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Sunday the Riders travel to the nation’s
capital in search of their first victory. In a surprising turn of events they
will face a team that hasn’t beat them yet…to be fair Ottawa's lack of beating us
is more a product of not playing us yet as opposed to not being able to. I’ll
be perfectly honest, I’m not sure I’ve seen this level of optimism around a
winless team before. Despite an 0-8 record, the pick-em pools I’m in would lead
you to believe Ottawa is the underdog and there is still talk of playoffs.
Perhaps those who cheer for the green have taken to smoking it or maybe they’ve
all built up a subconscious mental block to help them cope with the mess that
this season has been. I don’t know I’m not a doctor… I’ve just pretended to be
one for the purposes of acquiring prescription drugs and female companionship.
In a refrain
you are all probably sick of by now, I think this is a game the Riders could
win… but don’t actually think they will. I still find it weird that I am in the
minority when it comes to thinking the winless team is in tough this week. I
mean I’m used to people disagreeing with me it just usually happens when I take
more radical stances than this.
I think a lot
of people are discounting Ottawa based on the last two games where they got
utterly embarrassed by Calgary and blew it against the Argos because they took
penalties at a rate that would make the Riders look like angels. Prior to that
they were a 4 and 2 team… keep in mind that only one of those wins came against
a team with a winning record. They
certainly aren’t a power house yet but they can’t be overlooked or
discounted.
Offensively I
can sum up our ideal game plan in 2 words: Run Messam!!! We finally gave him a
bit of a workload last week but it wasn’t even close to enough. What are we
saving him for? Playoffs? Hahahaha. Seriously, dude is averaging 7.3 yards per
carry! Run him as much as you can. I feel the need to point out that a tendency
for not giving the RB enough carries was one of the leading factors in
Chapdelaine’s firing in BC. Ottawa has a very underrated D. They are allowing
the 3rd most points in the league but they are #2 against the pass
and are allowing a league low completion % of 57%. They are also allowing just
86 rush yards per game. Still let’s not overthink this. Give them a heavy dose
of Messam along with some short inside passes and Smith using his legs. 5 out 8
games we have failed to register a first quarter point… this might be the time
to start taking more chances early… what’s the worst that could happen? Not
like we have much to lose at this point.
Defensively,
short of miraculously discovering how to defend the pass after 8 games of being
dumfounded by it, I’m not over optimistic about our chances. If you prefer most
optimistic outlooks, I could point out that Ottawa is the lowest scoring team
in the league, they have a non-existent run game (68 yards per game and an
embarrassing 3.7 yards per attempt) and have the second most turnovers (on a
Burris led team, I’m sure that shocks you). They have finally realized what I
have been saying for a long time: Chevon Walker can’t be an every down back.
Jeremiah Johnson will carry the load. He’s a decent back but Ottawa’s run game
doesn’t overly concern me (unless the game is close in the 4th
quarter then they are likely to run on us at will). Earnest Jackson is the
scoring threat and Sinopoli is establishing himself as their possession
receiver. That’s not to mention the speedy Chris Williams as well as Mo Price…
in Price’s case I don’t mention him because he hasn’t actually done anything
this season worth mentioning. At the salary they are paying him I’ll be surprised if they keep
him past Labour Day. Given his ability to keep passing yards to a minimum maybe
we should get him to play DB… though he’d have to play CB because he won’t go
over the middle (at least according to recent twitter beefs).
D-line needs to
step up and be disruptive, if they can get to Burris early, we all known his
propensity for collapsing epically (and often comically). This new found
ability to generate turnovers would be great to continue (though I have the
feeling this might just mean we used up our turnover quota for the next month).
I would be willing to risk some long passes early to dial up the pressure big
time on Burris. If we allow him to get comfortable against our sad sack pass
coverage we will make him look like a great QB (oh the horror!).
I expect
another very competitive game, though a low scoring one. We are likely to have
the lead at some point around halftime. But I’m one of the few that has not
bought into the wave of optimism sweeping the province. Until we learn to
defend the pass any other step forward we make is in other phases is moot.
Until I see any evidence of that…
Redblacks by a
4th quarter Earnest Jackson TD.
In picking the Riders to lose this week I kinda feel like
Principal Skinner when he did this...
Haha prove me wrong Riders. Prove me wrong.
2 comments:
Fine sir, a good pre-game synopsis as usual. You must be a bettin' man. However...
I would say I'm disappointed in your sparse faith in the Riders at this time, and I certainly can forgive you because it's clear you are merely a Prophet stuck in the Old Testament personas of the family of Abraham. As such you may be unread, as yet, and unmoved by the spiritual awakenings of the Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Were you a man guided by the New Testament you would know of the spiritual outline for our Rider Pride, which was passed on to our people in the Gospels through the sermon of the parables. Rider Nation is built on the foundation of the New Testament narrative. It knows of the rising of Lazarus, the curing the blind man of Bethsaida and of the daughter of Jairus. It knows the miracle of the loaves, and of the lepers. Perhaps you need to be struck down by lightening, and restored to your Rider faith like Paul on the road to Damascus. This is the ministry you have chosen - to lead the Rider Nation flock. How can you wear the colour of life that adorns Rider Nation and fills the hallowed wings of Riderville if you do not know and see the truth of the parables? You have come down from the mount, but you're missing the important tablets of the Romans and the Corinthians. If 0-8 has tested your faith, have you forgotten the darkness of decades past when miracles came in the form of a telethon and "The Kick"? Even before the Dark Ages of our 11-year playoff drought, you would remember the stealth knight Tony Gabriel as he glided past the lead-footed Ford and drove a spear through our hearts. You would remember the plump Wilkinson tossing the pigskin across our bow with a feathery touch at the Battle of Clarke's field, outshining our General Lancaster on many a cold November night. The angst and irony of the 13th man ignominy is the greatest of Rider albatrosses, but it is far from the only travail that has challenged the Rider faithful. If Rider Nation takes anything from the Old Testament, it is the Book of Job and its poetic story of how the righteous must suffer. Yes, we all remember the legends of our team who defied the odds of victory and raised the cup for us. The images of these victories are our shining lights, but it is when we are against the odds, when failure seems certain and the world around us tosses stones in our faces - that is when Rider Nation is at its strongest! Let not your football acumen stagger your faith, Prophet. Let it be known, that the saga of the Roughriders in 2015 will become the The Greatest Story Ever Told in the annals of sport. Let it be known that our team will rise from the dead like Lazarus, and that Kevin Glenn will hold the Grey Cup above his head - in Winnipeg - in a culminating victory against the Toronto Argonauts. You could not write a better script(ure).
Of course, I jest. :) You're a great football critic, and a pretty honest one. Kudos, Prophet, for that.
This is one of the most epic pieces of writing ever! If I ever decide to pen my memoirs I want you to ghost write for me.
Bravo good sir, Bravo
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