show any sort of promise in there roles this season. As far as Simon goes, he should be considered the favorite to be Edmonton’s General Manager in 2025, but nothing can be counted out with the potential of a new ownership group coming in. They may want to blow up the staff and start over.

Run it Back in Week 7

I could sit here and run through all the keys to victory for the Redblacks however, they just put the blueprint to beating Edmonton on film last week, despite the many mistakes on Ottawa’s side. You just spent the last ten minutes reading exactly those details and more about last week. This week’s single key to victory is the K.I.S.S. method. Short for Keep it Simple Stupid, the Redblacks should not overthink this match-up, and focus on self-scouting and figuring out how to fix the errors from last week.

Their mistakes nearly cost them the game early, and if it happens again in week 7, I am not so sure the Elks will not find victory behind their new interim Head Coach. Ottawa is the better team by a long shot, Dru Brown and company proved that last week even while getting away from the run game where they house one of the most efficient and explosive runners in the CFL in 2024. As long as Ottawa can focus on playing as close to mistake-free football as possible this week, they should find their fourth victory of the season and put themselves firmly in the running for a playoff spot.

How to Watch

This game kicks off at 7 pm Eastern Time and will be broadcast on TSN, as well as for free on CFL+.

Betting Odds, and Prediction

In this game, my sponsor BetUS has the Redblacks listed as 1-point favorites even while being the home team, and a week following a win over Edmonton in their house. In my opinion, this is easy money to win this week, and you can pocket even more when you sign up using my link and get a 125% match bonus on your first three deposits of $50 or more.

I believe Ottawa will win this game, and cover the spread if you bet now before it slides back in Ottawa’s favor. I think Edmonton will come into this game with some renewed energy, and focus, but I still believe Ottawa will find a way to win. It may even be another late score that puts them over the top this week. The Over/Under is set at 53 points, and the money line is -115 Ottawa and -105 Edmonton. If I was a betting man I would be taking Ottawa, and the over.

I have Ottawa winning 35-33, while my co-host picked Edmonton 34-30. That being said go place those over bets now!

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