'Downtown' Dru Brown, Kalil 'The Thrill' Pimpleton lead Redblacks in performance for the ages

Published Jul 15, 2024 • Last updated 5 hours ago • 5 minute read

Ottawa Redblacks’ quarterback Dru Brown makes a throw against the Edmonton Elks. THE CANADIAN PRESS

Stepping out of concussion protocol into only the seventh start of his professional career, Dru (Downtown) Brown did something very special Sunday night in Edmonton.

Not only did he become the first Canadian Football League quarterback to throw for 480 yards this season — and just the second to reach the 400-yard mark one night after B.C. Lions MVP Vernon Adams Jr. put up 451 yards against the Saskatchewan Roughriders — but Brown had the fourth highest single-game mark in an Ottawa football history that dates back 148 years to the birth of the Rough Riders in 1876, surpassing Henry Burris’ 477-yard game on Sept. 19, 2015.

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Making his CFL debut the same evening, Kalil (The Thrill) Pimpleton also did something very special.

Along with scoring a 70-yard touchdown in which he made 12 members of the Edmonton Elks defence look like they were standing in mud, he also caught a 29-yard pass from Brown with two seconds on the clock to set up a yet another Lewis Ward last-play, game-winning field goal — this one from 38 yards.

In the 37-34 win, the Redblacks became the first team this season to have three receivers reach triple digits in one game.

The 5-foot-7 Pimpleton led the way with 153 yards on four catches, the previously neglected Dom Rhymes had 131 yards on seven receptions and the steady Justin Hardy had 110 yards on five grabs.

“That’s kind of a little glimpse of what we can be if we’re on the same page,” Brown told TSN1200’s AJ Jakubec on the post-game show. “When I signed here I knew we had guys … it was going to be kind of me getting up to speed with everything and getting used to the guys. They’ve been ready to rock and roll since Week 1 and I’ve been kind of slowly getting there. But I appreciate everybody’s patience. I knew at some point something like this would happen.

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“It’s awesome, man,” he added. “This is what we can be. The scheme is there. (Offensive coordinator) Tommy (Condell) is great. T-Moore (receivers coach and pass game coordinator Travis Moore) is great. We’re all on the same page. This is something we can do. I don’t know what we finished with, but we can produce a lot if that’s what the game asks of us.”

It was not a perfect victory.

Along with two touchdown passes, Brown also once again turned the ball over twice with an interception and a fumble.

The Redblacks took eight penalties for 100 yards when the objective is to keep the number of flags thrown at them to five or fewer.

Injuries to return specialist extraordinaire DeVonte Dedmon, defensive end Lorenzo Mauldin and right tackle Zack Pelehos will be evaluated this week to see if one, two or all three have to miss some time.

But after getting run over by Brady Oliveira and Chris Streveler last week, the defence held Kevin Brown, the CFL’s second leading rusher last season, to 35 rushing yards while not allowing an Elks receiver to reach the 100-yard mark, Ward was again perfect (5-for-5) on field goal attempts and the Redblacks were able to put one more ‘L’ on a victory-less team that was extremely desperate for a W.

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The Elks are not a bad team, despite their record. They have lost their past four games by three points each and their five defeats — against teams with a combined record of 19-6 — have been by a grand total of 20 points.

Not all Redblacks diehards focused on the good, however.

A regular caller to the post-game show ignored the fact his team bounced back from a 15-3 first-half deficit as well as giving up a game-tying touchdown with eight seconds left to pick up its first road triumph of the season and keep pace with the Toronto Argos.

Both teams are 3-2 and just four points behind the Montreal Alouettes, who have played one more game and whose quarterback, Cody Fajardo, could be shelved for awhile with a hamstring injury.

The caller was more upset that, with under three minutes left, a 31-27 lead and the ball on the Edmonton four-yard line in a first and goal situation, the Redblacks handed off to Ryquell Armstead twice rather than pass.

They had to settle for a field goal when a converted touchdown would have given them an 11-point lead.

The caller maintained that if Ottawa had lost the game, Bob Dyce deserved to be fired.

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Interesting, isn’t it?

The Redblacks have won just 14 games over the past four years and Dyce, in only his second full season as their head coach, appears to be turning the team around.

Yet he should lose his job because of his play selection had his team fallen in a stadium that over many years was a graveyard for Ottawa football teams?

We’d like to hear the guy’s take on the Senators, who have made fans suffer watching their bad play for seven years.

The Redblacks appear to have something exciting going on with the speedy Pimpleton opening up space for Brown and his stable of quality receivers.

Brown told Jakubec he was “not surprised at all” that Pimpleton did what he did in his debut.

“He showed up Day 1 and made an impact,” Brown said. “Something that should be noted is that he continued to dive in and learn and ask questions, even when he wasn’t on the roster. I’ve been there, not on the roster, and I know that it can be hard at times. But we always reiterate to them, ‘you’re going to be up at some point, and you’ll get that opportunity’ and I’m really happy for him.

“He’s a hell of a player. He’s a hell of a teammate. And he’s a great person. I just I can’t express that enough, how much I appreciate his preparation and the type of person he is.”

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In his interview with Jakubec, Pimpleton did his own passing — of praise.

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“That’s what happens when we’re able to each do our 1-12,” he said. “Down in the States in high school we used to call it our 1-11. You’ve got one job out of the 11 assignments. Up here it’s the 1-12. Everybody did their 1-12.

“Dru did a phenomenal job of distributing the ball. The five guys up front did a wonderful job as well. We also had to tackle (Pelehos) go down and Jacob Ruby stepped up and did his thing. It was just a wonderful opportunity for everybody to do their 1-12 and come out of here with the win.”

Asked what he thought of his new nickname (courtesy of a local scribe), Pimpleton gave his approval.

“Kalil The Thrill?” he said. “I’ve never heard that one. But I’ll take it. The Thrill. I like that. I like that.”

Ottawa is going to like what The Thrill can do, combined with Downtown Brown, as part of a passing attack that could turn out to be very special.

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