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“It’s tough. We hate losing close games like that. We get on top of teams, and we just have to learn to finish those games, play four quarters of football,” Lang says. “We have to eliminate penalties, starting with myself, just get to be more disciplined out there.

“Please believe that next week will be a better week for us. We are going to come out there, be focused, and we are going to go hard.”

There were, of course, positive signs for the Redblacks at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium, beginning with Walker’s touchdown sprint down the left sideline.

Linebacker T.J. Hill had a rough night in pass coverage against much-taller Eskimos slotback Adarius Bowman, but Hill kept sticking his nose where it needed to be and finished with six tackles, one behind Jasper Simmons’ team-leading sum.

Brett Maher had a fine game as a punter, averaging 47.3 yards, and Redblacks cover teams allowed none of the long kick returns that plagued them during preseason or in Game 1 against the Blue Bombers.

However, Maher also missed another must-make field-goal from 36 yards. The 24-year-old American is 3-for-5 for the season, not good enough for a first-year team that needs every point it can get.

Redblacks head coach Rick Campbell says he and his assistants will pore over video evidence from the two losses “and try to make sure that we are doing all that we can to help our players win games.

“We are disappointed right now, but it’s going to be a long season, and we have to make sure that we try and correct things and we have to get our chins up and get ready for another big game next week.”

Redblacks players have practised at TD Place since late June, and they speak convincingly of the buzz from last Wednesday’s fan-night event, but now they have to back it up with actions against the Argonauts (1-2).

“We have to put a show on for this home opener,” Lang says. “This is going to be history. We want to make it off on the right foot and do what we’re supposed to do and handle business.”

gholder@ottawacitizen.com

Twitter.com/HolderGord