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“It’s just something that I did, a dumb penalty. We don’t need that, and it didn’t help the team at all. Actually, we had a fumble in the end-zone right after that, and that penalty kind of backed us up. If we’re not in that position, we don’t give up those points. Like I said, it’s something you can definitely control.”

Gavins also had three penalties on Saturday: unnecessary roughness for a horse-collar tackle; pass interference near the goal-line and illegal contact, which can be defined as a strict hands-off policy for defenders more than five yards past the line of scrimmage.

McDonald and Gavins combined for six fouls for 83 yards against the Lions, a huge chunk of the Redblacks’ 11 penalties for 118 yards. The team also committed 12 penalties for 100 yards in the 20-16 triumph over the Montreal Alouettes.

McDonald said one of his illegal-contact penalties was “just two guys competing, but obviously they’re serious about that no contact after five yards, so we just have to make the adjustment. That’s the league we’re playing in right now. You need to adjust or you get left behind. It’s one or the other.”

Head coach Rick Campbell says his biggest concern was avoidable penalties. Consider objectionable conduct for trying to kick a football into the stands a fine example of that.

Other infractions, such as holding on kick returns, may not be as concerning, but can be just as disheartening. Ask the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who had a potential Grey Cup-winning punt return erased by a penalty, or Redblacks fans who cheered loudly as Chris Williams went the distance against the Lions on Saturday, only to see those points taken off the scoreboard because of holding.