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Redblacks' Chris Williams, Henry Burris put CFL 'on notice'

Redblacks' Chris Williams, Henry Burris put CFL 'on notice'

The longest pass play so far this season affirmed that Henry Burris and Chris Williams are on the same wavelength.

The Ottawa Redblacks' biggest preseason acquisition took over the Canadian Football League receiving lead with his 162 yards on seven catches during the 29-26 overtime win over the defending champion Calgary Stampeders that capped off a week where the bench-Burris brigade had more than equal time in the national capital region. The big night was highlighted by Williams toasting Calgary cornerback Buddy Jackson on an 84-yard pass-and-run score that gave the Redblacks (3-2) their first lead with 6:50 left in the fourth quarter, although it was also about how Williams had a string of chain-moving catches while working as the boundary wide receiver.

That was how the tandem worked two seasons ago in Hamilton, before Williams tried his hand at the NFL.

"It's been a work in progress," Williams said. "This is Week 5 and you can see some evolution in our offence. We even left some stuff on the field today. I had some drops and some other guys had some drops. We can clean it up and be more efficient.

"Hank and I are good. We always know what we're trying to do on the field. On that touchdown, it was stride-for-stride. Perfect."

Ottawa, which won despite having only 33 rushing yards, faced far too many second-and-longs for anyone's linking in front of 23,018 at TD Place. It had a rare second-and-five at its 26 midway through the fourth when Jackson played press coverage against Williams, the lone receiver on the short side. The play went for 84, but the ball was in the air for maybe 30 as Williams outpaced the entire secondary of the Stampeders to put Ottawa ahead for the first time at 26-23. It could have been a great exclamation point on the second-year team's win over the Stampeders (3-2), but football is never that neat and tidy.

"That's why he's the big playmaker that he is," said Burris, who was 28-for-43 for 389 yards, including 8-for-8 for 144 in the final quarter. "Calgary came down into a press-man situation and Chris got a great release inside. Once he slipped him inside, I knew to put it out there and just let the kid go and get it and he did just that."

The play was a reminder that Ottawa is infinitely more potent than it was in Year 1.

"Fear factor is a big thing in playing defence," coach Rick Campbell said. "Chris was catching a lot underneath because they were giving him cushion. When they finally came up on them Chris was able to get behind him."

Williams also shook off dropping a touchdown pass in the second quarter after coming open on a pump-and-go route. The drop was moot since Burris hooked up with Greg Ellingson, another former Ticat, for a touchdown on the next play. Regardless, Williams kept coming back on his new team's latest landmark night.

"Having a share of first going into the bye put everyone on notice that we're here and you have to come to work to beat us," he said.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @naitSAYger.