Redblacks’ Dariusz Bladek knows Argos anxious to avenge loss

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Dariusz Bladek knows the brooding beast waiting for the Redblacks at BMO Field on Saturday.

He played for the Toronto Argos from 2020 to 2023 — which means he was a Grey Cup winner two years ago as well as a member of the most disappointing Double Blue squad ever last season — before signing with Ottawa as a free agent last February.

Bladek didn’t play a game for the Argos in ’23 because he suffered an early season ankle injury and was a healthy scratch after he recovered. But he was in the locker room following their 38-17 loss to the Alouettes in the East Division a couple of weeks after they put the wraps on a franchise record 16-win regular season.

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Bladek saw firsthand how devastated a lot of players who are “like family” to him were after that game and he knows how determined the Argos will be to redeem themselves this weekend.

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That desire could make this the Redblacks’ toughest game of the playoffs, whether it’s their only one or not.

“It was heart-wrenching,” the 6-foot-5, 303-pound guard said of the players’ mood in the Argos room after that loss to the Als. “I guarantee you they’re coming out here with a purpose (on Saturday). A lot of those guys that were in that building the year before are coming to this game looking for a fight. They don’t want to go home, just as much as we don’t.

“It was tough, damn tough,” Bladek added of that Nov. 11 afternoon in which Chad Kelly, who was named the 2023 CFL MOP during Grey Cup Week, unraveled by throwing four interceptions into the hands of waiting Als. “It was hard to watch that, especially not being able to be on the field with them. But that’s old news. We’ve got things ahead of us.”

Bladek holds no grudges against Toronto for not wanting to re-sign him last winter.

“I don’t hate the Argos. I love the Argos,” he said. “They did a lot for me. But I’m a Redblack now and I’m looking forward to sending them home and moving on from their field.

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“I think about where I am now and kicking their ass, just because they’re the next team.”

Bladek has become one of the many leaders on the Redblacks and, as such, he’s very much looking forward to entering the post-season with his new team.

“You want to show the way,” he said. “You want to explain to everyone that this isn’t a vacation, it’s a privilege. There’s a bunch of people at home right now that wish they had this opportunity to go and get the damn Grey Cup. So this one’s the most important thing. We’re looking forward to leading these guys, to just keeping their minds ready and get ready for a damn fight because you’re going to get everything. This is the last game for one of us and everyone’s going to be putting it all out there on the field.”

“It’s exciting, man, it’s exciting,” Bladek added. “It’s a blessing and honour to be here for my first year and us to make the damn playoffs. And it’s even better that it’s versus my old team. It’s just the most important one because it’s our first one together as a unit. So let’s go out there, be homewreckers and get this W.”

Redblacks head coach Bob Dyce has talked all season about wanting his team to play “physical” football, almost like he knew that is the style that would be needed in a playoff game.

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The Argos know it too.

“You want to talk about physicality, I think the strength of their team is in their front, offensively and defensively,” Bladek said. “We go out there and we control that, we bring the fight to them and bring the first punch and land the last punch, and I think that will take care of everything, to be completely honest.

“They’re going to be ready to go. They have a lot to play for, but they don’t know what’s coming for them.”

What’s coming, most likely, is an air show. While splitting the two games in the season series, the Redblacks and Argos combined for 137 points. In the two games, the Redblacks rushed for a total of just 87 yards while the Argos put up 178 ground yards.

Offensive linemen would rather run block, where they can do the hitting, rather than stand back and get hit in pass protection, but Bladek will embrace any style that this one follows.

“I’m going to block what’s called,” he said. “I think everything’s situational. If we need to throw the ball 50 times to win the damn game, we’ll throw 50 times and we’ll pass block every single time. If we have to run the ball 25-30 times to win the game … we’re going to come out there and do that. Just because it’s pass protection doesn’t mean it can’t be physical and we’re going to have to bring that.”

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After their 41-point explosion against the Argos in Week 14, the Redblacks averaged just 15.25 in the next four games.

Offensively, they found their way back on track with 68 points in the two games after that to close out the regular season.

“We’re going to be coming into this game hot, we’re going to be rolling and we’re going to be confident in what we’re doing,” Bladek said.

GOING DEEP

Six Redblacks were named to the CFL East Division all-star team on Wednesday: WR Justin Hardy, OG Drew Desjarlais, DE Lorenzo Mauldin IV, DT Mike Wakefield, CLB Adarius Pickett and DB Damon Webb.

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