OTTAWA — The Ottawa REDBLACKS endured weather delays and a Winnipeg Blue Bombers comeback attempt, but came out on top in Week 2 with a victory.
Ottawa’s home opener at TD Place Stadium saw them go from leading 13-0 to trailing to the Bombers, but Dru Brown‘s performance against his old team helped them secure a victory to start the season while Winnipeg dropped to 0-2.
Lewis Ward opened the scoring for the REDBLACKS before Ryquell Armstead set up Dustin Crum on the goal line to put Ottawa up by double digits, while Keric Wheatfall‘s 76-yard reception to set up first-and-goal on the Ottawa five-yard line for Chris Streveler to give the Bombers the lead.
A 42-yard gain from Justin Hardy put the REDBLACKS in the Bombers’ red zone, and Hardy again grabbed the two-yard reception to give the REDBLACKS back the lead they would hang onto to win.
Defensively, both sides had big moments, with Alonzo Addae and Adarius Pickett both recording an interception for Ottawa, while Evan Holm led the Bombers with eight tackles.
Here are three key stats from Ottawa’s Week 2 win over Winnipeg.
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87 – DIFFERENCE IN RUSHING YARDS
The Ottawa REDBLACKS recorded 129 rushing yards in their win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who tallied just 42 yards on the ground.
Ryquell Armstead dominated on the ground for Ottawa, forcing first downs through rushing and tallied 95 yards alone, double what the Bombers recorded as a team.
Johnny Augustine led the Bombers with 31 yards and a touchdown, but the absence of last season’s CFL rushing champion, Brady Oliveira, was apparent in the loss.
6 – WINNIPEG SECOND DOWNS
Out of 18 attempts on second down, the Bombers were successful on just six of those attempts, accounting for a success rate of 29.4 per cent, compared to Ottawa’s 43.5 per cent success rate converting 10 of 23 attempts.
In a game as close as Ottawa and Winnipeg’s, being able to keep the drive alive is crucial, as seen with Lewis Ward‘s three field goals that helped the REDBLACKS hold onto their lead going into halftime, while Sergio Castillo kicked just once for the Bombers, despite showcasing that he can convert from long with a successful 45-yard attempt.
2 – OTTAWA INTERCEPTIONS
Brown did encounter a few sacks against his old team, he did not throw a single interception, while Zach Collaros threw two in the loss where he completed just 15 of 31 pass attempts for 285 yards.
Alonzo Addae and Adarius Pickett both managed to pick off Collaros, with Addae stopping the Bombers on Ottawa’s 33-yard line while Pickett broke off a play at mid-field.
Despite being virtually equal to Ottawa in terms of offence, first downs and even being the better team when it came to penalties, the Bombers lost the turnover battle in the game, giving away the ball on three crucial opportunities including a turnover on downs near the end of the fourth quarter.