Latest news with #Dyce
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Why the start of a bye week is the only reason for Ottawa Redblacks to celebrate an anniversary
Expectations are that Dru Brown will start at quarterback and the coaching staff will be intact when the free-falling Ottawa Redblacks return from their bye week to host the surprise team of the CFL, the Calgary Stampeders, on the last night of July. But while it's believed Brown will bounce back from the controversial head shot he received in Sunday's loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the overall health of the Redblacks is not good. Monday marked the one-month anniversary of the team's first, last and only win of the season, a 20-12 victory in stormy conditions on June 21 at Calgary's McMahon Stadium Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The Redlbacks have since lost four in a row and sit in the CFL basement with a 1-6 record. Since last season's promising 8-3-1 start, they are 2-11, or 2-12 counting the 20-point beating they took from the Toronto Argos in the East Division semifinal. And despite an organizational belief in Bob Dyce, the Redblacks are 15-31-1 since he took over as head coach from the fired Paul LaPolice late in the 2022 season. Likely needing to go 7-4 or 8-3 when they return from their bye, Ottawa's chances of making the playoffs are in grave condition after what Dyce termed 'critical errors' that stacked up in their 30-15 loss to the Tiger-Cats. He cited three examples: 'We talk about maximizing opportunities … it's the critical situations,' said Dyce. 'I believe we have a talented team, and that's why I'm optimistic about the future. But at the same time, you've got to be able to perform at critical times.' Dyce thinks so. 'It's almost good for them to get out of here and enjoy their family,' he said of the players. 'No different than we will as coaches. It's time for introspection, right? We've got to identify what our challenges are, and they've got to identify what their challenges are. All of us together have put us in this situation, and the only way we're going to get out is with all of us as well.' Peter Godber, the veteran Canadian centre the Redblacks signed as a free agent in the offseason, is expected to be among many players returning from the lengthy injury list when the team tries to get it right in its return to action against the 5-1 Stamps on July 31. Godber has been out with a broken finger suffered in training camp. There was no definitive update after the game — and there likely won't be until the Redblacks return to practice July 27 — but Dyce indicated the Brown injury, which came on a controversial hit by DaShaun Amos that knocked the quarterback's helmet off and ended his night in the second quarter, might not be as serious as it could have been. 'I just talked to Dru in the locker room, and he feels a little bit better,' said Dyce, who thought the hit was worthy of an ejection rather than just the 25-yard penalty it received when seeing it live but after the game wanted to make sure by watching the film. 'Any time it's a head injury or anything like that, you're going to be as cautious as possible. We're going on to the bye week, so we're getting him into protocol, and then we'll go forward from there.' He completed six of eight passes for 66 yards but didn't look particularly sharp. He threw his third interception in three quarters (which was also one of three the Redblacks tossed up on the night, with backup Dustin Crum and receiver Justin Hardy, on a gadget play in the fourth quarter, guilty of the other two), and it wasn't until Crum entered the game in the second quarter that the Redblacks started to move the ball with efficiency. Part of it was the refusal, presumably of offensive co-ordinator Tommy Condell, to employ a ground game. In the first quarter, they were credited with four running plays — a lateral pass to Andre Miller that almost resulted in a turnover, two QB sneaks by Brown and one lone handoff to William Stanback on the last play before the teams switched ends. The Crum-led attack advanced the chains because of quick decisions by the QB and because he started handing the ball to his backs, with Daniel Adeboboye proving to be the most effective. 'It's huge,' Crum said when asked how much mixing in some runs can help. 'Whenever you can rely on a good run game and mix it up, it takes a ton of pressure off you. When you have to drop back over and over and over again, it makes you truly earn your paycheque as a quarterback. So being able to have different things, whether it's the run game, screen game, different things, where you can get the ball out quick and let your playmakers make plays, makes life easy for a quarterback in this league.' So far, not great. The team's best running back has been Adeboboye, and, at this point, it looks like the team would be better off going with the Canadian as its full-time starter. On Sunday, he had four carries for 54 yards (13.5 average) while Stanback had seven carries for 17 (2.4 yard average). Adeboboye is also the Redblacks' leading rusher on the season with 35 carries for 253 yards (7.2 average), as Stanback is next at 49 carries for 248 yards (5.1 average). Lewis remains the CFL's fourth-leading receiver with 435 yards, but on Sunday, in his 'competition' with Hamilton star pass catcher Kenny Lawler, he had one catch on three targets for 13 yards and once again failed to hang on to a ball on what would have been an important first-down gain. Lawler had a modest three catches for 66 yards, but did score the game's first touchdown when he burned corner Alijay McGhee on a 41-yard score. That one touchdown was one more than the Redblacks managed all game. On Sunday, a season-low 15,054 showed up to watch the Redblacks drop their home record to 0-3. That's 7,582 less than the league average. While the numbers would surely be better if the team started winning, Sunday night games are less than ideal, as many folks have likely had a busy weekend and want to lay low the night before going back to work. TV rules, right? But the CFL should also try to keep the Redblacks on the road (or on a bye) for two weeks in particular each summer, as the Bluesfest crowds have to impact attendance at TD Place. 'I don't think there's any external pressure greater than their internal pressure to be great,' said Dyce. 'They have a great drive to be great. So external pressure isn't something that these guys worry about. I would say they're frustrated, but I believe they're going to go back and they're going to identify some of those challenges, and come back here with a clean slate and go forward.' 'I don't think it's doubt,' said Crum. 'I think, at some point, as a competitor, you just kind of have to self-reflect a little bit and just say enough is enough. I mean, obviously we've had stints where we're successful, whether it was the game we won or in parts of games, but we have to be able to put it all together. I mean, football is a game of adversity. Teams are going to make mistakes. Even the teams right now that are at the top of the league, they're still making some mistakes in games. It's a matter of being able to overcome that, develop that kind of killer instinct mindset that no matter what happens, we're going to come out and win. And I think, as competitors, we have to self-reflect a little bit and take that approach and mindset every single week.' 'I think it's just a lot of things that come down to small details, stuff that we need to focus on and do better,' said veteran defensive tackle Mike Wakefield. 'Every game it's a different situation. I can't tell you overall why, but it's just the small things, small details. I think once we get these things fixed, we're going to be pretty good. We've got a heck of a team, very talented on every part of the team. It's just the small things that we need to correct, and I think we'll get where we need to go. '(Being 1-6) is a tough feeling, but I still believe in every single one of them guys in the room,' he added. 'I've been playing in the CFL for a long time, and I've seen some crazy stuff happen. I think we're going to come out of this bye week and we're going to do what we need to do, and go on winning runs that we need to change the season around. Nobody has given up. Everybody still has the same belief from Day 1 in camp. The CFL is a crazy football league. Anything could happen. So I've still got big belief.' 'We can go undefeated right now and be in a position that we want to be in,' said Justin Hardy. 'So it's all about how you look at it.' 'We can,' said Hardy. 'It's possible. Anything's possible.'
Ottawa Citizen
2 days ago
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Why the start of a bye week is the only reason for Ottawa Redblacks to celebrate an anniversary
Article content Expectations are that Dru Brown will start at quarterback and the coaching staff will be intact when the free-falling Ottawa Redblacks return from their bye week to host the surprise team of the CFL, the Calgary Stampeders, on the last night of July. Article content But while it's believed Brown will bounce back from the controversial head shot he received in Sunday's loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the overall health of the Redblacks is not good. Article content Article content Monday marked the one-month anniversary of the team's first, last and only win of the season, a 20-12 victory in stormy conditions on June 21 at Calgary's McMahon Stadium Article content Article content Since last season's promising 8-3-1 start, they are 2-11, or 2-12 counting the 20-point beating they took from the Toronto Argos in the East Division semifinal. Article content And despite an organizational belief in Bob Dyce, the Redblacks are 15-31-1 since he took over as head coach from the fired Paul LaPolice late in the 2022 season. Article content Likely needing to go 7-4 or 8-3 when they return from their bye, Ottawa's chances of making the playoffs are in grave condition after what Dyce termed 'critical errors' that stacked up in their 30-15 loss to the Tiger-Cats. Article content He cited three examples: Article content Having to settle for a field goal after Adarius Pickett intercepted a Bo Levi Mitchell pass on the first play of the fourth quarter and gave Ottawa the ball on the visitors' 24-yard line while trailing 20-12; The decision by American return specialist Easop Winston Jr. to run a punted ball out of the end zone, and making it only as far as the Ottawa one, rather than concede a single point; Allowing Mitchell to find Kiondre Smith for a 63-yard bomb to the Redblacks' three after 'our deep players don't play deep enough' on a second-and-18 situation. Article content 'We talk about maximizing opportunities … it's the critical situations,' said Dyce. 'I believe we have a talented team, and that's why I'm optimistic about the future. But at the same time, you've got to be able to perform at critical times.' Article content Article content Article content Dyce thinks so. Article content 'It's almost good for them to get out of here and enjoy their family,' he said of the players. 'No different than we will as coaches. It's time for introspection, right? We've got to identify what our challenges are, and they've got to identify what their challenges are. All of us together have put us in this situation, and the only way we're going to get out is with all of us as well.' Article content Peter Godber, the veteran Canadian centre the Redblacks signed as a free agent in the offseason, is expected to be among many players returning from the lengthy injury list when the team tries to get it right in its return to action against the 5-1 Stamps on July 31.
Calgary Herald
2 days ago
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Why the start of a bye week is the only reason for Ottawa Redblacks to celebrate an anniversary
Article content Expectations are that Dru Brown will start at quarterback and the coaching staff will be intact when the free-falling Ottawa Redblacks return from their bye week to host the surprise team of the CFL, the Calgary Stampeders, on the last night of July. Article content But while it's believed Brown will bounce back from the controversial head shot he received in Sunday's loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the overall health of the Redblacks is not good. Article content Article content Monday marked the one-month anniversary of the team's first, last and only win of the season, a 20-12 victory in stormy conditions on June 21 at Calgary's McMahon Stadium Article content Article content Since last season's promising 8-3-1 start, they are 2-11, or 2-12 counting the 20-point beating they took from the Toronto Argos in the East Division semifinal. Article content And despite an organizational belief in Bob Dyce, the Redblacks are 15-31-1 since he took over as head coach from the fired Paul LaPolice late in the 2022 season. Article content Likely needing to go 7-4 or 8-3 when they return from their bye, Ottawa's chances of making the playoffs are in grave condition after what Dyce termed 'critical errors' that stacked up in their 30-15 loss to the Tiger-Cats. Article content He cited three examples: Article content Having to settle for a field goal after Adarius Pickett intercepted a Bo Levi Mitchell pass on the first play of the fourth quarter and gave Ottawa the ball on the visitors' 24-yard line while trailing 20-12; The decision by American return specialist Easop Winston Jr. to run a punted ball out of the end zone, and making it only as far as the Ottawa one, rather than concede a single point; Allowing Mitchell to find Kiondre Smith for a 63-yard bomb to the Redblacks' three after 'our deep players don't play deep enough' on a second-and-18 situation. Article content Article content 'We talk about maximizing opportunities … it's the critical situations,' said Dyce. 'I believe we have a talented team, and that's why I'm optimistic about the future. But at the same time, you've got to be able to perform at critical times.' Article content Article content Article content Dyce thinks so. Article content 'It's almost good for them to get out of here and enjoy their family,' he said of the players. 'No different than we will as coaches. It's time for introspection, right? We've got to identify what our challenges are, and they've got to identify what their challenges are. All of us together have put us in this situation, and the only way we're going to get out is with all of us as well.' Article content Peter Godber, the veteran Canadian centre the Redblacks signed as a free agent in the offseason, is expected to be among many players returning from the lengthy injury list when the team tries to get it right in its return to action against the 5-1 Stamps on July 31.
Times
3 days ago
- General
- Times
Invasion of 1,200 bats forces taxi driver to sleep in her cab
One night earlier this summer Anne-Marie Murchie sleepily went to the bathroom. The taxi driver reached out for some paper and got a surprise so terrifying she started sleeping in her car. 'Half asleep, I grabbed the toilet roll holder and a bat came out and held on to my hand.' Murchie's home in Dyce near Aberdeen has been invaded by a colony of up to 1,200 soprano pipistrelles. Soprano pipistrelles one of the most common bat species in Britain. The weight up to 8 grammes and have a wingspan of about 200mm ALAMY Because the animals are protected, there is nothing the 41-year-old can do until they move on at the end of the summer maternity season, which could be next month or even September. The bats are everywhere. 'They're above the spotlights in the kitchen and they've popped them out a few times as well,' she said. 'I'm scared to come in the house. Sometimes I actually sleep outside in the car. I'm just petrified.'
Calgary Herald
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Ottawa Redblacks dig big hole for themselves early in the CFL season
Article content The Redblacks want to be an aggressive team, but they're not being very smart about it. Article content They did show they know how to play within the rules just once this season when they were flagged just four times for 26 yards in their only win. Article content In their four losses, they have given away an average of 104 penalty yards. Article content The worst of the Ottawa infractions on Sunday was committed early in the third quarter by linebacker Frankie Griffin, who wiped out his own sack, fumble recovery and touchdown because he hit quarterback Tre Ford in the head. Article content Instead of taking what would have been their only lead of the game, the Redblacks presented the Elks a fresh series of downs and the ability to escape the shadows of their goalposts. Article content Dyce showed his frustration on the post-game show when he called out players by name — Griffin and defensive back Robert Priester, who was called for a facemask on Edmonton's early first-quarter touchdown and has now taken bad penalties (including a pair of horse-collar tackles against Montreal) in at least three games. Article content Article content 'Honestly, people won't play,' Dyce said when Jakubec asked him how the penalty problem gets solved. 'Priester took the one and sat him for that quarter. We have to evaluate whether he'll have an opportunity going forward. Frankie took two two unnecessary roughness penalties on the quarterback and at the end of the day, we have pretty stiff rules about that. Article content 'So I've got some decisions to make.' Article content Dyce had similar words after the Redblacks took 11 penalties for 98 yards in their home-opening loss to the Alouettes, but if something was done, it wasn't evident in the transactions report. Article content Compounding the issue, of course, is the fact that Griffin is a good player who is starting at WILL linebacker for the injured Davion Taylor. Article content So are they now to bench Griffin and to a third-stringer? Article content And then there's the injury problem as a whole. Article content On Sunday, the Redblacks saw return specialist DeVonte Dedmon carted off the field in the second quarter with what looked to be a serious leg injury. Article content Article content They also lost their third Canadian safety, Charlie Ringland, to a hamstring. Article content That's at least two more players added to an injury report that, before they landed in Edmonton, already carried 16 names. Article content But the injuries are bad luck. The penalties are bad football. Article content Shouldering the blame for at least three flags was quarterback Dru Brown, who showed he is fully recovered from the hip injury he suffered in the season opener by completing 31-of-43 passes for 316 yards and a pair of TD tosses without an interception. Article content 'We've got to clean up procedural penalties,' Brown, who was also called for an illegal forward pass, told Jakubec. 'I take that as my responsibility in my communication with the guys up front and the receivers. The game's too hard to win in the first place, so we can't be moving backwards.' Article content Asked about the team's mindset heading into a crucial away-and-home series with the much-improved Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Brown replied: 'I don't think that waivers with the guys that we have. We have a bunch of guys who love football and love to compete and love to work. It is early, obviously, but there's a level of urgency that we have and that we need to continue to have to improve. I don't think we're necessarily playing bad football schematically. We're hurting ourselves with penalties.'
