WINNIPEG — A dream start turned into a painful ending Sunday for the underdog Ottawa Redblacks at the 103rd Grey Cup.
The Redblacks found themselves up 13-0 before the Edmonton offence had taken the field, thanks to an opening TD drive and a fumble recovery on the ensuing kickoff that led to another score. But the Eskimos outscored them 26-7 the rest of the way, scoring the winning touchdown with three minutes 22 seconds remaining for a 26-20 win at Investors Group Field.
"Kudos to Edmonton. They made plays and we didn’t and that’s the reason why they won the game," said downcast Ottawa quarterback Henry Burris.
"We had opportunities there at the end to make plays both offensively and defensively," echoed coach Rick Campbell. "We weren’t able to do that."
The game-deciding drive came with two huge pass interference penalties. First Abdul Kanneh was penalized, a 28-yard gain for the Eskimos. Then on the next play, after a successful Edmonton challenge, Brandon Sermons was flagged for a 37-yard Edmonton gain.
That brought the ball to the Ottawa 10-yard line. Two plays later, Jordan Lynch ran in for a one-yard TD.
"I just find it heartbreaking to lose a Grey Cup on two … PI calls that were very questionable," said Ottawa kicker Chris Milo.
He said other Redblack players "absolutely" shared his view.
"I think they got the call right on the field, which is why they didn’t call a PI," he said of the play that was changed after review. "The first one was uncatchable."
A more diplomatic Campbell declined to be drawn into a debate on the merits of allowing coaches to challenge for a pass interference call.
"At the end of the day, they (the officials) made the calls and that’s the way it ended," said defensive back Jovon Johnson.
The Ottawa locker-room was understandably quiet, save for the sounds of a few bearhug embraces between players. The sense was one of a missed opportunity.
"We smelled it, we felt it. The game was right there," said receiver Patrick Lavoie, who scored the opening touchdown.
But in keeping with the Redblacks sensibility, there was also a sense of accountability.
"Offensively we came short on the fourth quarter and that’s on us," Lavoie added.
"They made some plays. They get paid to," Johnson said of the Eskimos. "They’re a very good football team and they deserved to win tonight."
What started as an offensive showcase by both teams turned into a defensive struggle in the second half.
The second-year Redblacks, who were 2-16 in their debut season, won the Eastern Conference with a 12-6 record this year. Only the 1996 Argonauts, who won 11 more games than the year before, have had a bigger one-year turnaround in CFL history.
Ottawa came into the game riding a five-game win streak. The team had not lost since a 38-35 defeat at the hands of Toronto on Oct. 6.
The Redblacks and Eskimos had not played each other since early July when Edmonton won back-to-back games 46-17 and 23-12.
Ottawa’s last Grey Cup appearance was in 1981 when it lost 26-23 to the Eskimos. Its last win was Nov. 28, 1976, when the Rough Riders defeated Saskatchewan 23-20.
The Ottawa football club was founded in 1876, changing its name to the Rough Riders in 1898.
The franchise went on to win nine Grey Cups in 15 appearances but folded in 1996 after a string of sub-par seasons. The CFL returned to Ottawa as the Renegades in 2002, but folded after four unsuccessful seasons.
The revival of the Redblacks this season was dramatic but ended one win short.
"Every team in this league is disappointed except for Edmonton this year," said Campbell.
"Yes we’re disappointed now," he added. "We’re extremely excited for the future in Ottawa. I think it’s a great place to play football for a number of reasons. There’s lots of reasons to be hopeful for the future."
