# Dinwiddie: 'Let Them Score,' Redblacks Get First Win of Season With Barnes at QB

Source page: https://profootballnewshub.com/cfl/news/dinwiddie-let-them-score-redblacks-get-first-win-of-season-with-barnes-at-qb

> The Ottawa Redblacks beat the Toronto Argonauts 40-39 at TD Place Stadium on Friday for their first win of the season. Head coach Ryan Dinwiddie told his def...

By Trey Downs · Published 2026-10-20 00:50 UTC · Updated 2026-10-20 00:51 UTC

_Drafted with AI from our own data and checked by an editor._

The [Ottawa Redblacks](https://profootballnewshub.com/cfl/teams/ottawa-redblacks) beat the [Toronto Argonauts](https://profootballnewshub.com/cfl/teams/toronto-argonauts) 40-39 at TD Place Stadium on Friday for their first win of the season. Head coach [Ryan Dinwiddie](https://www.cfl.ca/2026/01/08/ryan-dinwiddie-redblacks-announce-2026-coaching-staff/) told his defence to let Toronto score so his offence could get the ball back.

Dinwiddie said the call came as the Argonauts drove deep into Redblacks territory late in the fourth quarter. Rather than let Toronto run the clock down and kick the go-ahead points, Dinwiddie wanted the ball back.

> "We told the defense, hey, let them score, right? So they would have ran down the clock and they had a chip shot, right? So I said, hey, let them score. We can go win it with a touchdown," Dinwiddie said.

Toronto scored a touchdown with 33 seconds left and added a two-point convert to lead 39-33. Ottawa got the ball back and scored the winning touchdown with six seconds left.

> "It feels good. I just feel great for that locker room, seeing them smile, right? And they've been working all year. We haven't played our best football a lot of the times, but those guys have fought hard each game, right? The effort's been there. So rewarding for that locker room," Dinwiddie said.

Asked how belief survives a season like this one, Dinwiddie pointed to his players. "I think just strong-willed men, right? It's not easy, right? We hear the outside noise, and we try to come to work, and those guys, they do it for each other, right?" he said. "I feel like there's times we haven't played our best football. We found ways to lose games. But I think those guys' effort, it's been a tough year, but those guys have stuck together."

## Barnes Delivers In First CFL Start

Quarterback Bryson Barnes made his [first CFL start](https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/article/redblacks-name-barnes-starting-qb-for-game-against-argonauts/) and led the winning drive. Dinwiddie said the plan was to develop him rather than play him earlier in the season.

> "I would say if we put him in there early in the year, you might not see this performance where he's at right now, right? Young quarterbacks are, especially in this league, you got to develop them. 12-man football, guys moving around. He's fresh out of college, right? So we had to make sure we gave him the time to develop," Dinwiddie said.

Dinwiddie named Barnes the starter for next week and [stopped short of committing beyond that](https://3downnation.com/2026/10/17/lets-not-jump-the-gun-ryan-dinwiddie-wont-anoint-bryson-barnes-after-redblacks-first-victory). "He'll be our guy next week, right? Let's develop him again, right? Put him in a favorable spot to execute and go from there. I think everybody wants to have an answer right away after one game. Let's not jump the gun, but [Bryson] has got a bright future with us," he said.

Barnes described his approach to the final drive. "The mindset that I took into this week, and also the messaging that I had for the guys yesterday, was just taking it one play at a time," Barnes said. "One play at a time in the sense of, regardless of if you lost the last rep, won the last rep, you go to the next one and you try to make the most of that rep. Going into that last drive, that was just kind of the mindset. It was just play each play independently. Don't try to do too much, just execute the play. And it worked out for us."

Barnes said the focus turns to Ottawa's final game.

> "It's gotta be our Gray Cup, gotta be our Super Bowl. That's kind of gotta be the mentality, even though season hasn't gone the way we would have liked it to," Barnes said.

## Family Watching From Rural Utah

Barnes said no one travelled from home for his first start. His wife and son were in the building. Back home, it was the eve of the deer hunt.

"It's currently deer hunting season from where I'm from, rural Utah, so they're staying there. I completely understand. It's a pretty penny to come out here. So I just had my wife and my son here," Barnes said.

He said his family watched from Utah. "There was like a little watch party with my family because a lot of people were in town. I want to say opening morning's tomorrow for the hunt. And so everybody was over tonight and they're probably headed up the mountain right now."

## Eberhardt Puts Win Ahead Of 1,000-Yard Mark

Receiver Ayden Eberhardt caught the game-winning 24-yard touchdown and [crossed 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career](https://3downnation.com/2026/10/17/ottawa-breaks-record-losing-streak-redblacks-earn-first-win-in-406-days-12-other-thoughts-on-beating-toronto). He said the milestone was not what mattered to him.

> "I'd say the win means more to me to get that first win this year in the fashion and the way that we did, knowing how our year's gone so far. That probably meant more to me than any milestone or anything like that," Eberhardt said.

Eberhardt said the pass was intended for him and ranked the catch among his best because of the result. "It wasn't anything, any crazy miraculous catch or anything like that. But for the first win and everything, it might be top up there."

Asked how belief existed in a winless locker room, Eberhardt pointed to the decision to let Toronto score and to Barnes' play. "We thought that we had a better shot if they scored right away. Bryson played his ass off. And so that was really nice to see. Our offensive line did a great job. Our running backs did a great job. Wide receivers did a great job. We run those kinds of scenarios, those clutch scenarios every single week," he said.

Asked whether Barnes' performance surprised him, Eberhardt said it showed in his preparation. "He's been in every meeting. He's been in every extra film session taking notes. And he did a great job of preparing this week... He went out there and he executed. And so he played his ass off."

Eberhardt also said the win could carry past this season. "I think that definitely can have a carryover effect and carry momentum into another year. But I think no matter what, just getting that first one, it truly means a lot. It's a lot easier going into next year compared to going 0-18."

## Watch

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