There is a chill in the air, and the Ottawa REDBLACKS are preparing for important football games – that’s a good place to be.
After a few days, the vibes are exceptionally positive at practice. There is optimism around the facility, key names are on their way to being healthy, and DJ Party Statrer, better known as Adarius Pickett, is working the turntables to provide some beats. Life is good in the nation’s capital, but don’t confuse it with complacency.
They’ve already punched their ticket to the dance, of course, but three games remain in the regular season. After their win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday night, the Toronto Argonauts have taken over second place in the East Division, but it’s far from locked up. The postseason is still distant, says Head Coach Bob Dyce, and the only thing he’s worried about right now is the next game, which comes Monday afternoon against the Montreal Alouettes.
“[The playoffs are] three games from now, right?” Dyce said. “So we’re not preparing for the playoffs, we’re preparing to go to Montreal and play a great game. None of that stuff really matters for us. What matters for us this week is Montreal.”
The REDBLACKS are fresh off an extended bye week, getting nearly a week and a half away from the facility by virtue of their Thanksgiving Monday game. By all accounts, it has done wonders for their psyche, and provided a great chance for everyone to hit the reset button, so to speak.
“It does give guys a chance to mentally get a little break, and heal your soul a little bit,” Dyce said. “But we know that the task is at hand. We know what’s at stake and the importance of these games as we go forward, starting here with Montreal.”
Importantly, however, games aren’t won on vibes. Without a good week on the practice field, positivity isn’t worth all that much. The good news: Dyce is thrilled with what he has seen from his team.
“I see a very focused group,” he said. “I’m very pleased with how they’ve worked. Their mental preparation and focus were good, and even more importantly, coming off the bye week, the energy level is very high. There is a lot of positivity, and a lot of communication.”
Both times the REDBLACKS met the Alouettes in 2024, the results haven’t been what they wanted. In Week 3, Ottawa took a beating, and a few weeks ago, it was much closer, but the same result.
Those previous games aren’t shaking the REDBLACKS, however. The slate is essentially wiped clean right now, and it feels like a new season.
“They made more plays than we did,” said defensive lineman Lorenzo Mauldin. “Guys have come out flying around [this week], understanding their assignments on both sides of the ball, and on special teams. Coach Dyce gave us that assurance that we came out swinging, so need to keep that same mentality throughout the week.”
They’ll still be without some big names in Montreal, including Jovan Santos-Knox, Pickett, and Bryce Carter, but the defence is expecting to see a little bit of a boost with the returns of both Brandin Dandridge and Frankie Griffin.
“He’s a thumper, and he plays hard all the time,” Dyce said of Griffin. “We’re excited to see him back. Dandridge brings elite cover skills for us, so excited to have him back, as well.”
Finding a way to capitalize on the rest is now the most important thing, but the game plan is straightforward, no matter who the Alouettes have under centre.
“We have to get off the field,” Mauldin said. “We need to put our offence on the field, and let them score points, that’s just the name of the game. The defence feels confident, we have to go out there playing the same way [we are in practice].”
