Dinwiddie downplays – Ryan Dinwiddie insists Ottawa’s first game against his former Toronto Argonauts isn’t “that big of a deal” as the Redblacks look to bounce back after a 29-21 loss to the Edmonton Elks. With heavy penalties and turnovers weighing on his squad, Dinwiddie shifts
OTTAWA — Ryan Dinwiddie’s face stayed calm when the question returned for the same reason it keeps coming up: he’s about to coach the Ottawa Redblacks against the Toronto Argonauts for the first time since leaving the franchise.
He didn’t bite.
“I’m getting this question all of the time and it’s not that big of a deal for me,” Dinwiddie said. “I understand it’s my ex-team and I know a lot of people on that side of the building, but I’m a Redblack. That’s where I’m at, that’s where my feet are.
“It’s a darn important football game. That’s been the mentality all week.”
Ottawa enters Saturday’s matchup after dropping its season opener 29-21 to the Edmonton Elks in Dinwiddie’s first game as head coach. The Redblacks are 0-1, and he says the only scoreboard he’s watching is the one in front of him: getting this team to a 1-1 record.
The opening game, played in heavy rains and strong winds, left more than one mark. Jake Maier, Ottawa’s starting quarterback, pointed directly at execution.
“We had a few too many two-and-outs for my liking, for sure,” said Maier. “Certain element things we didn’t do as good of a job as we should have. I don’t want to go too far back and talk about the past too much but we should be playing a better brand of football this week.”
Penalties and turnovers did the damage. Ottawa committed 10 penalties for 110 yards, and a pair of turnovers added fuel to the Elks’ advantage.
“If you have turnovers and you have penalties you will lose the game,” wide receiver Eugene Lewis said. “In professional sports if you turn the ball over and you have penalties, bad things usually happen.
“It’s hard to dig yourself out of that hole so it’s just the discipline of we can’t do that.”
That discipline is also the kind of pressure Ottawa hopes to bring on the Argonauts, who are dealing with their own disappointment after an 0-1 start. Toronto fell 37-30 in its season opener against the Montreal Alouettes last week.
Chad Kelly returned to the lineup after not playing since the 2024 East Final. He responded with a stat line that makes the next game feel like a chess match. Kelly went 28-for-46 for 445 yards, including three touchdowns and one interception.
Dinwiddie has a direct plan for limiting him.
“We’ve got to disrupt him and make sure he doesn’t extend plays with his legs,” Dinwiddie said. “He’s a good runner, and he can find those down-the-field throws.”
For Ottawa, the key is pressure—creating discomfort in the pocket and forcing the type of decisions that lead to bad outcomes.
“Communication,” linebacker A.J. Allen said. “We need to communicate, cover what’s on the field and be able to work together to take reads away.”
Ottawa also expects a jolt in the backfield. Greg Bell will make his season debut after missing the first game with a neck injury.
“He gives us an added element out in the backfield catching the football, as well as running the football,” Dinwiddie said. “I think Greg’s going to add a little juice to our offence.”
The stakes are immediate, and they’re also personal—just not in the way Dinwiddie wants it framed. What he’s promising is simpler: cleaner football, fewer costly mistakes, and a team that starts looking like itself again.
Toronto Argonauts (0-1) vs. Ottawa Redblacks (0-1), Saturday, 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT.
Redblacks will debut new uniforms that tie back to their long history in the nation’s capital.
In his debut, Argos receiver Tyler Kahmann recorded 106 yards and a touchdown on six catches.
With 7,320 yards, Eugene Lewis needs 111 receiving yards to break into the top 50 all-time.
Ryan Dinwiddie Ottawa Redblacks Toronto Argonauts Chad Kelly Jake Maier Eugene Lewis A.J. Allen Greg Bell Tyler Kahmann CFL