Redblacks' Dyce looking to use challenging loss to Riders as a means to get better

Coming off a 26-24 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL's Week 9 finale, Ottawa Redblacks coach Bob Dyce professed Tuesday that while it was a challenging loss, it was also an opportunity to learn and get better. 

"We do need to find a way to maybe start a little bit quicker and sustain some drives earlier," Dyce told TSN1200. "Obviously, we need to score some points offensively as well. 

"On the defensive side of the ball, we've got to make sure we're limiting drives and not allowing teams to march early in games and score touchdowns." 

Sunday's game saw the Redblacks trail the Riders through three quarters, but the fourth is when the drama ensued. 

After the Redblacks forced a turnover on downs, snuffing out Riders quarterback Mason Fine in a short-yardage situation with two minutes remaining, Lewis Ward knocked down the go-ahead field goal for the Redblacks. 

And though it gave the Redblacks a glimmer of hope, as they now led 24-23, Fine marched the Green and White down the field, setting up Brett Lauther's game-winning field goal. 

When asked if he would have changed the way he play-called in the fourth quarter, Dyce stayed firm in his belief to take the three points on that drive. 

"I looked at the amount of time left in the game and, obviously, as you go through the course of the game, you evaluate every one of our short-yardage situations and (I) just felt strongly that the field goal was the way to go to make sure we got the lead," said Dyce of the go-ahead field goal. 

Focusing solely on the play of quarterback Dustin Crum and the offence, Dyce stated that everyone has to get better.

Crum completed 16 passes for 174 yards and rushed for an additional 21 yards, but failed to score a touchdown for the second straight week.

With 226 yards on the day, the Redblacks' offence amassed nearly 100 yards less than the Riders' offence (366) and 10 fewer first downs. 

"We all have to be a little bit better," said Dyce on his offence. "We as coaches have to make sure we are putting Dustin in the perfect situations that allow him to succeed.

"Everyone looks at the quarterback position. We have to make sure everyone around him [Crum] is 100 per cent assignment-competent... We just have to make sure we're putting him in successful positions. I think there were a couple (of) situations where we could have maybe possibly stepped up into the pocket a little bit more. 

"When we're evaluating our offensive performance, one of the things that's going to stand out is we did get pressure or sacks." 

As the Redblacks' offence has focused less on the deep ball with the ushering of Crum into the pocket, Dyce noted that those types of plays are going to be a focus going forward now that the rookie quarterback has gotten his feet wet. 

Shifting his conversation to the defensive side of the ball, Dyce talked about the return of off-season addition Javon Santos-Knox. 

Santos-Knox, who had missed the first eight weeks of the CFL season with a hamstring injury, made his season-debut against his former team the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last week. 

The 29-year-old racked up a career-high 105 tackles and recorded a sack and an interception with the Tiger-Cats last season and was named the Tiger-Cats Most Outstanding Defensive Player for the first time in his career and was an East Division All-Star for the first time in his career.

The UMass product tallied a pair of tackles in his season debut in a losing effort. 

"What you saw this week is exactly what we expect from Jovan," Dyce said on his middle linebacker who finished with nine tackles and a defended pass against the Riders. "He's a high-energy player, plays from sideline-to-sideline and (he) really captains the defence out there."

Previewing the Redblacks' upcoming game against the East-leading Toronto Argonauts, Dyce talked about the mindset of his team heading into Week 10. 

"These guys are  excited about the opportunity to play a very good Toronto team in their stadium and (they) are really up for the challenge," Dyce vowed.