Pickett, Redblacks gearing up for playoff push in tight East Division
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After four consecutive seasons of last-place finishes in the East Division, the Ottawa Redblacks look to have righted the ship under general manager Shawn Burke and head coach Bob Dyce.
Key off-season additions Dru Brown and Adarius Pickett have led Ottawa to a 7-3-1 record through Labour Day Weekend, putting the team in position to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
But after a tough 38-12 loss to the BC Lions in Week 13, the Redblacks will have to rebound quickly, with six of their next seven games coming against teams in the East. A strong finish to the regular season is vital if they are to break their five-year playoff drought in a tight division.
“We’re right in the mix,” said Pickett, who joined TSN1200’s Redblacks Radio Show on Tuesday. “It’s heating up, as you can see around the CFL. These games are close, they’re tight, the talent is dispersed really well throughout the league this year.
“Each team, you’ve got to put your best foot forward. You’ve got to go out there and play and execute, because at the end of the day, their records don’t matter when you’re in between those lines. It’s about execution and doing what you’re supposed to do. Whoever does that is going to win the game.”
Pickett, 27, who signed a one-year deal with Ottawa in the off-season, will face off against his former team, the Toronto Argonauts in Week 14. The Berkeley, Calif., native earned his first career CFL All-Star selection in 2023 after helping the Boatmen to a 16-2 record.
“Personally, it’s another game for me,” said Pickett on facing the Double Blue on Saturday. “[It’s] a chance to go out there with my teammates and have some fun. We’ve been playing really well at home, hopefully we can play well in front of our home crowd again like we have been doing. We love the energy that they have been bringing to us.
“It’s an important game just because it’s the next game, and it’s an Eastern Division game. So, I know a win this week would definitely be big for us.”
Pickett is no stranger to East Division playoff races, as he spent two seasons with the Montreal Alouettes before his one-year stint in Toronto. He has made the postseason in each of his first three years in the Canadian Football League.
“I definitely feel like me playing around this division, it’s always intriguing,” he said. "This year in Ottawa, I feel like we have a very talented team, and as the record is showing right now."
A win on Saturday would give the Redblacks a five-point lead over the Argonauts for second place in the division, which could go a long way in securing home-field advantage for a potential East semifinal matchup.
“I do know that having played two playoff games and one on the road, it’s very difficult to play in the playoffs on the road… so it’s very important that we can create some separation between us and the teams that are behind us right now,” Pickett said.
“I think that going into this week and winning allows that to happen, but it’s very important that we are able to play at home.”
Ottawa is currently undefeated at home this season with a 5-0-1 record through six games.
“You see how we play at home, and we’ve been pretty much dominant…like I said, the energy from the fans is infectious to the players on the field,” Pickett said. “We feel the energy from the crowd, we feel the excitement, and like I said, it’s been fun playing at TD Place this year.”