Here’s the rundown: the Ottawa REDBLACKS can clinch a playoff spot if they beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Tim Hortons Field on Saturday afternoon.
It’s that simple.
Heading into Week 15, the REDBLACKS hold the CFL’s second-best record at 8-3-1, and trail only the East-leading Montreal Alouettes, but have closed the gap down to just three points. Should they clinch their playoff berth, it would be the first time the club has reached the postseason since they made the Grey Cup in 2018, but Head Coach Bob Dyce isn’t allowing that thought to dominate his team’s story this week.
“When you have opportunities, you want to seize them,” he said. “That’s what we talk about, but [clinching] is not what we’re focused on. Every week, we focus on our team and the details, and that is what has allowed us to be successful. Clinching a playoff spot is much like getting two points for a win, that’s [the result], we focus on the details over the course of the week so that we can have that result at the end.”
For everyone involved with the REDBLACKS, their success in 2024 hasn’t come as a surprise. Right at the beginning of training camp, the tone was set, and there was no conversation about just being good enough. No one was eying just squeaking into the postseason, the goals were always bigger than that.
“We talk about controlling our own destiny, we put ourselves in this position,” Dyce said. “This was the expectation coming in, we expected to make the playoffs. These guys don’t bear the weight of what happened in the past, this is how we saw things going, and it’s a natural step as we go forward. It’s going to be like this as we continue.”
Undeniable, however, is the inherent sweetness that comes with this opportunity. As Coach Dyce explained, this team isn’t the previous year’s teams, but by and large, the fan base is the same. Those fans have been through the wringer, waiting for times like this, and now that they’re here, they’re salivating at the thought of a home playoff game at TD Place.
It’s not dissimilar for some of the players, particularly those who have spent their entire careers in Ottawa.
“It has been a long time since we have even come close to even thinking about the playoffs,” said original REDBLACK, Nigel Romick. “It’s a great feeling right now to be in the position we’re in, because we’ve worked all year to be where we are right now. We don’t want to get too far in front of ourselves, though, it’s one game at a time.”
“It has been tough,” Romick continued. “We’ve been through the ups and downs, and sharing the ups with the fans has been a joy.”
The REDBLACKS have a phenomenal opportunity sitting right in front of them. With six games left to play, they control everything. If they were to win out, they would finish first in the league, and host the East Final on November 9th, no help needed.
Still, there’s plenty of football left to be played in the regular season, and it’s going to be a dogfight down the stretch, to be certain.
“One week at a time,” Dyce said. “We control our own destiny, and we want to get better every single week, that’s what we strive for. We’re working every single day to get better as a whole, and now, we have plenty of opportunity against the East. It’s supply and demand. There isn’t much supply of wins left, but the demand is great. These points are very valuable.”
Each week demands the highest level of preparation, combing through even the most minute details, beginning with the Tiger-Cats on Saturday.
In the last meeting, the REDBLACKS took the victory with a walk-off field goal from Lewis Ward, but since then, both teams have evolved to be something completely different, leaving Ottawa expecting a hard-fought battle with the Tabbies.
“They have great players,” said quarterback Dru Brown. “They have a tough front and a savvy backfield with good ball skills. It’ll be a fun task, but it’s going to be challenging. They’re going to be ready for this, and we have to show up and exceed that.”
