Montreal Alouettes' head coach Khari Jones catches a ball prior to a CFL pre-season football game against the Ottawa Redblacks in Montreal, Friday, June, 3, 2022. The Redblacks parted ways with assistant head coach/offensive co-ordinator Jones on Friday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
OTTAWA – The Ottawa Redblacks parted ways with assistant head coach/offensive co-ordinator Khari Jones on Friday.
Ottawa hired Jones on Dec. 3, 2022 and he served as the team’s offensive playcaller this past season.
Ottawa (4-14) finished fourth in the East Division and missed the CFL playoffs. The Redblacks ended their season with three straight losses.
Even more disappointing, though, was at one point this year Ottawa had a 3-3 record.
Ottawa endured injuries at quarterback, first losing promising youngster Tyrie Adams (knee) following its first win of the year, a 26-7 decision over the Edmonton Elks. Adams suffered the injury during the game but continued to play.
Then the Redblacks lost veteran Jeremiah Masoli (ruptured Achilles) the following week in a 21-13 road loss in Hamilton. It was Masoli’s first appearance after missing most of the 2022 campaign with a leg injury.
That forced Ottawa to go with rookie Dustin Crum at quarterback. Crum finished 266-of-385 passing (69.1 per cent) for 3,109 yards with 10 TDs and 12 interceptions while rushing 97 times for 741 yards (7.6-yar average) and nine touchdowns.
Crum was the top-rushing quarterback in the CFL and his nine TDs tied league rushing leader Brady Oliveira of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for tops overall.
But while Crum anchored the CFL’s second-ranked ground game (127.6 yards per game), Ottawa’s offence finished last overall in passing (220.4) and net yards (318.8) and second-last in offensive TDs (33).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 3, 2023.
