Riders vs. BC Lions: Rebound

Saturday the Riders are in BC looking to bounce back from a performance last week that can only be described as horriawful (a combination of horrible and awful). They face the 3-3 Lions who are on a 2 game winning streak since the last time these teams met. That match-up was a lopsided victory at home. While the hope is for a similar result, the Riders don’t get the benefit of playing Jeremiah “the turnover machine” Masoli this time. So it will not be near as easy.

 

Despite the fact that PFF’s math somehow had Trevor Harris as the most efficient QB last week, it was clear to anyone who watched the game last week (and probably a few blind people) that the offense was abysmal last week. They did not show up until the 2^nd half and they produced exactly 1 scoring drive. If we are to have any chance to win, they need to show up. We should be bolstered by the return of Sam Emilus. That said we are also starting a new offensive tackle, the 3^rd or 4^th o-line combination on the young season. The game plan should be pretty simple. The Lions boast the #1 pass D, but the 2^nd worst run D. After a frustrating game last week, you can bet Ouelette is raring to go. He had over 100 last time he played BC and we should give him every chance to do it again. In the pass game, we should focus on getting Johnson and Emilus going. When Harris does make a good pass our receivers need to not drop it and even more importantly not fumble it. Plays will be hard to come by so we need to not piss away the ones we get.

 

Defensively, I don’t know what the over/under is on Rourke passing yards… but bet the over. BC has the most passing yards. Even with Campbell back, we are built to give up yards. The last game about the only thing that went right for BC was Butler. We uncharacteristically struggled to stop the run. That needs to change in this one. It will be tough to slow down Rourke even if he is one dimensional. We need two things in this one. First, pressure from the front 4. They have been very average this season and we need them to step up and generate pressure. Second, we need turnovers. Mace’s entire defensive philosophy is built on turnovers. Even if you factor out Masoli’s INTs, BC would still be among the league leaders in turnovers, so opportunities will be there. Most important is that unlike last game when the D does get turnovers, the offense needs to turn those into points.

 

Special teams could be a factor in this one. With Alford out McCrae is expected to make his debut. He impressed in the preseason so it would be great if he could start with a bang. Based on how the kicking game has gone this season, Lauther alternates making all his kicks and kicking like his thinks his job is to get the ball outside of the uprights. That means he’s due to make all his kicks. I don’t understand why there is not at least a kicker brought in to push him in practice. I hope O’Day knows better than me on this one.

 

I originally had this game pegged as the game our hot start ended. I thought we’d get through Calgary at home and then put up a dud on the road. I am hoping that the magnitude of just how much they sucked last week is a sufficient wake-up call to prevent the dud on the road. We are allowing 24 points per game and that seems like a likely number in this one. That means that our offense will need to find a way to produce 25 points (unless McCrae or the D can chip in a major). If Harris shows up in the first half, 25 points is possible (he did put up 400 yards in essentially 30 mins of work last week). I honestly would peg BC as the favourites in this one based on it being a road game. But I do think the Riders pull one out by a hair.

Riders by a Tommy Time TD