Dru Brown, who suffered an ankle harm in Thursday’s tie with Saskatchewan, was on the sphere at follow Sunday, strolling with no limp and performing some mild throwing.
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The Ottawa Redblacks have wasted no time deciding on their beginning quarterback for Thursday night time’s sport in Calgary.
It is going to be Jeremiah Masoli.
Head coach Bob Dyce confirmed Masoli will get the task after the 35-year-old took first-team reps at Sunday’s follow.
He’s changing Dru Brown, who suffered an ankle harm in Thursday’s 22-22 tie with Saskatchewan.
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The information on Brown is optimistic, nonetheless.
He was on the sphere at follow, strolling with no limp and performing some mild throwing.
“Fortunately, it wasn’t practically as severe as we thought it was,” Dyce mentioned of the harm. “So it can sort of be a day-by-day, week-by-week, factor.”
Masoli has made simply 5 appearances whereas struggling back-to-back season-ending accidents (ACL, Achillies) since signing with Ottawa in 2022.
The previous Hamilton Tiger-Cat star agreed to a reworked extension previous to this season, nevertheless it wasn’t till two weeks in the past that he may take part in practices.
“Jeremiah has performed numerous soccer on this league, and he brings numerous expertise,” Dyce mentioned in explaining the choice to go together with Masoli over Dustin Crum, who had some good runs, however typically struggled within the passing sport when changing Brown on Thursday. “He brings management and good play. What we’ve to do is get him a little bit bit extra time with those, and get him a little bit comfy.”
Masoli, who dressed because the crew’s third quarterback the final couple of video games, is grateful for a possibility to make his first begin since July 8, 2023.
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“Grateful that the coaches belief me with it,” mentioned the CFL East Division most excellent participant in 2018. “That’s why I’m right here. Simply been working onerous, chipping away at it and simply been getting higher. Simply simply hope to maintain this momentum with the crew going.
“It’s been a gentle climb with the power and conditioning,” he added. “With the (coaching) workers right here, we’ve carried out an important job simply sort of staying on observe, staying on plan. Don’t let something actually sidetrack us from what our purpose was, and we’re sort of proper, proper the place we’re at.”
Working to Masoli’s benefit is the the connection he has with offensive co-ordinator Tommy Condell, who he labored with for for seven seasons in Hamilton.
The Ottawa offence is one he had nice success working in Hamilton.
“Undoubtedly grateful to be again with Tommy, to get after it with him, inside the best way that he does stuff,” mentioned Masoli. “It’s been enjoyable. You’ve seen what we’ve been ready to do that season up to now, and I nonetheless really feel like we may do much more. I do know all people appears like that in that room. So we’re seeking to simply maintain constructing, maintain getting higher each week.”
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Masoli is not going to have Kalil (The Thrill) Pimpleton as a goal towards the Stampeders.
The rookie suffered a hand harm within the first half of the Saskatchewan sport and noticed a specialist on Sunday earlier than working by some drills (however clearly not catching any passes) at follow.
Pimpleton is probably going headed to the six-game injured listing, however contemplating that he got here again into the sport after getting damage, it might be no shock if he returned earlier.
“He’s a really robust younger man,” mentioned Dyce. “There are particular issues that the coaching workers is ready to do, to try to repair one thing like that, however on the finish of the day, you need to be certain there’s no long-term implications from that harm. We simply felt that we’ve obtained to research all avenues to make it possible for Khalil has a pleasant, lengthy profession.”
Whereas Masoli is just not missing confidence in his repaired physique components — “We’ve pushed it actually onerous to sort of recover from that hump and probably not give it some thought mentally anymore and simply simply play free” — he does admit to a little bit rust.
“That is sort of like my first time actually throwing to numerous the No. 1 guys,” he mentioned after follow, “so it’s actually simply going to return with reps and seeing it and doing it. It’s simply among the throws, among the little nuances on completely different routes, however nothing too main.
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“You bought to get hit, take successful. … I’m wanting ahead to that. After which simply the little issues that you simply don’t get while you’re not in, just a few little communication stuff throughout the huddle. However that sort of stuff comes again fairly fast.”
He’s additionally wanting ahead to becoming a member of a crew that’s 5-2-1 and unbeaten in 4.
“We obtained an important group,” mentioned Masoli. “We obtained some actual good momentum proper now. We obtained some good mojo flowing within the locker room. And, you recognize, it’s simply on us to maintain constructing and get higher each week. I imply, to me, the sky’s the restrict. We obtained a tremendously gifted crew, and we’re engaged on our psychological points to again all that up and propel ourselves ahead to the place we need to go.”
GOING DEEP
Following an investigation, the CFL has issued an announcement concerning the incident on the finish of Thursday’s sport during which a person carrying a camo jacket enraged Dyce and GM Shawn Burke by directing feedback with racial overtones or function on the Redblacks coach close to the Ottawa bench.
The identification of the person, believed to be linked to a league workers member, is just not being launched.
“The person concerned within the altercation has been recognized, and it has been confirmed that he was permitted to be at discipline stage,” learn the assertion. “Nonetheless, he was not approved to enter the participant bench space, and he was not approved to work together with gamers, nor crew personnel. He did so in an inappropriate and inexcusable method that isn’t acceptable by league and Ottawa Redblacks requirements. The CFL is reviewing its credential coverage concerning entry necessities.”
Dyce is glad with the best way the matter is being dealt with.
“They’ve investigated and did their half,” mentioned Dyce. “There’s numerous good folks within the league … they love this league and so they work onerous. So I do know they take issues severely, and so they have. And that’s behind us.”
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