Mitchell Blair
After an ominous meeting between the team’s two mascots at centerfield that ended peacefully,, the Ottawa REDBLACKS joined the CFL wars as they played their first ever game against the defending Grey Cup champs. While the REDBLACKS used the game to see what kind of team they have assembled, the Riders used it to see if questions swirling around the football team could be answered and they might have been in a 21-17 victory as there were several fine efforts from players looking to continue their pro football careers north of the border.
Darian Durant did not play for long, but when he did, he showed he was in complete control. The Riders quarterback was 7 for 8 for 76 yards and a touchdown. Durant says it was nice to shake off the rust and be successful.
“We were able to run the ball that gave us some good second and short situations,” Durant said. “With the number one guys in there we were able to move the ball. It was fun.”
While Durant was happy with the way the offense moved the ball during his time under center, he was also impressed with the complete package.
“It was good to get this dress rehearsal going. We have a lot of new guys in this locker room, so they need to get a feel for how the CFL goes, how fast the game is, and the different things and different coverages they’re going to see.” Durant stated. “It was just a great dress rehearsal for us.
Durant’s lone TD pass went to Brett Swain. The 29 year old is hoping to start a CFL career after some time in the NFL with the Packers and 49ers. With the loss of Weston Dressler, he is in the mix to be one of the starters in the slot. Swain was happy with the fact he caught two touchdown passes on the afternoon—the other coming courtesy Adam Weber, but he says touchdowns don’t guarantee employment.
“I’m happy with the way things went,” Swain said, “It was different for me playing in my first Canadian game, but I became more comfortable with each snap. There’s a lot of timing you have to get used to. I hope I made an impression on the coaching staff, but by doing more than catching touchdowns. You have to be someone who will do anything on the field. If all you are doing is making big plays and nothing else, you are hurting yourself. You have to be good at all facets of your game.”
Defensively, one question the team has is who will start at middle linebacker. Chad Kilgore may have ended the conversation. While only making one tackle, Kilgore was all over the field disrupting the Ottawa offence when he was on the field. Kilgore admitted after the contest, the game was faster than what he thought, but he credit’s the coaching staff for the training camp they put on because it was a great indicator as to what he was walking into.
“The speed was the biggest difference between the American and Canadian game for me. The pace was similar today though to what it was at camp because the coaches made sure we adjust to that quickly.” Kilgore said. “I have a few things I have to clean up and I’m certainly not going to say I’ve won the battle, but I was happy with the way things went. It was a good day.”
it’s now up to Coach Corey Chamblin and his staff to take a look at the film and make some decisions. He says there will be some tough decisions to make because several players did stand out.
“I’ll be looking at film all night and then we’ll make some cuts tomorrow, but it won’t be easy,” Chamblin told reporters with his young son Karter at his side. “One play won’t make or break whether a guy makes this team. We have seen what guys can do on the field in a game situation and we have seen what guys are doing during camp so we will put that together when making our decisions.”
The team won’t have a lot of rest. They will take Sunday off and then get back on the field Monday to get ready for their second and final pre-season game of the year. That goes Friday night at Mosaic Stadium against the Edmonton Eskimos. Game time is 7 p.m. The regular season opener is June 29 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a Grey Cup 101 rematch with kickoff that night at 5 p.m.
GAME NOTES
- For what was the first time in many years if not the first time ever, the Riders occupied the east sidelines. The game was technically a home game for the expansion REDBLACKS meaning the green-and-white took over the other side of the field
- The Riders 3rd TD of the day came courtesy of rookie defensive back Marshay Green. He returned a REDBLACKS 75 yards for what was the first touchdown of 2014 for the team
- Kory Sheets may be trying to crack the lineup of the NFL’s Oakland Raiders, but even though he is gone, the team’s desire to run the football remains. They had 175 yards rushing with Keith Toston having the most yards with 58
- Seth Doege may not win the 3rd string quarterback job, but he had fans buzzing in the 4th quarter when he took a big hit on the sidelines while trying to get a first down as he did a helicopter spin before crashing to the turf and bouncing back up.
