After a long offseason of waiting, Ottawa Redblacks fans finally got to see their team in action June 13 on home turf against the Montreal Alouettes.
The Redblacks entered Friday’s game at TD Place with one loss on the road, which came against the high-powered Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Alouettes came to Ottawa with a win over the reigning Grey Cup champions, the Toronto Argonauts.
The Redblacks have thrived at TD Place, as they had the best home record in the Canadian Football League last season: an impressive seven wins, one loss and one tie.
Unfortunately for Ottawa, the team not only suffered a tough 31-26 defeat in the game against the Roughriders, but also lost starting quarterback Dru Brown to a hip injury that sidelined him for at least the Alouettes match.
Standing in for Brown was veteran journeyman backup Matt Shiltz. This game was always going to be a challenge for Shiltz, as the Alouettes’ game plan is defence, defence, defence.
Still, Shiltz said he knew he would have to rise to the occasion against the team he began his career with.
“It’s tough seeing Dru go down,” Shiltz said after a practice the day before the game. “But like every other position in sports, it’s the next man up mentality.”
Montreal was first on the board. The Alouettes’ opening drive ended in a 29-yard field goal, which set the tone early.
The Redblacks showed some fight and resilience at several points in the game, but ultimately, they were outmatched facing an Alouettes team with a loaded defence.
The Redblacks had a huge chance early on, as the Alouettes fumbled on a punt return and put Ottawa in good field position. They came within inches of the endzone, but got stuffed on consecutive second and third down attempts by the unbreakable Montreal defence.
The Alouettes opened the second quarter with another field goal for a 6-0 lead.
One of the major storylines of the game was Ottawa’s newly acquired wide receiver Eugene Lewis, who was chasing history. Lewis was on a nine-game streak of catching at least one touchdown pass, which dates back to last season. With a TD catch against the Alouettes, he would tie the record set by CFL Hall of Famer Terry Evanshen with the Calgary Stampeders in 1968.
Unfortunately, Lewis didn’t continue his streak against the Als, but he came mighty close.
Lewis caught a 31-yard pass on a Redblacks drive to move way down the field. A few plays later, he was targeted in the endzone, but ultimately didn’t come down with the ball. The Redblacks then scored a field goal, closing the gap to 6-3.
The Alouettes responded by going on a tear that included a touchdown and two field goals, ending the first half with a 19-3 lead.
After halftime, the Redblacks regrouped and showed some serious fight. When a pass by Alouettes QB Davis Alexander deflected off the hands of his intended receiver, Ottawa’s C.J. Coldon hauled in the interception. The Redblacks took advantage of the break, as backup quarterback Dustin Crum came in to push the ball into the endzone.
But the Alouettes responded with a touchdown of their own and took a 26-11 lead.
One highlight for Ottawa was a drive near the end of the third quarter. Shiltz made some huge throws, including one with pinpoint accuracy to receiver Bralon Addison for a touchdown that put the Redblacks within striking distance at 26-18.
But with a comeback victory in sight, Montreal stepped on the gas in the fourth quarter and put the game way out of reach. The Alouettes scored a touchdown and two more field goals, winning 39-18.
While the outcome wasn’t what fans wanted, attendance was impressive. The official crowd for the game was 21,441. Redblacks players noted afterward that they appreciated the support from the local fan base.
“It feels great,” Redblacks defensive back Lucas Cormier said at halftime when asked about the crowd. “It’s close to a packed house this year — let’s keep packing the stands.”
The Redblacks showed some fight and resilience at several points in the game, but ultimately, they were outmatched facing an Alouettes team with a loaded defence.
The Redblacks now travel to Calgary to face the Stampeders on Saturday, June 21. Brown may be healthy enough for that game, according to coach Bob Dyce, but the starting quarterback is still a question mark for now.
The Redblacks host the Argos at TD Place on June 29.
