Another Tough Night for the Redblacks
The Ottawa Redblacks are in an early hole, dropping to 0-2 on the young CFL season after a deflating loss to the Toronto Argonauts — a game where quarterback Chad Kelly was simply too much to handle.
Kelly, a veteran pivot who knows how to exploit defensive weaknesses, carved up Ottawa's secondary with what looked like surgical precision. Whether it was finding open receivers underneath, pushing the ball down the field, or extending plays with his legs, he kept the Redblacks defence scrambling all night. Ottawa simply had no answer.
A Defence That Needs Answers
It's still early in the season, but the trend from Ottawa's first two games is hard to ignore — the defence is giving up way too many points. Being torched by an opponent's quarterback two games in is the kind of thing that gets coaches drawing on whiteboards late into the night.
Offensively, the Redblacks will also need to find a way to put points on the board more consistently. A 0-2 start creates pressure quickly in a CFL season where every game matters, and Ottawa can't afford to fall further behind in the standings.
What's Next: Road Trip Before Home Return
The schedule doesn't get easier. Ottawa now heads on the road to face the Montreal Alouettes — a perennial East Division powerhouse — before coming back to TD Place on July 3 to take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
That home game on July 3 will be a big one for Redblacks fans. Ottawa faithful have been patient through the rebuild years, and a home win in front of a pumped-up summer crowd could be exactly the spark this team needs. A loss, though, would push them to 0-3 and put real pressure on the coaching staff to make adjustments.
Reasons to Stay Optimistic
It's worth keeping perspective — two games in is two games in. The CFL season is long, and teams have come back from slow starts before. The Redblacks have talent on the roster, and with a bit of defensive tightening and offensive rhythm, this team could turn things around quickly.
Ottawa fans know better than most how quickly momentum can shift in this league. The July 3 home game against the Riders is circled on a lot of calendars — it's a chance to get right in front of the home crowd.
For now, though, the Redblacks have some serious film to watch and questions to answer before they can start climbing back up the standings.
Source: Ottawa Citizen
