Can a showdown with the defending champs be the 'turning point' for the Ottawa Redblacks?

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“I think the offence gave us a chance last week, and we gotta do our job and not give up big plays,” said C.J. Reavis. “As DBs, our job is to not give up big explosives. We’re a brand-new unit trying to build cohesiveness, but I feel like at the same time we’ve got to just do the, like, small things right. It’s small things, it’s little things, but little things can get you beat.”

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Saskatchewan quarterback Trevor Harris is someone who can feast on the “little things” he gets from a defence.

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“He’s so smart,” said Reavis. “He goes through all his progressions. Most QBs out here, they just go one read, one side; he goes through literally all progressions. He knows where the ball is going. He’s not looking at players, it’s more so schematics and schemes. He’s throwing the spots. He doesn’t look at the guys. I think us being fundamentally sound and being tight on techniques will be our advantage for sure.”

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Will there be added motivation for all the former Roughriders wearing black?

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Doesn’t sound like it.

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Members of the Redblacks who were part of Saskatchewan’s Cup-winning team last year include linebacker A.J. Allen, defensive lineman Habakkuk Baldonado, Reavis and, of course, Maier.

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“I wouldn’t say it’s been circled, but it’s gonna be fun to get out there and run around, get at old teammates, guys that I would talk trash to in practice every day,” said Reavis. “So now I get to do it in real life.”

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Especially Trevor Harris.

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“We had a lot of battles in practice, a lot of trash talking,” said Reavis. “He’s my brother, man. I miss him, I love him, but it’s gonna be fun to get on him this week.”

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Baldonado also spoke of having a “lot of love and respect” for his former teammates, as did Maier.

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“I had a lot of good times with a lot of those people over there, man,” said Maier. “The coaching staff is pretty much the same as it was when I left and there are players over there that I literally would consider brothers, like family, have them over to my house every day, if I could. So, yeah, it’s nice to have them in town and get to compete against them.”

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How anxious are the Redblacks to pick up win No. 1?

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Obviously, it’s a priority, just as the Roughriders will be looking to bounce back from last week’s 40-34 loss to Toronto that left them with a 2-1 record.

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“I think everybody’s anxious for it,” said Dinwiddie. “I mean, s–t, 0-3. That wasn’t what we wanted to be, it’s not what we thought we’d be, but that’s the situation we put ourselves in. So we’ve got to find ways to play better football and give us a chance to get a win at home.”

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Said Baldonado: “It’s a must win. It can be a great turning point for our season. The first three games didn’t go how we wanted them to go, but I think we showed a lot of great things. We showed that we’re improving, and we’re going to get there fast.”

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