TORONTO — Say what you will about the overall inconsistency the Ottawa Redblacks displayed in 2016 — there is certainly nothing intimidating about an 8-9-1 record — but there is no denying the immense talent of the receiving corps.
Three years ago, however, no one was heaping praise onto Ottawa’s pass catchers.
The Redblacks went 2-16 as an expansion team in 2014 and a huge reason for their struggles could be traced to the fact quarterback Henry Burris had no reliable receivers to target. Ottawa GM Marcel Desjardins and the team’s brain trust examined the dearth of talent they had at the position and took immediate action.
They signed an entirely new crop of wide receivers, inking Greg Ellingson, Ernest Jackson and Brad Sinopoli in a two-day span in February 2015, then two months later added Chris Williams into the mix.
The free agent foursome paid immediate dividends. It was a complete 180, in fact, as all four of them recorded 1,000-yard seasons, the Redblacks registered the most passing yards in the CFL, Burris wound up being named the league’s Most Outstanding Player, and they advanced to the Grey Cup, which they ultimately lost to the Edmonton Eskimos.
What’s more, the quartette improved on their individual numbers in 2016 and became the first group of four receivers on the same team to all record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in CFL history.
“I have great respect for anybody that can do anything over time and for our receivers to do that good on them,” Redblacks head coach Rick Campbell said at this week’s Grey Cup coaches press conference. “When guys play together and they can develop some chemistry that’s a big help. They enjoy playing with each other and it transfers onto the field.”
The Redblacks will unfortunately be without Williams Sunday in the 104th Grey Cup against the Calgary Stampeders at BMO Field — he tore his ACL in October — but Ellingson, Sinopoli and Jackson will be counted on to produce.
That trio, like Campbell alluded to, enjoys being around one another.
“Our sense of humour is all really similar,” Sinopoli tells Sportsnet. “We just like hanging out together and doing different things and having a good time.”
Jackson and Ellingson are even roommates back in Ottawa, something the two of them have fun with.
“Just clownin’ all day,” Jackson says with a laugh. “We’re both jokesters so whatever goes on we always have fun at the house and invite people over to hang out. On and off the field our chemistry’s great.”
“We like to get together, whether it’s just grabbing a coffee after practice or kind of kickin’ it playing videos games,” says Ellingson, who believes there’s a direct correlation between the off- and on-field chemistry. “Just having that trust with a person. When you’re around them a lot you feel them out and kind of know what they’re going to do in the moment whether it’s reading leverage on a DB or like how you’re going to cross them and how they’re going to run a pattern.”
The unit as a whole frustrated opposing secondaries all season long and the fact each player brings a unique skill set to the table keeps defences off balance.
Jackson set career highs in receptions, yards and touchdowns in 2016 and it earned him an East Division Most Outstanding Player nomination. The 30-year-old is revered by his teammates for his rugged style.
“Ernest, he’s an extremely tough guy,” Sinopoli says. “Tough guy to bring down, he makes tough catches, he makes catches on second downs that extend drives that allow other guys to score. He didn’t drop a pass that wasn’t contested all season.”
Ellingson led the Redblacks with 1,260 receiving yards and the only time he played on the BMO Field grass this season he torched the Argos for 218 yards in Week 4.
“People don’t give [Ellingson] the credit he deserves for yards after the catch,” Sinopoli says. “He had two massive plays [in that game at BMO] that he broke four or five tackles on each play.”
Sinopoli was the Stampeders’ third-string quarterback just four years ago believe it or not before transitioning to wide receiver. He led Ottawa in receptions this year.
“Brad, you never know which way he’s going to go,” Jackson says with a chuckle. “I call him Swivel Hips because he runs so funny you don’t know what kind of route he’s about to run.”
Williams won’t be able to suit up, but without him Ottawa might not have been in a position to win the East Division.
“His speed and his quickness is something [the rest of us] could train as hard as we want and I don’t think we’ll ever get to his level,” Sinopoli says. “When you have that type of speed, that opens stuff up for us underneath as well.”
PLAYER | GP | REC | YARDS | AVG | TD |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Greg Ellingson | 17 | 76 | 1,260 | 16.6 | 4 |
Chris Williams | 14 | 77 | 1,246 | 16.2 | 10 |
Ernest Jackson | 17 | 88 | 1,225 | 13.9 | 10 |
Brad Sinopoli | 17 | 90 | 1,036 | 11.5 | 4 |
TOTAL | 331 | 4,767 | 14.4 | 28 |
All throughout the season, the Redblacks receivers had a pot going where if anyone dropped a ball in practice you had to pay $5. Jackson says it served as a little extra motivation.
Ellingson guesses he donated “maybe like 60 bucks or so” to the dropped-ball pot.
“We have a couple hundred bucks and after the year’s done we’re all going to go out for dinner and enjoy a last moment together,” Ellingson says.
The food they buy with their “dropped ball” money will taste much better if they’re able to upset the Stampeders on Sunday.
“I feel like people really are overlooking that component of us, that we really are a team, we gel well and I feel like on Sunday night it’s going to show,” Jackson adds. “They call us the underdog but I don’t think it’s going to be that way.”