Redblacks look more like an expansion team in problematic 27-11 loss to Eskimos Friday

The Ottawa Redblacks' regular-season debut in Week Two was a promising 36-28 loss to Winnipeg, but their encore Friday, a 27-11 loss to Edmonton, suggests this team still has a lot of work to do before it's regularly competitive. The defence started off well, but was eventually undone by the Eskimos' in-game adjustments, while the offence and special teams never really got going. Add that up, plus the Redblacks' fade after the first quarter last week, and it seems clear that head coach Rick Campbell and his staff will have to do more for this team to get anywhere this year.

It was the Ottawa offence that was particularly problematic, as they couldn't get anywhere against Edmonton's defence for most of the night. The Eskimos recorded five sacks (three from Almondo Sewell) and put quarterback Henry Burris under pressure for much of the rest of the game, which certainly contributed to his less-than-stellar 13 completions on 25 attempts (52 per cent) for just 134 yards. However, there were other issues at play in the passing game too; the Redblacks' receivers often didn't seem to be on the same page as Burris, sometimes turning the wrong way or running the wrong route, and when they were able to get open, he wasn't able to hit them. The running game wasn't much help either; yes, Chevon Walker finished with 92 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, but apart from one 65-yard touchdown run, he was rather bottled up.

A large overall offensive failing was the lack of in-game adjustments, something that also was huge in the Winnipeg game. The Redblacks proved unable to adapt to what was and wasn't working, not supporting the linemen who had trouble against the pass rush or switching to quicker-developing routes and not being deceptive enough in either the running or passing games. Sure, Edmonton head coach/defensive coordinator Chris Jones is known for his complex and effective coverage schemes, and those certainly helped make life tough for Ottawa. However, Campbell and offensive coordinator Mike Gibson may have to start working up some in-game adjustments if this team's going to get anywhere.

Redblacks' defensive coordinator Mark Nelson's unit was more impressive Friday, holding Edmonton in check until the half (at which point Ottawa led 7-2). However, the offensive struggles meant the Redblacks' defence was trapped on the field for long periods of the second half, and they eventually broke down. Their prime issue was not being able to contain Eskimos' slotback Adarius Bowman, who had nine catches for 140 yards and three touchdowns. It wasn't just him, though; quarterback Mike Reilly completed 22 of his 33 passes (66.6 per cent), throwing for 256 yards and three touchdowns while adding 48 rushing yards on eight attempts, and running back John White took flight in the second half after a slow start, finishing with 99 yards on 15 carries (6.6 yards per carry). Sure, some of that was on fatigue, but other parts of it came from defensive miscues, and it's curious why Ottawa didn't blanket Bowman more once he started to find success.

There's still plenty of potential on this Redblacks' team, and their season is far from lost. However, Friday's game illustrated the growing pains an expansion team can face; unlike everyone else in the CFL, they have no continuity from last year, so they have a completely new roster of players adjusting to each other and to the coaches' schemes. (That may be a reason why the Ottawa offence has looked predictable and not highly flexible thus far; perhaps they haven't been able to install too many complicated elements or adjustments, given that their roster is a giant hodgepodge of players acquired from other CFL teams and free-agent signings.) The Redblacks have a lot of good players, and that showed in their start against Winnipeg last week (their first three drives all resulted in touchdowns, a CFL record), but their struggles late in that one and throughout the Edmonton game suggest this team still isn't coherent, cohesive or malleable. There's lots of work ahead for Campbell, his staff and his players. If the team can gel more and adapt to changing game situations, they could give many CFL teams a run for their money in any given game. They don't seem to be at that point just yet, thouhg.