August 26, 2016

Campbell laments ‘negative football’ in REDBLACKS’ loss to Lions

Johany Jutras/CFL.ca

OTTAWA – After losing a nailbiter to the BC Lions, REDBLACKS head coach Rick Campbell rued his team’s tendency to give up easy yards and points to its opponent.

“We need to limit the negative stuff,” said Campbell following the 29-23 loss. “That’s whether we’re going backwards on offence or helping them stay on the field with penalties. The difference between the good teams and the bad teams is staying away from the negative plays.”

The REDBLACKS stayed away from turnovers in this one, with their only giveaway coming in the dying moments of the fourth quarter as they surrendered the ball on downs, but they committed seven penalties, including a few which extended BC drives, helping their opponent put points on the board.

One such play saw the REDBLACKS commit two penalties on the same punt, turning what was a nine-yard return by BC return man Chris Rainey into a 41-yarder, leading to a Lions touchdown just two plays later.

“Most of the games are going to be like this,” said Campbell. “Teams are going to be close and the standings are going to be close at the end of the year… in order to win games and compete with good teams you can’t help the other team out, you have to make them earn everything that they get.”

RELATED:

» Lions outlast REDBLACKS to win nailbiter
» Photo Gallery: Lions at REDBLACKS
» Stats: View Box Score
» Standings: Logjam at the top of the East Division

 

The REDBLACKS were unable to capitalize on what was a largely magnificient start from QB Trevor Harris in his return from injury. Harris threw for 352 yards and a touchdown on 23-of-30 passing in his first game since suffering multiple injuries in Week 5.

But while Harris was able to generate big plays, averaging 15.3 yards per completion compared to just 12.6 per completion for Jonathon Jennings, Jennings and the Lions were able to move the chains and stay on the field.

The Lions picked up 47 first downs against Ottawa’s 36 while owning a 36:31 to 23:29 edge in time of possession.

For an Ottawa team that dropped to fourth in the league in net offence coming into Week 10, improvement will have to be made before the REDBLACKS’ next matchup, their third and final against the Montreal Alouettes.

Ottawa has lost four of its last five games and at 4-4-1 has let a dominant start slip away.

Wally Buono’s Lions, meanwhile, came up with exactly the response that was needed following a 37-9 loss to the Stampeders in Week 9.

The REDBLACKS took the lead late on a Chris Milo go-ahead field goal, but for the second time in three weeks the 24-year-old Jennings led his team with a late game-winning touchdown.

From there it was the BC defence forcing a sack and then a third-down incompletion against Harris to clinch the victory.

“They’re gonna make plays,” Buono said of the highly-talented REDBLACKS’ opponent. “At the end of the day, the defence found a way not to let them score a touchdown at the end.

“We won; we controlled them at the end of the game. You deserve what you get and I thought we played well enough to win.”

– With files from BCLions.com