The Ottawa Redblacks came into the season as the CFL’s defending Grey Cup champions. They got to the postseason, but they fell short of getting back to the title game, of which they were the hosts. The Redblacks will look to be a more consistent team in 2018.
Ottawa Redblacks 2018 regular season win total
Over 9
Under 9
Odds are courtesy of BetDSI.
What Happened Last Year
The Redblacks were 1-6-1 through their first eight games of the season, but they battled back to finish 8-9-1. That was good enough to finish second in the East Division, but the Redblacks lost at home to Saskatchewan in the East Semi-Final. Trevor Harris took over for the retired Henry Burris and threw for 4,679 yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. William Powell was second in the CFL with 1,026 yards with five touchdowns, while Greg Ellingson had 96 catches for 1,459 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Redblacks were fifth in points scored and they had a balanced attack, ranking fourth in both passing and rushing yards. They were also third in time of possession. The defense ranked third in points allowed for the season, but they struggled to create turnovers as the Redblacks were seventh in interceptions and last in forced fumbles.
What Will Change This Year
Quarterback Drew Tate is gone, along with receivers Juron Criner, Quincy McDuffie, Kenny Shaw and Josh Stangby are all out as well. Running back Ed Illnicki has been added to the backfield, Julian Feoli-Gudino can ease some of the loss at receiver. Losing Zack Evans and Jake Ceresna on the defensive line, among others, could hurt. Linebacker Taylor Reed led the team in tackles and that could be a huge loss. Cameron Walker, Michael Klassen and Daryl Waud will compete on the defensive line. Kyries Herbery will aim to fill Reed’s spot. An underrated loss to be kicker Brett Maher, who is gone to the NFL.
Outlook & Prediction
The offense should be fine again with Harris and Powell in the backfield, but the receivers have a lot to prove outside of Ellingson, Brad Sinopoli and Diontae Spencer. Those top three receivers are back for the Redblacks, but they lost a lot of depth and if one of them gets hurt, someone will have to step up in a hurry. The defense lost a lot on the line and the Redblacks struggled to get pressure on the quarterback in the first place, ranking well back in sixth in sacks. If you cannot get to the quarterback, you are going to have trouble forcing interceptions. If you are not in the backfield, you are going to have a hard time forcing fumbles. The Redblacks have to find a way to do both in 2018. Nine wins does not seem like a lot in the East Division. But Toronto will be competitive and Hamilton will be much better than they were in 2018. The Redblacks will fall just short of that total unless they improve on their defensive pressure.
