CFL.ca
Ottawa –
The Ottawa REDBLACKS are rolling, but they know they can’t ease up on the gas.
Their busiest stretch of the season continues on Thursday night as they host the Montreal Alouettes at TD Place. And with only three games between the last-place Alouettes and the first-place Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the REDBLACKS sitting between, it’s a contest that will shape the entire East Division outlook the rest of the way.
Ottawa can’t take this latest test lightly no matter what the standings say.
“We’ve seen these guys a few times this season,” quarterback Henry Burris told OttawaREDBLACKS.com. “Very physical team, these guys fly around. They look to take your heads off.
“We have to make sure we’re on top of our game and ready to counter and make plays against whatever they do.”
This season has been a storybook one so far for the REDBLACKS. After just two wins a year ago, they’ve rebounded to win seven of their first 12 games this season. They own the league’s top offence and second most productive defence, while in the standings they’re just a game back of the first-place Ticats.
Perhaps most impressive this year has been the play of Burris, a leading candidate for Most Outstanding Player. Burris was named the Shaw Top Performer for the month of September and while the team isn’t in any spot to celebrate, the accomplishment is a sign of just how far the REDBLACKS have come.
“To me it means a lot, showing that the progress we’ve made as an offence and as a group collectively throughout the season and getting better and starting to hit our stride when it counts the most,” said Burris.
“This is truly an honour for us to be able to get this together and show that we’re moving in the right direction,” he added. “Now it’s all about continuing and making sure we use this to carry it over to the field and help our team get victories as well.”
Burris leads the CFL with 3,611 passing yards and boasts a 97.8 quarterback rating to go with it. Helped by a shiny new set of receivers, a new offensive coordinator and a bolstered offensive line, the 40-year-old shows no sign of his age.
Last season was one of the worst of Burris’ career, but it’s like he’s discovered the fountain of youth while his team has emerged as a true CFL contender. Yet with four home games in 21 days and a three-game stretch in 11 days, the REDBLACKS can’t sit on their laurels.
Thursday, they realize, will provide their greatest measuring stick.
“The big thing is just to get the legs back and get fresh again,” said Campbell. “Both teams are up against that this week so we’re on a level playing field as far as that goes.
“So that’s the big key, to get the mind refreshed and the body refreshed and away you go.”
It’s one big game after another for the REDBLACKS, who will barely have time to break down Thursday’s game before taking on the Argos on Tuesday. The REDBLACKS currently sit tied for second in the East and by all indications so far are a true Grey Cup contender.
Yet just when a path to a home playoff game seemed clearly lit, a 35-26 loss at home to the Argos last Saturday muddied the waters. The Alouettes can really muddy those waters with a win on Thursday, something Head Coach and General Manager Jim Popp’s team will be keen on doing.
The Als have been inconsistent this year but it’s understandable given the ups and downs they’ve faced at the quarterback position. On Thursday they’ll turn back to 23-year-old Rakeem Cato, who the team feels provides that little extra something the Alouettes could really use right about now.
“Absolutely,” replied Popp, asked whether Cato electrifies his teammates the same way he electrifies a stadium when he’s on the field. “He’s an exciting player.
“They all get excited when he’s on the field. They sure do.”
Cato stepped in for the Als early in the season and threw nine touchdowns to go with nine interceptions, compiling a quarterback rating of 94.1 while completing 68.9 per cent of his passes. That kind success is rare for a 23-year-oald rookie in the CFL, and Cato’s given the Als plenty of reasons to trust he’s their quarterback of the future.
On Thursday he’ll have the opportunity to show the CFL that both he and the Alouettes are for real, a win pulling Montreal within two games of first place in the East. Cato said there’s no doubt he feels the urgency.
“The time has been put in, my number is up again,” said Cato. “There’s no let down or time for mistakes, it’s the must-win season right now for us and we have to find a way to get the ‘W’, and it starts with me.”
The Alouettes dropped a 33-21 decision to the Riders on Sunday, scoring just a single point in the opening half and facing a 23-5 deficit heading into the fourth quarter. Jonathan Crompton was dinged up in the loss and by the time Cato entered the game and provided a spark, the outcome was already certain.
Inconsistency has certainly plagued the Alouettes this season, but at 5-7 they’re within close striking distance in the East. In the meantime, they’ve done enough to own at least a playoff spot by way of the West Division crossover.
Popp said the Als can be as good as any team out there.
“I think there are a lot of teams in this league that are pretty equal, no matter what the records are,” said Popp. “Anybody can beat anybody any day on anybody’s field, so I think there’s a lot of confidence that we have just as much a shot of winning as they do.
“I think once we start having some success, then it’s just going to take off,” Popp added. “The confidence will be there.”
Cato, meanwhile, will look to seize the spotlight as he returns to the role of starting quarterback. Cato is 0-1 this season in games against the REDBLACKS, and the most important thing, he believes, is to avoid overthinking and just play football.
“Not thinking – not thinking too much, not overthinking,” said Cato. “Just seeing what I see and just playing ball, playing free, playing with passion and playing with a lot of fun out there.
“I kind of felt that after the interception on Sunday,” he added. “I just feel like as long as I keep playing hard and playing with aggression and bringing energy to the ball club I’ll be alright.”
