A long-awaited win doesn’t change how historically challenging the season has been for the Ottawa Redblacks.
asserted
season → await → Redblacks
Ottawa (1-16) finishes its campaign to forget Saturday afternoon on the road against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (5-12).
asserted
Ottawa → finish → Cats
The Redblacks had lost 22 straight games dating back to last season before rallying to edge the Toronto Argonauts 40-39 on Friday night.
asserted
Redblacks → lose → night
Much was expected of Ottawa this season.
asserted
Much → expect → Ottawa
It signed a bevy of free agents _ again _ and brought in Ryan Dinwiddie to run the show, looking to change the fortunes of the team that went 4-14-0 in 2025.
asserted
that → sign → 2025
Some of the newcomers have disappointed.
asserted
Some → disappoint → newcomers
The team’s lack of success has led to off-field changes.
asserted
lack → lead → changes
It’s the latest chapter in a franchise starved for success.
asserted
It → ’ → success
Since Ottawa’s last Grey Cup appearance — a 27-16 loss to Calgary in 2018 with veteran quarterback Trevor Harris starting — the franchise has made the playoffs once (2024).
asserted
franchise → start → playoffs
It has managed just 28 regular-season wins (nine coming in ‘24) and owns the league mark for most losses to start a season (16).
asserted
nine → manage → season
The ‘18 campaign is also the last time Ottawa posted double-digit regular-season wins (11).
asserted
Ottawa → post → wins
The Redblacks have registered 92 regular-season losses since then, a span that’s been plagued by a rash of questionable player-personnel decisions, inconsistent drafting and changes in the front office and on the sidelines.
asserted
that → register → sidelines
Rookie quarterback Bryson Barnes anchored last week’s win, completing 27-of-37 passes for 339 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 62 yards in his first CFL start.
asserted
Barnes → anchor → start
Barnes is the Redblacks’ 15th different starter since Harris wasn’t re-signed following 2018.
asserted
Harris → re → 2018
Harris, 40, is still playing and last year led Saskatchewan to a Grey Cup title.
asserted
Harris → play → title
Dinwiddie raised eyebrows when he named Jake Maier as the starter ahead of Dru Brown, who was dealt back to Winnipeg in June.
asserted
who → raise → June
The Redblacks acquired Brown’s rights from the Bombers in January 2024 and he led the franchise to the playoffs that season.
asserted
he → acquire → playoffs
Maier, who served as a backup in Saskatchewan last season, went 0-12 and struggled to find any rhythm.
asserted
who → serve → rhythm
He was replaced by veteran McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who was 0-4 before giving way to Barnes.
asserted
who → replace → Barnes
Following Barnes’s performance last week, the big question is: why hadn’t he started earlier?
asserted
he → follow → performance
Barnes injected much-needed life into a unit that was last overall in offensive points per game (22.9), rushing (53.9) and tied for last in offensive TDs (35).
asserted
that → inject → TDs
Ottawa has also struggled mightily on defence, allowing 37.5 points, 486.6 net offensive yards, 134.1 rushing yards and 348.4 passing yards per game and 64 total touchdowns — all league highs.
asserted
Ottawa → struggle → game
Ottawa is paying the price for signing Canadian A.J. Allen to a lucrative free-agent deal and allowing veteran linebacker Adarius Pickett to return to Toronto.
asserted
Pickett → pay → Toronto
Pickett leads the CFL in total tackles (116) and defensive plays (134).
asserted
Pickett → lead → tackles
Other free agents brought in by Ottawa this season include running back Greg Bell, receiver Ayden Eberhardt, defensive lineman Habakkuk Baldonado, defensive back Demerio Houston and offensive lineman Martez Ivory.
asserted
agents → bring → Bell
Eberhardt has had a solid campaign with 86 catches for 1,097 yards and eight TDs — nine receptions for 101 yards and two touchdowns coming against Toronto.
asserted
Eberhardt → have → Toronto
But Bell, who ran for 1,038 yards (5.6-yard average, five touchdowns) last year with Hamilton, has just 316 yards (3.9-yard average, no TDs) in 11 games this season.
asserted
who → run → games
Allen, who had a career-high 91 total tackles last season with Saskatchewan, has just 36 total tackles in 16 games with Ottawa and is no longer starting.
asserted
who → have → Ottawa
Baldonado, Houston and Ivory were released during the season, as was veteran receiver Eugene Lewis.
asserted
Lewis → release → season
Dinwiddie, who led Toronto to two Grey Cups (2022, ‘24) and was the ‘23 CFL coach of the year, has had his hands full.
asserted
hands → lead → year
He’s one of two people in the CFL to hold down the dual role of head coach and general manager, the other being Calgary’s Dave Dickenson.
asserted
other → ’ → coach
Dinwiddie also serves as Ottawa’s offensive co-ordinator.
asserted
Dinwiddie → serve → ordinator
Defensive co-ordinator Will Fields was fired after Ottawa’s 0-7 start and replaced by special-teams co-ordinator Jeff Reinebold.
asserted
Fields → fire → Reinebold
Nate Taylor assumed Reinebold’s former role.
asserted
Taylor → assume → role
President Adrian Sciarra stepped down Aug. 17.
asserted
Sciarra → step → ?
Six days later Shawn Burke was fired as vice-president of football operations.
asserted
Burke → fire → operations
Burke had served as Ottawa’s GM for four seasons before being promoted last November.
asserted
Burke → serve → seasons
During his tenure, the Redblacks were 21-60-1 and made the playoffs just once.
asserted
Redblacks → make → playoffs
Following Burke’s departure, Ottawa hired former CFL GM Jim Popp as a senior football adviser until season’s end.
asserted
Ottawa → follow → end
The 61-year-old from Elkin, N.C., arrived with a proven track record.
asserted
old → arrive → record
…and 11 more, not listed.
The Aporia
