MMQB: A promising start

Pat Steinberg

CFL.ca

@Fan960Steinberg

Knowing how difficult things have been in Ottawa over the last four seasons, it sure was encouraging to see the REDBLACKS start their 2024 campaign with a quality performance. And there was a lot to like.

After sitting out Week 1 on a bye, the REDBLACKS kicked off their season with a 23-19 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Thursday night. Starting with quarterback Dru Brown, Ottawa was led by exactly who they’ll need to have leading the way if a return to the playoffs is in the cards.

Brown looked confident and in control in his regular season debut with the REDBLACKS. Ottawa’s biggest off-season addition was comfortable running the offence, did a nice job limiting mistakes and displayed a couple of explosive moments stretching the field and throwing on the run. In the end, Brown racked up 238 passing yards and a touchdown while completing 20 of his 33 passes.

Just as promising was who Brown’s main targets were Thursday night. 2023 breakout star Justin Hardy picked up where he left off and led the way with nine targets, seven receptions, 111 yards and a touchdown. It was also nice to see Dominique Rhymes return to the REDBLACKS and get in on the action; Rhymes finished with eight targets, five catches and 60 yards. With Jaelon Acklin and a healthy Bralon Addison in the mix, too, I like Brown’s options going forward.

It was similarly encouraging to see Adarius Pickett go to work with Ottawa for the first time. Signed as a free agent after an All-Star season in Toronto, Pickett recorded his first interception with the REDBLACKS in the second quarter and almost added another in the final frame.

And that defensive line came to play, too. Led by Laurenzo Mauldin IV, who led the league with 17 sacks in 2022, Ottawa’s front four had Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros on the run all night long. Mauldin finished with one sack and three tackles, while Michael Wakefield and Cleyon Laing were a consistent handful in the interior.

The REDBLACKS haven’t qualified for the postseason since appearing in the 106th Grey Cup in 2018. They haven’t recorded more than four wins in any of the four seasons since. But with what we saw against the Bombers on Thursday, there’s plenty of reason to feel optimistic about where Ottawa is heading in 2024.

Still high flying

One thing has been apparent during a 1-1 start to the season for the BC Lions: this aerial offence is going to be an absolute handful for a second straight season.

After leading the league with 4,769 yards last season, quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. finds himself right back on top of the passing table early in 2024. Through two starts, Adams has thrown for 640 yards, four touchdowns and one interception, while completing 67.7 per cent of his passes.

And this group of receivers looks extremely dangerous once again. Keep in mind, too, that Keon Hatcher is on the shelf to start the season after finishing second overall with 1,226 receiving yards in 2023. Hatcher continues to recover from the Achilles injury he sustained late last season and will be a monster addition for the Lions when he’s ready to return.

In the meantime, though, Alexander Hollins has kept things rolling early on after exploding for nine touchdowns and 1,173 yards last season. Hollins led the way with 97 yards and a touchdown in Saturday’s 26-17 win over Calgary, which followed a 90-yard performance in BC’s season-opening loss to Toronto.

And then there’s Justin McInnis, who quietly recorded five touchdowns and 690 yards last season. Now in his second season with the Lions, McInnis has reeled in a major in each of BC’s first two games and leads the team with 194 receiving yards. An emerging McInnis, who carries a National designation, was one of the reasons BC felt comfortable releasing Rhymes in January.

With Hatcher set to return later this season, what we’re seeing from Hollins and McInnis, and some nice flashes from the likes of Jevon Cottoy, Travis Fulgham, and Ayden Eberhardt, you can expect the Lions to remain the league’s most dangerous passing offence all season long.

Quick hits

It’s been a difficult 0-2 start for the Bombers, but I’m encouraged to see how they’re getting Chris Streveler involved in the early going. Streveler scored his first rushing touchdown in his Winnipeg return in Thursday’s loss to Ottawa and has been involved in some interesting offensive packages so far. Knowing Streveler is one of the league’s most unique players, that usage should only increase.

Make it two straight comeback wins for the 2-0 Saskatchewan Roughriders. And Week 2’s win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats was even crazier than Week 1 in Edmonton. Down by seven with just over two minutes remaining, quarterback Trevor Harris engineered an eight-play drive to tie it. But I really wasn’t expecting to see a ball deflect off Tim White, the league’s leading receiver in 2023, right into C.J. Avery’s hands to give the ball right back to the Riders. Two plays later, Brett Lauther nailed a 43-yard field goal to give Saskatchewan a shock 33-30 win.

Finally, I’m starting to wonder if the Montreal Alouettes might start receiving the “Winnipeg treatment” we’ve gotten used to over the last four years. You know, where you just expect them to be really good each and every week? The Als moved to 2-0 with a 23-20 win over Edmonton on Friday and have now won 10 straight games dating back to Week 16 of last season.

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