Ottawa's home crowd didn't get the result they wanted on Thursday, as the RedBlacks were beaten by the Edmonton Elks in a game where Rankin and Edmonton's defence were the deciding factors, according to CFL.ca.
What Happened
Details from the wire remain limited, but the headline result is clear: Edmonton controlled the game behind a strong defensive effort and a standout performance from Rankin, leaving Ottawa searching for answers on both sides of the ball. For a RedBlacks squad that plays its home games at TD Place in the Glebe, any loss to a divisional rival stings a little more in front of the local faithful.
The Bigger Picture for Ottawa
The RedBlacks have long been one of the city's most passionate sports communities, with TD Place regularly drawing a boisterous crowd even in seasons where the wins have been hard to come by. Thursday's result is another data point in what's been a challenging stretch for the club, and it's the kind of game that tends to get dissected on Ottawa sports radio and around water coolers across the city for days.
Edmonton's defence has been a recurring thorn in the side of CFL offences this season, and Ottawa joins a growing list of teams that have struggled to move the ball consistently against them. For a RedBlacks offence trying to find rhythm, coming up against a defence playing with that much confidence is never an easy assignment.
What's Next
As is typical in the CFL's condensed schedule, there's little time to dwell on a loss. The RedBlacks will look to regroup quickly, with coaching staff likely turning their attention to correcting whatever breakdowns allowed Edmonton's defence to dictate the pace of Thursday's game. For Ottawa fans, the hope is that the team can use this result as a learning moment rather than a sign of things to come.
City guide readers who follow the RedBlacks closely know that resilience has been part of the franchise's identity since it returned to the CFL in 2014 — and turning around a tough loss like this one will be the next test of that character.
Source: CFL.ca, via Google News
