Redblacks rally early, late to edge winless Elks 37-34

Quarterback Dru Brown completed a mates of agelong touchdown passes successful nan 2nd half and Lewis Ward kicked a 38-yard section extremity arsenic clip expired and nan Ottawa Redblacks overcame an early shortage to conclusion the Edmonton Elks 37-34 connected Sunday.

After Edmonton scored to necktie nan crippled pinch 8 seconds near successful nan 4th quarter, the Elks booted nan shot retired of bounds connected nan ensuing kickoff, giving Brown nan clip to complete a 29-yard walk from his ain 50-yard statement to rookie receiver Kalil Pimpleton to group up Ward’s winning section goal.

“We could person easy said we were going to play for overtime, but you person to person a small slayer instinct,” said Ottawa coach Bob Dyce. “These benignant of wins are characteristic builders and surely get your bosom complaint up.

“When we person to beryllium explosive, we tin beryllium explosive. All we request is nan opportunity. It was awesome to spot that finish.”

The Redblacks are now 3-2 connected nan season.

“It was a bully win, it feels good,” Brown said. “I deliberation it is important to triumph these types of games astatine this constituent of nan season. There were things successful nan first half that I could person done a batch amended that would person astir apt saved everyone’s ticker a bit, but it is ever bully to get a triumph and I americium really proud of nan guys.

“I deliberation it is simply a bully glimpse of what we tin do erstwhile we are each connected nan aforesaid page.”

The Elks continue to struggle, dropping to 0-5. Edmonton has mislaid 4 consecutive games by precisely 3 points, including nan past 3 connected game-winning section goals arsenic clip expired.

“You person to for illustration nan truth that they won’t quit, that’s surely thing that you tin beryllium proud of,” Elks coach Chris Jones said of his team’s expertise to support games close.

“But we create ways to not triumph games and we person to hole that. (Kicker Boris Bede) has been a kicker successful this convention for a agelong clip and he made an correction location (kicking nan shot retired of bounds aft Edmonton’s game-tying touchdown). He tried to play excessively hard, to do excessively much. We person each been blameworthy of trying to play aliases do thing extracurricular of nan model of what we are asked to do and unluckily it spot america erstwhile again.”

Ottawa was capable to get connected nan committee connected its opening drive, getting a 25-yard section extremity from Ward.

The Elks surged up pinch a infinitesimal remaining successful nan first quarter. After Elliott Brown recovered a fumble by Ottawa backmost Brown astatine midfield, Edmonton eventually took advantage arsenic QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson completed a 10-yard touchdown walk to Arkell Smith.

Edmonton added to its lead 4 minutes into nan 2nd framework arsenic Bethel-Thompson threaded nan needle connected a 39-yard explosive to Hergy Mayala, who made a awesome drawback contempt double coverage. They added a azygous connected nan consequent kickoff.

Ottawa trim into nan lead pinch a 31-yard Ward section extremity pinch two-and-a-half minutes near successful nan first half and past powered their measurement backmost up section to grounds a one-yard TD plunge by backup QB Dustin Crum to trim Edmonton’s lead to 15-13 astatine halftime.

Edmonton got backmost connected nan committee pinch six minutes near successful nan 3rd 4th connected a 42-yard section extremity by Boris Bede.

However, Ottawa quickly responded and took nan lead conscionable complete a infinitesimal later arsenic Brown completed a short walk to Pimpleton and nan newbie turned connected nan jets and blazed 70 yards into nan extremity area to grounds a touchdown successful his first CFL game.

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“We knew from training campy that he was a very bully receiver,” Dyce said. “‘As a young feline he has bided his clip learning astir nan crippled and each nan activity he put successful paid off. It is simply a in installments to him and his difficult work.”

The Redblacks completed nan two-point person to spell up 21-18.

Edmonton’s defence came up large arsenic Kordell Jackson picked disconnected Brown astatine nan Ottawa 24, but Bede missed a 31-yard section extremity effort to settee for a azygous to commencement nan fourth.

The Redblacks came instantly backmost pinch different immense play arsenic Brown went heavy to Justin Hardy and he battled disconnected a defender for a 68-yard touchdown.

Ward extended nan lead pinch his 3rd section extremity of nan game, a 35-yarder.

The Elks showed renewed signs of life and capped of a agelong thrust pinch a four-yard touchdown tally by backup QB Dakota Prukop. They added nan two-point person to make it 31-27 pinch conscionable nether six minutes to play.

Ottawa erstwhile again punched correct backmost pinch a large play arsenic Dominique Rhymes reeled successful a 66-yard pass, mounting up a 10-yard section extremity by Ward.

Edmonton marched down nan section successful nan last mates minutes and sewage a walk interference telephone successful their favour connected a third-down bet to group up a one-yard TD plunge connected a 3rd effort by Prukop pinch 8 seconds to play to necktie nan game, forcing Ottawa’s melodramatic finish.

NOTES

The Elks and nan Redblacks vanished successful a necktie for past successful nan convention past play astatine 4-14. … Edmonton came into nan crippled having suffered 3 consecutive losses by conscionable 3 points apiece. … The Elks were bolstered by 2 awesome additions connected defence successful a brace of erstwhile CFL all-stars. Joining nan squad were linebacker Derrick Moncrief and protect lineman Shawn Oakman. … Despite leaving past week’s roadworthy nonaccomplishment to Winnipeg aft a deed to nan head, Redblacks QB Brown was capable to return to commencement nan title in Edmonton. … Pimpleton made his first CFL commencement astatine receiver and Davion Taylor astatine linebacker for Ottawa. … Edmonton entered nan crippled pinch conscionable a 2-26 grounds astatine location since Oct. 26, 2019.

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