Jones the scapegoat for Ottawa’s ineptitude

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This article was published 07/11/2023 (1000 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I had no idea what Mike O’Shea would say to my question about the “dribble kicks” that have been happening in Montreal, but I’ll admit I wasn’t surprised by his answer.

“It’s not gimmicky,” the Blue Bombers head coach and staunch CFL supporter said, as if he already knew the intent of the question. “It’s part of the CFL. It’s part of the roots of all football… Our kicking game is certainly a lot more exciting than most other forms of football around the world. It’s awesome.”

The Montreal Alouettes have pulled it off twice over the past month, each time turning a second-and-long into a new set of downs. The play includes catching a forward pass behind the line of scrimmage and then lightly kicking it over the line before retrieving it, with the series equating to a successful onside kick.

I discussed the play in a recent edition of CFL Rundown, in which I pondered whether the rule might be looked at by the league and potentially changed. While there are some who share O’Shea’s opinion, there are others who feel it cheapens the game.

O’Shea, who is on the CFL’s Rules Committee and has been for years, didn’t have much time for the thought, though he does appear willing to sit down with those in disagreement.

“Why would they do anything about it?” O’Shea said, adding he was aware of the rule and had thought of ways to exploit it in the past, to no avail. “They can all buy me beers and they can sit and I’ll convince them otherwise. It would take a long time, for sure.”

I asked a few Bomber players about it, and no one seemed to enjoy it. While it created a bit of a buzz in the locker room, there haven’t been any plans, at least in Winnipeg, to try it during a game.

With that, let’s dive into the top stories or the week that was in the three-down loop.

1) The Alouettes defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Eastern semifinal and will play the Toronto Argonauts for a shot at the Grey Cup. Over in the West, it’s between the Bombers and B.C. Lions, who handily beat the Calgary Stampeders over the weekend. Of the four remaining teams, the Alouettes have the longest championship drought, having last won the Grey Cup in 2010, one year before the Lions’ last title in 2011.

2) So much for the theory the Stamps possessed a blueprint to beat the Lions. Calgary was able to establish the run, with Ka’Deem Carey earning 75 yards on 14 carries, but they had no answers for the stellar play of Lions QB Vernon Adams Jr. Adams had the best game of his career, completing nearly 72 per cent of his passes for 413 yards and two TDs, while rushing for 58 yards and an additional three scores.

3) There was the predictable noise from media and fans out west who seem obsessed with defending Adams, claiming his performance should put to rest any concerns around his inconsistent play. I think we can all agree Adams is developing into an elite QB in the CFL, but before we send him to the Hall of Fame, I’ll remind those Saturday was his first playoff victory as a starter since entering the league in 2016.

4) How many more times do we need to watch Chris Edwards make a fool out of himself and the CFL before commissioner Randy Ambrosie actually does something about it? Edwards, a strong-side linebacker for the Ticats, was once again showcasing his poor sportsmanship live on TSN, this time by grabbing an Alouette by the helmet and throwing him to the ground before appearing to deliver a punch to the opponent’s head as he hit the turf, all with just seconds remaining. This is the same Edwards who sucker-shoved Montreal receiver Austin Mack after pretending to shake his hand earlier this year, and, while with Toronto, jumped into the stands and got physical with a fan following the 2021 East Final. Edwards received a six-game suspension for his role with the fan, but an appeal reduced it to three. Time to send a better message.

5) When the Ticats announced they’d be starting Matthew Shiltz over Bo Levi Mitchell, I didn’t think Mitchell would end up being an afterthought, brought in late with the game all but over. Some people were critical of Mitchell’s post-game comments, which included questioning his future in Hamilton by saying, among other things, “If you’re not playing your highest-paid player on this team in a playoff game, I don’t foresee myself playing here.” Bo was simply being Bo, giving an honest answer to a question that probably could have waited until locker cleanup and not seconds after a season-ending loss. I’ve been saying for weeks Mitchell is likely out of Hamilton next year, despite having two years left on his deal. It will be interesting to see what he plans to do, whether he wants another chance at a happier ending or to slide seamlessly into the broadcasting booth.

6) I wrote earlier this year, after speaking with several people around the league, there was a feeling Dave Dickenson would struggle in his first season as GM and head coach. Finishing 6-12, his worst record since becoming a head coach in 2015, backs that argument. Nothing seemed to go right in Calgary this year, though it would be a disservice not to mention the high number of injuries the club had to contend with. Dickenson was asked about the burden of playing both roles and he insisted that he wants to keep coaching. Look around the league and you’ll notice how tough it is to play dual roles, and what happens when you do. Or, simply look at the teams in Alberta.

7) On the topic of the vacant head coaching job with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, there’s some buzz generating that Marc Trestman is interested. The former CFL bench boss has three Grey Cups to his name, winning twice with Montreal (2009, 2010) and with Toronto in 2017. He most recently spent one year, in 2020, as GM and coach of the XFL’s Tampa Bay Vipers but, judging by a quick Google search, has been doing some consulting and hosting a podcast ever since. While I’m unsure of Saskatchewan’s interest in Trestman, I will say the Riders are best to go with an experienced option, as fans likely won’t have the stomach to endure the inevitable growing pains of a first-year head coach.

8) Khari Jones and the Ottawa Redblacks have parted ways after one season. Jones, who was the club’s offensive co-ordinator and assistant head coach, just wasn’t able to make chicken soup of out chicken poop with all the injuries Ottawa faced at quarterback. With Bob Dyce back for another season, someone had to be the scapegoat, and who better than the man whose offence averaged the fewest yards per game and the second-fewest touchdowns scored.

9) The departure of Jones got me thinking about what the future might hold for Paul LaPolice, who was relieved of his duties as head coach of the Redblacks partway through last season and spent this year on the CFL on TSN panel and as a colour commentator. When we spoke in the summer, LaPo told me he wanted to get back into coaching, understanding it would most likely be as an OC. I asked if he would ever consider coming back to Winnipeg, to which he quipped, quite humourously, that he would even be willing to go back to Ottawa, noting there aren’t a lot of options in a nine-team league. It’s interesting both positions could be available this winter, assuming Buck Pierce gets the chance to become a head coach.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jeffkhamilton