2016 Ottawa Redblacks season
2016 Ottawa Redblacks season | |
---|---|
General manager | Marcel Desjardins |
Head coach | Rick Campbell |
Home field | TD Place Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 8–9–1 |
Division place | 1st, East |
Playoff finish | Won Grey Cup |
Team MOP | Ernest Jackson |
Team MODP | Damaso Munoz |
Team MOC | Brad Sinopoli |
Team MOOL | Jon Gott |
Team MOST | Tristan Jackson |
Team MOR | Jason Lauzon-Séguin |
Uniform | |
The 2016 Ottawa Redblacks season was the third season for the team in the Canadian Football League. The Redblacks finished in first place in the East Division with an 8–9–1 record. This was the first time in CFL history that a team with a losing record finished first in their division. The 2016 season was the third with Rick Campbell as head coach and Marcel Desjardins as general manager.
The club failed to match their 12–6 record from the previous season; nevertheless, with their week 19 win in Winnipeg against the Blue Bombers the Redblacks repeated as regular season East Division champions, earning a bye to and the right to host the 2016 East Final in the process.[1]
The Redblacks' season featured the first-ever Grey Cup rematch to take place in an earlier round of the playoffs as the 2015 champion Edmonton Eskimos qualified as a crossover team for the East Division playoffs and advanced to the Eastern Final. The Redblacks avenged their 2015 Grey Cup loss with a 35–23 victory over Edmonton to earn the right to play in the 104th Grey Cup. At BMO Field in Toronto, the Redblacks won the first championship for an Ottawa CFL team since the Rough Riders did it in 1976.
Off-season
[edit]Open tryout sessions
[edit]On February 2, 2016, the Redblacks announced they would be holding open tryouts across North America during the spring.[2] The dates and locations are listed in the table below:
Location | Venue | Date |
---|---|---|
Miami, Florida | Florida International University | February 27, 2016 |
Atlanta, Georgia | Lakewood Stadium | February 28, 2016 |
Austin, Texas | Bastrop Memorial Stadium | April 9, 2016 |
Las Vegas, Nevada | Bill 'Wildcat' Morris Rebel Park | April 10, 2016 |
Ottawa, Ontario | TD Place Stadium | April 23, 2016 |
Indianapolis, Indiana | Decatur Central High School | May 21, 2016 |
Free-agency
[edit]Prior to the start of free-agency at 12:00pm ET on February 9, 2016, the RedBlacks extended the contracts of some significant players. They brought back defensive lineman Zack Evans, wide-receiver Chris Williams and linebacker Damaso Munoz.
Additions
[edit]- Ottawa made a big splash on the first day of free-agency when they signed highly coveted former-Argos QB Trevor Harris. Harris played very well in 17 games for the Argos in 2015; completing 71% of his passes attempts with 33 touchdowns and 19 interceptions for 4,354 yards.[3] Harris was expected to be the back-up quarterback behind the then 41-year old, 2015 Most Outstanding Player, Henry Burris.[4]
- Veteran national defensive back Ryan Hinds agreed to terms with Ottawa in the middle of February.[5] Hinds spent his first seven CFL seasons between the Tiger-Cats and the Eskimos. However, Hinds decided to retire citing that "his heart wasn't in it and he wasn't going to play anymore".[6]
- Former Oakland Raiders and New York Giants wide receiver Juron Criner signed with the Redblacks on April 14 in time for training camp.[7] Following a successful pre-season Criner made the final roster.[8]
Losses
[edit]- Star defensive end Justin Capicciotti signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on February 10. Capicciotti had been one of Ottawa's best pass-rushers in the previous two seasons, totaling 23 sacks and just shy of 100 tackles.[9]
- Also on February 10, starting running back Jeremiah Johnson signed with the BC Lions. In two seasons with the Redblacks Johnson saw action in 15 games (missing 8 games due to injury in 2015), carrying the ball 135 times for 686 yards (5.0 average) with 11 rushing touchdowns.[10]
- Veteran defensive back Jovon Johnson signed with the Montreal Alouettes.[11] Javon Johnson was an Eastern All-Star in 2015 and was one of the leaders on the defensive side of the ball.
- Offensive tackle Colin Kelly signed a contract with the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL.[12] Kelly played 18 games in 2015 for Ottawa at right tackle.
- Veteran defensive lineman Keith Shologan signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Shologon contributed 7 sacks during the 2015 campaign.[13]
- Defensive lineman Shawn Lemon was released by the Redblacks following the conclusion of the 2015 season so he could pursue NFL opportunities. He ultimately signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in January.[14]
CFL draft
[edit]The 2016 CFL Draft took place on May 10, 2016. The Redblacks had nine selections in the eight-round draft after acquiring Saskatchewan's sixth and seventh-round picks in exchange for Maurice Price and their own sixth-round pick.[15]
Round | Pick | Player | Position | School |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 7 | Jason Lauzon-Seguin | OL | Laval |
2 | 16 | Mikael Charland | DB | Concordia |
3 | 25 | Mehdi Abdesmad | DL | Boston College |
4 | 35 | Kevin Jackson | LB | Sam Houston State |
5 | 43 | Randy Beardy | OL | Windsor |
6 | 45 | Kyle Fraser-Audit | OL | Guelph |
7 | 54 | Arto Khatchikian | LB | Concordia |
7 | 60 | Jamal Kett | WR | Western Ontario |
8 | 69 | Guillaume Tremblay-Lebel | LB | Laval |
Training camp
[edit]Non-mandatory spring mini-camp was held on April 24–26 at TD Place stadium. The sessions were open for the public to view.[16] Mandatory training camp took place between May 29 and through June 19. First-year CFL players had three practices prior to the official training camp (May 25 through 27). The majority of practices took place at TD Place Stadium, with two at Carleton University and one at Stade Mont-Bleu in Gatineau, Quebec. The team conducted a "mock-game" as part of their training camp on June 5.[17] This was the first training camp season in which the Redblacks had priority at TD Place, as the stadium was under construction in 2014 and hosting the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup last year.[18]
Preseason
[edit]Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | TV | Venue | Attendance | Summary | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Score | Record | ||||||||
A | Mon, June 13 | 7:00 p.m. EDT | vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers | W 18–14 | 1–0 | TSN | TD Place Stadium | 17,947 | Recap |
B | Fri, June 17 | 7:30 p.m. EDT | at Hamilton Tiger-Cats | L 25–42 | 1–1 | Ticats.ca | Tim Hortons Field | Recap |
- # Games played with white uniforms.
Regular season
[edit]Standings
[edit]Team | GP | W | L | T | Pts | PF | PA | Div | Stk | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ottawa Redblacks | 18 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 17 | 486 | 498 | 5–3 | L1 | Details |
Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 14 | 507 | 502 | 5–3 | L2 | Details |
Montreal Alouettes | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 14 | 383 | 416 | 3–5 | W3 | Details |
Toronto Argonauts | 18 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 383 | 568 | 3–5 | L7 | Details |
Schedule
[edit]Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | TV | Venue | Attendance | Summary | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Score | Record | ||||||||
1 | Sat, June 25 | 7:00 p.m. EDT | at Edmonton Eskimos | W 45–37 (OT) | 1–0 | TSN/RDS | Commonwealth Stadium | 27,846 | Recap |
2 | Thurs, June 30 | 7:00 p.m. EDT | at Montreal Alouettes | W 28–13 | 2–0 | TSN/RDS/ESPN2 | Molson Stadium | 21,522 | Recap |
3 | Fri, July 8 | 7:00 p.m. EDT | vs. Calgary Stampeders | T 26–26 (2OT) | 2–0–1 | TSN/RDS | TD Place Stadium | 24,621 | Recap |
4 | Wed, July 13 | 7:30 p.m. EDT | at Toronto Argonauts | W 30–20 | 3–0–1 | TSN/RDS | BMO Field | 12,373 | Recap |
5 | Fri, July 22 | 9:00 p.m. EDT | at Saskatchewan Roughriders | L 29–30 | 3–1–1 | TSN/RDS2 | Mosaic Stadium | 30,172 | Recap |
6 | Sun, July 31 | 7:30 p.m. EDT | vs. Toronto Argonauts | L 20–23 | 3–2–1 | TSN/RDS/ESPN2 | TD Place Stadium | 24,894 | Recap |
7 | Sat, Aug 6 | 7:00 p.m. EDT | vs. Edmonton Eskimos | W 23–20 | 4–2–1 | TSN | TD Place Stadium | 24,560 | Recap |
8 | Bye | ||||||||
9 | Fri, Aug 19 | 7:00 p.m. EDT | vs. Montreal Alouettes | L 19–43 | 4–3–1 | TSN/RDS | TD Place Stadium | 24,907 | Recap |
10 | Thurs, Aug 25 | 7:30 p.m. EDT | vs. BC Lions | L 23–29 | 4–4–1 | TSN/RDS/ESPN2 | TD Place Stadium | 24,677 | Recap |
11 | Thurs, Sept 1 | 7:30 p.m. EDT | at Montreal Alouettes | W 19–14 | 5–4–1 | TSN/RDS | Molson Stadium | 19,117 | Recap |
12 | Bye | ||||||||
13 | Sat, Sept 17 | 5:00 p.m. EDT | at Calgary Stampeders | L 23–48 | 5–5–1 | TSN | McMahon Stadium | 26,529 | Recap |
14 | Fri, Sept 23 | 7:00 p.m. EDT | vs. Toronto Argonauts | W 29–12 | 6–5–1 | TSN/RDS2 | TD Place Stadium | 25,088 | Recap |
15 | Sat, Oct 1 | 10:00 p.m. EDT | at BC Lions | L 33–40 | 6–6–1 | TSN/RDS | BC Place | 19,703 | Recap |
16 | Fri, Oct 7 | 7:00 p.m. EDT | vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders | L 30–32 (OT) | 6–7–1 | TSN | TD Place Stadium | 24,668 | Recap |
17 | Fri, Oct 14 | 7:00 p.m. EDT | at Hamilton Tiger-Cats | W 30–29 | 7–7–1 | TSN | Tim Hortons Field | 23,868 | Recap |
18 | Fri, Oct 21 | 7:00 p.m. EDT | vs. Hamilton Tiger-Cats | L 36–39 (2OT) | 7–8–1 | TSN | TD Place Stadium | 24,210 | Recap |
19 | Sat, Oct 29 | 4:00 p.m. EDT | at Winnipeg Blue Bombers | W 23–10 | 8–8–1 | TSN/RDS | Investors Group Field | 26,097 | Recap |
20 | Fri, Nov 4 | 7:00 p.m. EDT | vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers | L 20–33 | 8–9–1 | TSN/RDS2 | TD Place Stadium | 24,432 | Recap |
- # Games played with colour uniforms.
- # Games played with white uniforms.
Post-season
[edit]Schedule
[edit]Game | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | TV | Venue | Attendance | Summary | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Score | Record | ||||||||
East Semi-Final | Bye | ||||||||
East Final | Sun, Nov 20 | 1:00 p.m. EST | vs. Edmonton Eskimos | W 35–23 | 1–0 | TSN/RDS/ESPN2 | TD Place Stadium | 24,248 | Recap |
104th Grey Cup | Sun, Nov 27 | 6:00 p.m. EST | vs. Calgary Stampeders | W 39–33 (OT) | 2–0 | TSN/RDS/ESPN2 | BMO Field | 33,421 | Recap |
- # Games played with colour uniforms.
Over 40,000 fans attended the Grey Cup parade at Lansdowne Park two days following the game.[21]
Team
[edit]Roster
[edit]Coaching staff
[edit]2016 Ottawa Redblacks staff | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
|
References
[edit]- ^ "Redblacks beat Bombers to clinch East". TSN.ca. The Canadian Press. October 29, 2016. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
- ^ "Open Tryouts 2016 - Ottawa REDBLACKS". Ottawa REDBLACKS. Archived from the original on 2016-02-06. Retrieved 2016-02-06.
- ^ "REDBLACKS land quarterback Trevor Harris". Ottawa REDBLACKS. Retrieved 2016-02-19.
- ^ "Ottawa RedBlacks' new quarterback Trevor Harris learns from legends". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved 2016-02-19.
- ^ Dunk, Justin (2016-02-18). "Canadian defensive back Ryan Hinds agrees to terms with Redblacks". 3DownNation. Retrieved 2016-06-05.
- ^ "Would-be Redblacks decide to opt out before camp". Ottawa Citizen. 2016-05-30. Retrieved 2016-06-21.
- ^ Hansen, Greg. "Ex-UA standout receiver Criner signs with CFL's Redblacks". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 2016-06-21.
- ^ "Ottawa Redblacks drop pre-season finale against Hamilton Tiger-Cats". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved 2016-06-21.
- ^ "Saskatchewan Roughriders welcome DE Justin Capicciotti". Regina Leader-Post. Retrieved 2016-02-19.
- ^ "Johnson, Allen vying to fill void in Lions' backfield". TSN. 2016-05-31. Retrieved 2016-06-05.
- ^ "Ottawa RedBlacks lose Jovon Johnson to Montreal Alouettes, but the question is why". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved 2016-02-19.
- ^ Fucillo, David (2016-01-25). "49ers give CFL OL Colin Kelly $65,000 in guaranteed money". Niners Nation. Retrieved 2016-06-05.
- ^ "Bombers add Medlock, Shologan". CFL.ca. 2016-02-09. Retrieved 2016-06-05.
- ^ "Riders sign defensive end Shawn Lemon". CFL.ca. 2016-01-14. Retrieved 2016-06-05.
- ^ CFL.ca Staff (11 January 2016). "Roughriders acquire Maurice Price from REDBLACKS". CFL.ca.
- ^ "REDBLACKS Mini-Camp Set for April 24–26". Ottawa REDBLACKS. Retrieved 2016-04-08.
- ^ "Ottawa Redblacks unveil training camp schedule". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved 2016-05-21.
- ^ "Redblacks reveal training camp schedule". Ottawa Citizen. 2016-05-20. Retrieved 2016-05-21.
- ^ a b c 2016 Schedule
- ^ "Where to watch: 2016 Broadcast information". Archived from the original on 2017-05-11. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
- ^ "Ottawa rallies as 40,000-plus take in Grey Cup parade". CFL.ca. 2016-11-29. Retrieved 2016-11-30.