How winning a game would increase chances of the Ottawa Redblacks giving their rookie QB a real look

Redblacks rookie and short-yardage quarterback Bryson Barnes celebrates his touchdown during a Sept. 12 game against the host Toronto Argonauts. Photo by Peter Power /Postmedia

Article content

The television camera mercilessly zoomed in on Ryan Dinwiddie around 10 p.m. last Saturday.

Article content

It caught the Ottawa Redblacks coach chuckling to himself.

Article content

Article content

“It was kind of one of those, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me’ moments,” Dinwiddie remembered Friday morning.

Article content

The Redblacks had just lost their second consecutive game on the final play, this time done in by an unlikely 62-yard field goal (one yard shy of the Canadian Football League record) off the toe of Calgary Stampeders veteran placekicker Rene Paredes.

Article content

Article content

On Saturday afternoon at TD Place, the two teams square off again with the 0-13 Redblacks still attempting to collect their first win of this season and slam the brakes on a CFL modern-day 19-game losing streak.

Article content

Article content

The Stampeders, at 6-8, are battling for a playoff spot in the West Division.

Article content

“You could feel the energy on the sideline all game,” Dinwiddie said, harkening back to last weekend’s 40-38 defeat. “I think that’s why we played the way we did. I think we’re playing with more confidence now … and then you see something like that. It’s just like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me, man.’

Article content

“I felt like the players deserved to win. I thought they played well enough to win that football game. Unfortunately, you know, Rene made a great kick.”

Article content

Dinwiddie wants that first victory so bad he can taste it.

Article content

Not for himself.

Article content

Not because he doesn’t want to become the first coach of a CFL team to have a winless season.

Article content

He wants it for the players.

Article content

“I just want to get the monkey off their back a bit,” he said. “I feel like the players have been working hard. They’ve been loyal to the process. We just haven’t played good enough football. But, yeah, it’d be great to get a win for them. I mean, obviously for everybody in the building, the whole organization. But you know, for the players, most importantly.

Article content

Article content

“I can feel their pain.”

Article content

Article content

Who will start at QB for the Redblacks on Saturday?

Article content

MacLeod Bethel-Thompson will be making his second start at quarterback for Ottawa.

Article content

He put up some stellar numbers against the Stamps in his first start, throwing five touchdown passes against one interception, while completing 27 of 48 passes for 379 yards.

Article content

Under pressure from Calgary Stampeders defensive lineman Folarin Orimolade, Ottawa Redblacks quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson throws a pass in last week’s game at McMahon Stadium in Calgary. Gavin Young/Postmedia

Article content

The performance had people wondering why it took so long for Dinwiddie to bench Jake Maier, but Maier’s also had five 300-plus-yard games this season.

Article content

With Bethel-Thompson 38 years old and Maier 29 — and with Ottawa officially eliminated from this season’s playoff race — the Redblacks need to find out what they have in Bryson Barnes, the 24-year-old rookie who has served as their third-string and short-yardage QB.

Article content

Barnes has thrown just 10 passes and completed eight in spot duty.

Article content

Getting that highly prioritized first win in the pocket would increase Dinwiddie’s chances of putting Barnes in down the stretch.

Article content

“Yeah, it’ll be easier to do that, right?” Dinwiddie said. “I mean, I think Bryson can go out there and win football games for us, too. But he’s a little young. He’s green. I don’t want to throw him out too quickly. Maybe him and Mac play together at some stage through these (last five) games. He might play (Saturday). We’ll see how the game goes.