Redblacks comfortable with underdog role in Grey Cup game against Stampeders

“We’re not worried about the doubters,” Kanneh said Thursday. “There have been doubters all year. That’s what we like. We like doubters, we like being the underdogs. We like being in that position. That way when we do beat people, we just have more people on the bandwagon.”

The powerhouse West Division had four teams finish the regular season with better records than Ottawa’s middling 8-9-1 mark. The Redblacks still earned the first seed in the East and beat Edmonton 35-23 in the division final.

Calgary, meanwhile, showed no rust in the West final. The Stampeders, who entered with a 15-2-1 mark, crushed the B.C. Lions 42-15.

Redblacks offensive line coach Bryan Chiu knows first-hand that the slate is wiped clean for the championship game. He played for the Montreal team that entered the 2000 Grey Cup as a heavy favourite but lost to a B.C. squad that won just eight games in the regular season.

“The one thing I can tell you about Grey Cup is it’s not a best-of-seven, it’s one game,” Chiu said. “The ball is not round. You’ve got funny bounces. It’s the ultimate equalizer in championship games. The team that has the most discipline and protects the football is usually the team that comes out on top.

“We’re both here for a reason. I think both teams deserve to be here. But at the end of the day, the team that plays complete and with discipline is going to win it.”

Kanneh feels regular-season marks don’t mean a thing at this point. Only two clubs remain in the post-season picture and both have an equal shot at the big prize.

“It’s playoffs, it’s win or go home,” he said. “So you could be 13-and-0, you could be 21-and-0, you could be 100-and-0 or you could be 2-and-11. If you make it here, you make it here. There’s a reason why you made it here.

“So it’s all about that next game. Whatever you did in the past don’t matter no more.”

The Redblacks were loose and relaxed for Thursday’s media day availability in a downtown hotel conference room. Kanneh led the charge during the informal gathering, hamming it up for photographers and reporters alike.

His grin disappeared when asked about the task at hand on Sunday.

“We’re not scared of nothing,” he said. “Bring on anybody and we’re ready to go. We’re not going to flinch, we’re not going to move. But we will hit you back and we will hit you first.”

Ottawa’s offence was solid last week at home despite snowy conditions. Quarterback Henry Burris threw for 246 yards and two touchdowns while running back Kienan Lafrance came off the bench to run for 157 yards and a TD.

The Redblacks’ defence struggled at times but didn’t break. Ottawa will need to have all facets of its game in top form against a powerful Calgary side that is loaded with confidence.

“We’re capable of a lot,” said Redblacks wide receiver Brad Sinopoli. “I think this is a championship team. I know the guys in the locker-room really believe that.”

And as for that slowly rising Vegas line?

“We don’t care about the odds,” Kanneh said. “The odds have been against us all year and we’ve proven people wrong and wrong and wrong.

“We’ve got one more game to do it.”

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Follow @GregoryStrongCP on Twitter.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Redblacks comfortable with underdog role in Grey Cup game against Stampeders

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