By: Don Campbell
Photo: Gord Weber
Mike Sutherland has just about lost his voice some nights, repeating time after time: “That’s an Otto’s first down . . . . R-R-R-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-e-e-e-e-e-d-BLACKS”
Say one thing for the often-maligned OTTAWA REDBLACKS offence to date, they do move the ball between the goal lines with the second-most first downs in the CFL.
But what the TD Place public address announcer would rather go hoarse over would be with quarterback Henry Burris connecting with say Maurice Price and a call going something like: “That’s Burris to Price . . . for 79 yards . . . touchdown . . . . . R-R-R-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-e-e-e-e-e-d-BLACKS.”
“I’m going to blow it up for sure,” joked Sutherland, this week just thinking about the REDBLACKS getting it together with the deep ball on offence. “These speakers might not make it through the call.”
The 2-2 REDBLACKS spent the week preparing for Friday’s visit by the Calgary Stampeders by declaring they have to get the big play into their offence.
Even at age 40, Burris doesn’t feel like that aging pitcher who averages 200 innings a season and has lost a little on his fastball.
“It’s still humming,” said Burris, who does rank second in the league in yards passing. “It’s not like I’m going to fool around and throw a ball way up into section CC or anything like I might have in early days.
“I look after myself better now. I find the ice and soak my arm. I know that first day back (to practice) I’ll be sore.
“But if I’m overthrowing guys like Chris (Williams) and Mo, it says something. Our intermediate and short passing it good. We just have to show that threat downfield.”
The REDBLACKS rank at the top of the league in terms of time of possession so they are getting the reps on offence. And with a average of over 20 first downs per four quarters, they are moving the yardsticks even better than their opponents. They have even passed for almost 200 yards more than their opponents.
They just aren’t wearing out the Algonquin College lumberjacks cutting the big log in the west end-zone.
Some how, and quickly, they must find a way to turn their air attack into something more resembling the Royal Canadian Air Force than the Air Farce.
Through four games, the REDBLACKS have yet to have a single-game 100-yard receiver.
Ernest Jackson had seven catches for 84 yards in both wins to lead the way while Brad Sinopoli was tops in Week Three with five grabs for 53 yards. Then Williams had a season-best 90 yards on seven receptions last week.
It’s just that THE big play seems to be missing more often than not.
Williams had a 41-yard gain in both wins while the top gains via the air in the two losses were just 16 and 29 yards.
And it’s not like Burris isn’t trying to move the ball through the air.
Some time early in the first quarter Friday Burris will surpass the 1,000-yard plateau for the 11th consecutive season and he’s on pace to get into that 3,600 to 4,000-yard range for the season, something he’s achieved a dozen times previous in the CFL.
It’s just that on the negative side of the ledger, he also leads in interceptions with six and his 79.6 quarterback rating is worst among all quarterbacks who began the season as their team’s No. 1 pivot.
And if the receivers don’t start getting a big play here of there, it’s going to be well into the second half of the season before any of them broach a 1,000-yard season.
To date, Williams leads with just 270 yards receiving with Sinopoli next at 243.
“We need to hit on a couple of those deep balls,” said REDBLACKS head coach Rick Campbell. “We need one or two of those big ones every game.
“Look, the quarterback is always going to get too much credit and too much blame. Henry has done everything we have wanted him to do. We’re 2-2 and I wish we were 4-0 but there’s a whole lot of football to be played still.
“One thing we would like to do is connect on a deep ball or two and Henry can still throw it far enough. He makes those long throws to the outside and you can see he still has the arm strength to throw the long ball.”
Price could be the key to opening things up.
The big-season acquisition has just 12 receptions for 91 yards and a longest gain of just 14 yards.
Price can be a game-breaker and a difference-maker. He has those credentials from Calgary so what better way that to break out against his former teammates?
“A new receiver adjusting to the quarterback . . . it kind of comes with the territory,” said Price. “But we’re going to keep working at it.
“My speed and his arm . . . . we’re going to correct things. It’s just Week Four remember.
“With (Williams) and I on the field, teams really have to account for us being able to beat them deep. And when we do finally connect, its really going to open things up.”
And the speakers at TD Place will really get their test.
