Roughriders' defence defuses Redblacks’ drive in 27-22 victory

The Ottawa Redblacks' struggles continued with a 27-22 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, leaving head coach Ryan Dinwiddie facing an 0-4 record. Dinwiddie described the team's situation as being "in quicksand" and acknowledged they are "far behind" in the league standings.

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No doubt we’re in quicksand. It’s a long race, but we’re far behind … We’re in a tough spot right now but you know we gotta get a win, find a way to win, do the little things it takes to win and get some momentum going.

Despite an early 10-0 lead, the Redblacks faltered due to penalties and missed chances. Dinwiddie lamented the nature and timing of the penalties, questioning the team's discipline. "I mean, you can’t practice not taking penalties right?" he said, expressing bewilderment at some of the infractions. He urged his players to "look in the mirror" as he cannot play for them.

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I mean, you can’t practice not taking penalties right? It’s just beyond me some of the stuff we’ve done.

Quarterback Jake Maier completed 23 of 30 passes for 259 yards and one touchdown for Ottawa. Saskatchewan's Trevor Harris, though held to his lowest yardage total of the season, passed Tom Clements for 12th on the CFL's all-time passing list with 39,115 yards. Harris admitted it wasn't his best game but highlighted his team's ability to execute a crucial touchdown drive.

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I told those guys they’ve got to look in the mirror a little bit. I can’t go out there and play for you and not take penalties. We preach it all the time.

A key turning point was a 101-yard punt return by Saskatchewan's Mathew Sexton in the third quarter, which gave the Roughriders their first lead. Roughriders head coach Corey Mace noted the difficulty of playing in Ottawa, where "weird stuff happens," but praised his team's response when needed. He emphasized the need to focus on getting back to a 1-0 record for the week.

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I didn’t have my best game. I wasn’t on my ‘A’ game in terms of how I’ve been playing this year, but you know when your team needs you to step up and make a play we’re able to kind of come up with a touchdown drive.