Riders 31 - RedBlacks 20
One down, two to go
Sunday the Riders rolled into Ottawa and handed the defending Grey Cup champs a convincing defeat. Early on it looked like we were in store for a classic CFL shootout but as the game wore on the Riders took more and more control of the game. The end result actually could have been even more lopsided as the Riders missed opportunities for plays on both sides of the ball.
For me, the big story was the offense. They looked awesome. Kevin Glenn was dialed in and played his best game since before he injured his hand. He was calm in the pocket and pin point on his passes. He was aided by an O-line that gave him enough time to do his taxes before having to throw. For whatever reason, the RedBlacks chose to not send pressure (something Glenn has struggled mightily with of late) and instead sit back in a zone (something Glenn picked apart). Curious game planning but Glenn took full advantage. Even when the plays didn't go as planned, luck was on Glenn's side. There was that play where he was running/stumbling for his life and stumbled at the exact right moment to slip harmlessly to the turf as two RedBlacks KOed one another. It also helps when your RB absolutely lights it up. Thigpen was unreal in that game. Even if you exclude that 75 yard run he still damn near cracked 100 and was over 6 yards per carry. His speed and elusiveness were deadly. I'm a big Marshall fan but you can't take Thigpen off the roster at this point. I also thought McAdoo had a good game plan (something I don't say too often). Sweeps, swing passes, runs, getting Carter involved early. The game did not devolve into the shootout it looked like it might but the way the offense was humming I think we could have won even if it did.
The defense started out bad. Our corners both got beat routinely and should have been beat for more yards than they were if Harris was able to connect. That was the worst game I've seen Kacy Rodgers have. But despite the poor start the D turned it around and after that Spencer TD in the first quarter, only allowed 2 FGs until garbage time. A key play was that Eguavoen pick. Not only was that a textbook interception, that was the play that ended the brewing shootout. Jones noticeably dialed up the pressure throughout the game and while it did lead to some long completions, it also lead to sacks and errant throws by Harris. We also managed to take the run game completely out of it (Powell just 8 times, only 2 times in the second half). You'd almost think Steve McAdoo snuck into the RedBlack booth for how much they ignored the run.
Even on special teams we were pulling out all the stops with the sneaky Owens to Jones reverse.
I said before the game that turnovers would be the key and the Riders won that battle 4-1. And on the lone giveaway the D forced a FG and Thigpen went for 75 yards on the next play.
The next game will be a far greater challenge but the way were are playing in all 3 phases I have no reason to doubt this team. God I've missed playoff wins!
Other random thoughts:
- That limbo celebration was pretty outstanding but I have to wonder if it contributed in anyway to Ellingson tweaking his knee later.
- I don't get the "Kevin Glenn gets revenge" narrative. First off that was like 4 years ago. Second, every single non-Edmonton game is a Kevin Glenn revenge game.
- Crezdon Butler is a hell of a player
- For the fake FG to work we actually have to kick an actual FG with Vernon Adams as the holder. The second anyone sees anyone but Bartel set to hold for the FG its a dead giveaway that kicking is not in our plans.
- Still can't get over Rob Black calling Keelan Johnson "the stripper"
- That onside kick was more of a gently pass the ball to Hecht than a legitimate attempt.
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Monday, November 13, 2017
Friday, November 10, 2017
Riders vs. RedBlacks: East Semi Final
Playoff football has been upgraded from "something we vaguely recall used to be a thing" to "actual reality" as the Riders are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2014. They are headed to Ottawa for a showdown with the RedBlacks. The Riders are trying to become the first West team to make the Grey Cup via the cross-over. The last time we crossed over in 2005 it didn't go so well. We have the whole "Not starting Nealon Greene" thing going for us this time and based on that fact alone our chances of victory are significantly improved.
We split the season series with each team scoring a road victory. The Riders employing the majestic rouge to secure victory and the RedBlacks employing the "hope your opponents stop playing defense" strategy. Needless to say these 2 teams are very evenly matched and a close hard fought playoff game is expected. I personally could go for a vintage mid-2000 semi final Rider game where our running back just single handedly wins the game but short of McAdoo's secret alter ego who loves running more than anything appearing, I'm not betting on that.
Offensively we should be coming at Ottawa with all our weapons. Roosevelt and Marshall will play and Carter should be primarily used on O. Some super tough decisions coming as at least one of Holley or Owens has to sit and I don't know if we can somehow squeeze Thigpen on there. Dennis checks in for Labatte which is fine talent-wsie but forces a ratio change (either LaFrance, Stanford or a second Cdn DT will need to start). But the important thing is we have weapons and we need to use them. We play our best offensively when we get the run game going so let's lean heavy on Marshall (or Thigpen or LaFrance or whoever is carrying the ball). That said, while Ottawa was #2 against the run, they were #7 against the pass. Use the run to set up shots to Roosevelt and Carter mixing in Grant when those 2 are keyed on. Let's not overthink this. Roosevelt and Carter are our best offensive weapons so we better use them and use them a lot. Glenn will start that's not a question. The question is will he get more than a token series before being yanked. I'm torn between being more fearful of Glenn's perennial playoff failures (and recent sucktitude) or Bridge's playoff inexperience and brazen disregard for caution. We can't be afraid to push the ball down field but we also can't turn the ball over. I guess we go with the patented "roll with Glenn until he sucks" plan we've been employing. Its not a great plan for the most important position in a do or die game but we've gone with worse in the past (i.e. the aforementioned Nealon Greene plan).
Defensively, Jones has been non-committal to date but I expect Eguavoen and Johnson to play meaning we should essentially have our starting D (James and Foster being to only 2 big pieces missing). Ottawa's offense runs through 2 people and if we can contain them our odds of victory sky rocket. #1 we gotta stop Powell and the run. #2 We need to contain Ellingson. Harris was tied for the league lead in passing TDs despite playing only 15 games and Ellingson handled the bulk of those. They certainly have other weapons but with Sinopoli out and Ellingson contained the RedBlacks are a whole lot less potent. Easier said than done but that's the goal. As always we need to be aggressive up front to limit the run and force quicker throws. Ottawa had the most turnovers amongst playoff teams and I think we will need a minimum of one of those to win.
The last consideration is of course special teams where there are dangerous play makers on both sides. We know what Christion Jones can do (I always want to shorten his name to Chris Jones because I'm lazy but then people think I'm talking about the coach, so I'd have to say "the black Chris Jones", and then further clarify that by black I meant skin, so Christion it is... how's that for a meandering segue?). Be nice to see Jones go off. On the flip side, Diontae Spencer can spring a big return at any time. Cover teams need to have another lock down game.
On paper the home field would tend to favour the RedBlacks but they were only 3-5-1 at home this season and we were above 500 on the road. If we exclude QB I would be feeling extremely confident about our chances but the problem is that QB is a somewhat important position. I don't buy the whole "this is Harris' first playoff start" narrative. He's a damn good QB. I think this game will be extremely close and come down to who makes the least mistakes. In that regard the Riders were +12 in the turnover ratio while Ottawa was -12 so I expect a turnover or 2 to decide this and we are more likely to be on the right side of those.
Riders by a Duron TD (I just pray his TD celebration doesn't somehow feature Rick Campbell).
Get pumped! There's no better feeling than the playoffs and we've been too long without that feeling.
We split the season series with each team scoring a road victory. The Riders employing the majestic rouge to secure victory and the RedBlacks employing the "hope your opponents stop playing defense" strategy. Needless to say these 2 teams are very evenly matched and a close hard fought playoff game is expected. I personally could go for a vintage mid-2000 semi final Rider game where our running back just single handedly wins the game but short of McAdoo's secret alter ego who loves running more than anything appearing, I'm not betting on that.
Offensively we should be coming at Ottawa with all our weapons. Roosevelt and Marshall will play and Carter should be primarily used on O. Some super tough decisions coming as at least one of Holley or Owens has to sit and I don't know if we can somehow squeeze Thigpen on there. Dennis checks in for Labatte which is fine talent-wsie but forces a ratio change (either LaFrance, Stanford or a second Cdn DT will need to start). But the important thing is we have weapons and we need to use them. We play our best offensively when we get the run game going so let's lean heavy on Marshall (or Thigpen or LaFrance or whoever is carrying the ball). That said, while Ottawa was #2 against the run, they were #7 against the pass. Use the run to set up shots to Roosevelt and Carter mixing in Grant when those 2 are keyed on. Let's not overthink this. Roosevelt and Carter are our best offensive weapons so we better use them and use them a lot. Glenn will start that's not a question. The question is will he get more than a token series before being yanked. I'm torn between being more fearful of Glenn's perennial playoff failures (and recent sucktitude) or Bridge's playoff inexperience and brazen disregard for caution. We can't be afraid to push the ball down field but we also can't turn the ball over. I guess we go with the patented "roll with Glenn until he sucks" plan we've been employing. Its not a great plan for the most important position in a do or die game but we've gone with worse in the past (i.e. the aforementioned Nealon Greene plan).
Defensively, Jones has been non-committal to date but I expect Eguavoen and Johnson to play meaning we should essentially have our starting D (James and Foster being to only 2 big pieces missing). Ottawa's offense runs through 2 people and if we can contain them our odds of victory sky rocket. #1 we gotta stop Powell and the run. #2 We need to contain Ellingson. Harris was tied for the league lead in passing TDs despite playing only 15 games and Ellingson handled the bulk of those. They certainly have other weapons but with Sinopoli out and Ellingson contained the RedBlacks are a whole lot less potent. Easier said than done but that's the goal. As always we need to be aggressive up front to limit the run and force quicker throws. Ottawa had the most turnovers amongst playoff teams and I think we will need a minimum of one of those to win.
The last consideration is of course special teams where there are dangerous play makers on both sides. We know what Christion Jones can do (I always want to shorten his name to Chris Jones because I'm lazy but then people think I'm talking about the coach, so I'd have to say "the black Chris Jones", and then further clarify that by black I meant skin, so Christion it is... how's that for a meandering segue?). Be nice to see Jones go off. On the flip side, Diontae Spencer can spring a big return at any time. Cover teams need to have another lock down game.
On paper the home field would tend to favour the RedBlacks but they were only 3-5-1 at home this season and we were above 500 on the road. If we exclude QB I would be feeling extremely confident about our chances but the problem is that QB is a somewhat important position. I don't buy the whole "this is Harris' first playoff start" narrative. He's a damn good QB. I think this game will be extremely close and come down to who makes the least mistakes. In that regard the Riders were +12 in the turnover ratio while Ottawa was -12 so I expect a turnover or 2 to decide this and we are more likely to be on the right side of those.
Riders by a Duron TD (I just pray his TD celebration doesn't somehow feature Rick Campbell).
Get pumped! There's no better feeling than the playoffs and we've been too long without that feeling.
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
SASKATCHEWAN IN LIVING COLOUR
Below is a guest article written by Terry Ott
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SASKATCHEWAN IN LIVING COLOUR
Roughriders Played In First Two Grey Cups Televised in Colour
The 2017 Saskatchewan Roughriders are heading east to play the Ottawa Red Blacks in the CFL East Division crossover playoff game at TD Place Stadium, (for Baby Boomers and older, Lansdowne Park) and those without a ticket may watch the game in 4K HDTV in a broadcast that is stunning in its video and audio quality.
And while those exquisite HDTV broadcasts are quickly becoming old hat and/or just expected to many viewers, things were quite different in 1966 and 1967.
51 years ago, CFL football in colour WAS an event.
So, when '66 football fans lucky enough to have colour sets-they sold for the equivalent of about $2000 in today's bucks- gathered around their TVs on November 26 for the 54th Grey Cup game from venerable Empire Stadium in Vancouver they were greeted by a CTV/CBC Grey Cup broadcast that for the first time appeared in colour.
And that meant that our basement in Stoney Creek, Ontario, a suburb of Hamilton, soon became pretty crowded around 4PM EST as my dad fired up our Zeneith Model 5430-it took several minutes to warm up-and the first images from Empire arrived.
Colour sets back in the mid 60s were mostly tube affairs and they generally needed a whole bunch of TLC to maintain colour saturation, tint, and contrast with adjustment usually having to be made even when changing channels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
We received the broadcast from CFTO channel 9 in Toronto, helped along by a rotor antenna which was essential to get a good signal in the days well before the CN Tower blasted out a very strong, clean UHF stream. Saskatchewan viewers could grab the broadcast via the then newly established CTV affiliate CHBE/CHRE out of Moose Jaw/Regina.
Believe it or not, seeing the images from Vancouver in what could best be described as rudimentary-yet acceptable- colour really lit up our rec room as the game almost became secondary to the format.
And since most of the viewers in our basement were rooting for the western Riders over the hated Ottawa Rough Riders who had blasted the hometown Tiger-Cats in the '66 East final by a score of 72-17, Saskatchewan's first Grey Cup victory was sweet indeed.
But look closely at the broadcast-and it is very good fortune that a colour video tape survived because back in the day, colour tape was expensive and networks routinely recycled it, making this '66 copy a rare one-and you will note that as the game wears on and the cloudy, rainy day adds to the lack of light at Empire,and you will see the "colour" start to turn towards a low saturation even with the stadium's lights on. To say nothing of the replays, that were offered only in black and white.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Still, the 1966 Grey Cup broke great new ground for the Canadian Football League which had lagged behind the NFL, AFL and NCAA football in providing colour broadcasts of games, mostly due to cost consideration and stadium lighting.
The Riders returned to the CFL national championship in the Centennial year of 1967 at a refurbished and expanded Lansdowne Park to take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, with the Roughriders a decided favourite on a cold and blustery December 2 with the playing field frozen solid and snow piled along the sidelines.
However, despite elements there was an abundance of light even though it was slightly overcast-which actually aided the colour broadcast as bright sunlight tended to cause light/vapour trails off player's helmets-and the game was a full colour broadcast, improved upon from the '66 Vancouver debut in both colour quality and picture detail.
Unfortunately,the Riders' 24-1 upset loss telecast by the CBC/CTV has apparently not been preserved on colour videotape-as evidenced by all versions leaked to YouTube so far-and only this package of film highlites captures the game in colour. (Advance to 1 hour, 4 minutes to view:https://www.youtube.com/
So, when on November 12 you tune into the Riders' quest to take the first step to become the initial crossover playoff team to advance to the Grey Cup, consider where it all started, in what passed for, in living colour.
Terry Ott is a Hamilton based freelancer who has written on the CFL since 1997.
He can be reached at tjo55@yahoo.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SASKATCHEWAN IN LIVING COLOUR
Roughriders Played In First Two Grey Cups Televised in Colour
The 2017 Saskatchewan Roughriders are heading east to play the Ottawa Red Blacks in the CFL East Division crossover playoff game at TD Place Stadium, (for Baby Boomers and older, Lansdowne Park) and those without a ticket may watch the game in 4K HDTV in a broadcast that is stunning in its video and audio quality.
And while those exquisite HDTV broadcasts are quickly becoming old hat and/or just expected to many viewers, things were quite different in 1966 and 1967.
51 years ago, CFL football in colour WAS an event.
So, when '66 football fans lucky enough to have colour sets-they sold for the equivalent of about $2000 in today's bucks- gathered around their TVs on November 26 for the 54th Grey Cup game from venerable Empire Stadium in Vancouver they were greeted by a CTV/CBC Grey Cup broadcast that for the first time appeared in colour.
And that meant that our basement in Stoney Creek, Ontario, a suburb of Hamilton, soon became pretty crowded around 4PM EST as my dad fired up our Zeneith Model 5430-it took several minutes to warm up-and the first images from Empire arrived.
Colour sets back in the mid 60s were mostly tube affairs and they generally needed a whole bunch of TLC to maintain colour saturation, tint, and contrast with adjustment usually having to be made even when changing channels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
We received the broadcast from CFTO channel 9 in Toronto, helped along by a rotor antenna which was essential to get a good signal in the days well before the CN Tower blasted out a very strong, clean UHF stream. Saskatchewan viewers could grab the broadcast via the then newly established CTV affiliate CHBE/CHRE out of Moose Jaw/Regina.
Believe it or not, seeing the images from Vancouver in what could best be described as rudimentary-yet acceptable- colour really lit up our rec room as the game almost became secondary to the format.
And since most of the viewers in our basement were rooting for the western Riders over the hated Ottawa Rough Riders who had blasted the hometown Tiger-Cats in the '66 East final by a score of 72-17, Saskatchewan's first Grey Cup victory was sweet indeed.
But look closely at the broadcast-and it is very good fortune that a colour video tape survived because back in the day, colour tape was expensive and networks routinely recycled it, making this '66 copy a rare one-and you will note that as the game wears on and the cloudy, rainy day adds to the lack of light at Empire,and you will see the "colour" start to turn towards a low saturation even with the stadium's lights on. To say nothing of the replays, that were offered only in black and white.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Still, the 1966 Grey Cup broke great new ground for the Canadian Football League which had lagged behind the NFL, AFL and NCAA football in providing colour broadcasts of games, mostly due to cost consideration and stadium lighting.
The Riders returned to the CFL national championship in the Centennial year of 1967 at a refurbished and expanded Lansdowne Park to take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, with the Roughriders a decided favourite on a cold and blustery December 2 with the playing field frozen solid and snow piled along the sidelines.
However, despite elements there was an abundance of light even though it was slightly overcast-which actually aided the colour broadcast as bright sunlight tended to cause light/vapour trails off player's helmets-and the game was a full colour broadcast, improved upon from the '66 Vancouver debut in both colour quality and picture detail.
Unfortunately,the Riders' 24-1 upset loss telecast by the CBC/CTV has apparently not been preserved on colour videotape-as evidenced by all versions leaked to YouTube so far-and only this package of film highlites captures the game in colour. (Advance to 1 hour, 4 minutes to view:https://www.youtube.com/
So, when on November 12 you tune into the Riders' quest to take the first step to become the initial crossover playoff team to advance to the Grey Cup, consider where it all started, in what passed for, in living colour.
Terry Ott is a Hamilton based freelancer who has written on the CFL since 1997.
He can be reached at tjo55@yahoo.com
Monday, November 6, 2017
Monday Morning Sentimonies: Eastbound and Down
Riders 13 - Eskimos 28
The regular season came to a close on Saturday as the Riders lost to the visiting Esks and in the process secured their place in the East-Semi final. The only thing harder to find than nice things to say about this game was my testicles following that frigid game. I did discover that sitting in the cold for 3 hours while drinking and yelling is not a cure for the common cold. The more you know. It's also not a cure for the clap... or so I hear.
Anyway back to football...
While we played them pretty close through the first half, in the end the Esks prevailed as the team that wanted it the most (even though both teams seemed to be operating at partial effort). We simply made too many mistakes: too many penalties, missed tackles, errant throws, poor execution and on and on. It just seemed like our focus had already shifted to next week... or possibly to escaping the cold at the end of the game.
There are so many things that puzzle me about our offense. Such as why we refuse to utilize our best receiver in any meaningful way. Or why we refuse to go back to plays that actually work. For example we ran a screen to LaFrance for 18 yards followed by a sweep to Owens for 10. Both great plays to counterbalance the Esk pass rush, both highly effective, both never used again for the remaining 3 quarters of the game. I also think that we need to make a firm decision on QB heading into the playoffs. Given that Glenn has totaled more times pulled than passes completed over the past month, I think the choice is obvious. Just like we should be using our best receiver, we should just fully commit to playing the QB that gives us the best chance to win. About the only bright spot offensively was Marcus Thigpen who got Thiggy with it (patent pending) on a number of occasions. This time a year depth is the difference maker and Thigpen is an example us the quality depth we have (something we haven't had in while).
Speaking of depth the bad news is of course that we will need to rely on it as Labatte went down and barring some experimental steroids (that we of course would never use do to our commitment to the integrity of the game) he is out for next week. Hopefully Dennis is ready to take his place but that of course forces a ratio switch that is not ideal for a team trying to roster 2 import RBs. Jovon also got dinged up though his chances of playing seem better. Which is good because for all our depth, DB is one place where we apparently have none.
Speaking of the D, they held their own reasonably well for 3 quarters before succumbing to a lack of offensive support, cold, fatigue and Greg Morris fumbling (I like so much about Morris but unfortunately he's developing a habit of putting it on the turf). We didn't get much pressure on Reilly (which usually spells trouble) and lacked to big plays that tend to fuel us. I would like to see this Carter at DB experiment ended. As an emergency option he's serviceable but he's too good a receiver and too mediocre a DB to spend this much time on D.
Despite what the coaching staff might tell you, I don't think we were putting full effort into this game. We rested guys, we used Christion Jones sparingly. Hopefully next week when it matters we can turn the good back on. It would have been nice to win and stay out west but we know we can win out East too so there's no reason to worry. It was a disappointing end to a very good regular season, now let's hope the post season has good things in store.
Other random thoughts:
- That anthem singer missed out on singing last week and clearly was out to milk this week for every second she could. That anthem was not just artistically drawn out but bordering on painfully slow. This is November in Saskatchewan, just give us the quick version so we can get our toques back on.
- I'm constantly amazed at how much explaining the refs need to do at the coin toss. "That is a tail. Do you understand?"
- Lost in the chaos of that missed convert was Bartel attempting the rare drop kick.
- Snow games always remind me of the old University Section throwing snow balls at Ballsy. Good times.
The regular season came to a close on Saturday as the Riders lost to the visiting Esks and in the process secured their place in the East-Semi final. The only thing harder to find than nice things to say about this game was my testicles following that frigid game. I did discover that sitting in the cold for 3 hours while drinking and yelling is not a cure for the common cold. The more you know. It's also not a cure for the clap... or so I hear.
Anyway back to football...
While we played them pretty close through the first half, in the end the Esks prevailed as the team that wanted it the most (even though both teams seemed to be operating at partial effort). We simply made too many mistakes: too many penalties, missed tackles, errant throws, poor execution and on and on. It just seemed like our focus had already shifted to next week... or possibly to escaping the cold at the end of the game.
There are so many things that puzzle me about our offense. Such as why we refuse to utilize our best receiver in any meaningful way. Or why we refuse to go back to plays that actually work. For example we ran a screen to LaFrance for 18 yards followed by a sweep to Owens for 10. Both great plays to counterbalance the Esk pass rush, both highly effective, both never used again for the remaining 3 quarters of the game. I also think that we need to make a firm decision on QB heading into the playoffs. Given that Glenn has totaled more times pulled than passes completed over the past month, I think the choice is obvious. Just like we should be using our best receiver, we should just fully commit to playing the QB that gives us the best chance to win. About the only bright spot offensively was Marcus Thigpen who got Thiggy with it (patent pending) on a number of occasions. This time a year depth is the difference maker and Thigpen is an example us the quality depth we have (something we haven't had in while).
Speaking of depth the bad news is of course that we will need to rely on it as Labatte went down and barring some experimental steroids (that we of course would never use do to our commitment to the integrity of the game) he is out for next week. Hopefully Dennis is ready to take his place but that of course forces a ratio switch that is not ideal for a team trying to roster 2 import RBs. Jovon also got dinged up though his chances of playing seem better. Which is good because for all our depth, DB is one place where we apparently have none.
Speaking of the D, they held their own reasonably well for 3 quarters before succumbing to a lack of offensive support, cold, fatigue and Greg Morris fumbling (I like so much about Morris but unfortunately he's developing a habit of putting it on the turf). We didn't get much pressure on Reilly (which usually spells trouble) and lacked to big plays that tend to fuel us. I would like to see this Carter at DB experiment ended. As an emergency option he's serviceable but he's too good a receiver and too mediocre a DB to spend this much time on D.
Despite what the coaching staff might tell you, I don't think we were putting full effort into this game. We rested guys, we used Christion Jones sparingly. Hopefully next week when it matters we can turn the good back on. It would have been nice to win and stay out west but we know we can win out East too so there's no reason to worry. It was a disappointing end to a very good regular season, now let's hope the post season has good things in store.
Other random thoughts:
- That anthem singer missed out on singing last week and clearly was out to milk this week for every second she could. That anthem was not just artistically drawn out but bordering on painfully slow. This is November in Saskatchewan, just give us the quick version so we can get our toques back on.
- I'm constantly amazed at how much explaining the refs need to do at the coin toss. "That is a tail. Do you understand?"
- Lost in the chaos of that missed convert was Bartel attempting the rare drop kick.
- Snow games always remind me of the old University Section throwing snow balls at Ballsy. Good times.
Friday, November 3, 2017
Rider vs. Eskimos: The Battle For Third
Saturday the regular season comes to a close. In a stark turn of events this final Rider game is extremely relevant and has a huge bearing on the playoff picture. The loser of this game will be headed East via the crossover. The winner is guaranteed third and the Esks could even get as high a second and a home playoff game depending on what happens with the Dan LeFevour led Bombers (aka a loss). For all the talk of the weaker East division (most of it justified), my preference remains to win this game and play the West. We don't need to fear any team at this point. The last time these 2 teams met the Riders shocked the country by obliterating the Esks as if we were Jason Maas and they were a defenseless headset. While this game is at home it will have a very different complexion as last time the Esks were without the services of such notable players as Walker, Gable, Grymes, Konar, Bowman and Cummings.
Offensively we need to get out crap together. It's been a long time since we played really solid offense other than a few token series here and there. The old adage is "defense wins championships" and we certainly have defense but you can't win in the CFL without scoring. Just ask the 2008 Riders how far great defense gets you in the playoffs when your offense is non-existent (to be clear I'm not saying our offense is near as bad as when Michael Bishop was at the controls but my general point remains). The fate of our offense is in the hands of our O-line. Chick-Sewell-Cummings-Willis... that is among the best front 4s in the league and if we let them out muscle us a pin their ears, we are done. Glenn will get smothered. Bridge will be forced into panicked bad decisions. We NEED protection. The logic way to help is with a continued focus on the run. We'll see is McAdoo continues to lean on the run with Thigpen as the lead back or if he reverts to his pass happy tendencies. The Esks aren't great at stopping the run so its a logical place to attack. I would supplement the run with those sweeps to Owens and some quick passes to Thigpen and Jones. The other way to ease pressure is by not being afraid to take shots. Carter is due for another big game so lets feed him and balance it with Owens on the short/medium routes and mix in Holley and Grant (who hopefully will now protect that ball like his life depended on it... his employment may). I would love to see Glenn play a full game... but I fear that protection struggles will lead to a Bridge appearance.
Defensively the Esks pose a big challenge. They can come at you with so many weapons: Zylstra, Bowman, Walker and Gable... at that doesn't include the damage Reilly can do with his legs. They lead the league in offensive yards because its tough to shut down that many weapons simultaneously. We need a strong game up front. If we can't get pressure on Reilly he will carve us up worse than he carves up Matt Scianitti. Our secondary needs to avoid giving up big plays. If we can force Reilly to string long drives together I think the advantage switches to our D. Keep them in front of you and make tackles on the first opportunity... not the 4th or 5th like we sometimes do. We will need our D to create a turnover or 2 for us to have a chance in this. I don't see us getting 5 like last time but a couple will be needed.
The Esks are the second most penalized team. Who would have thought that they would have discipline issues given the cool collected demeanor of their coach? That could be the difference in a game I expect to be tight.
This is not a must win but I think Jones is trying to sustain a "win the next game" mentality and the momentum that can create is a powerful force headed into the playoffs. While a loss is far from catastrophic (and may have the consolation prize of screwing the Bombers) I think we can make a huge statement in this game and gain a huge wave of momentum at the most important time of the season. The Riders have been playing to the level of their competition so I see us coming out very strong against a team on a 5 game win streak. Let's grab an early lead and force the Esks to overcome a deficit and a rowdy crowd (how else are you going to stay warm?).
Close game where we will need a comeback in the 4th but in the end:
Riders by a Bakari Grant TD. He'll win back our love and secure a west division playoff spot in the process.
Offensively we need to get out crap together. It's been a long time since we played really solid offense other than a few token series here and there. The old adage is "defense wins championships" and we certainly have defense but you can't win in the CFL without scoring. Just ask the 2008 Riders how far great defense gets you in the playoffs when your offense is non-existent (to be clear I'm not saying our offense is near as bad as when Michael Bishop was at the controls but my general point remains). The fate of our offense is in the hands of our O-line. Chick-Sewell-Cummings-Willis... that is among the best front 4s in the league and if we let them out muscle us a pin their ears, we are done. Glenn will get smothered. Bridge will be forced into panicked bad decisions. We NEED protection. The logic way to help is with a continued focus on the run. We'll see is McAdoo continues to lean on the run with Thigpen as the lead back or if he reverts to his pass happy tendencies. The Esks aren't great at stopping the run so its a logical place to attack. I would supplement the run with those sweeps to Owens and some quick passes to Thigpen and Jones. The other way to ease pressure is by not being afraid to take shots. Carter is due for another big game so lets feed him and balance it with Owens on the short/medium routes and mix in Holley and Grant (who hopefully will now protect that ball like his life depended on it... his employment may). I would love to see Glenn play a full game... but I fear that protection struggles will lead to a Bridge appearance.
Defensively the Esks pose a big challenge. They can come at you with so many weapons: Zylstra, Bowman, Walker and Gable... at that doesn't include the damage Reilly can do with his legs. They lead the league in offensive yards because its tough to shut down that many weapons simultaneously. We need a strong game up front. If we can't get pressure on Reilly he will carve us up worse than he carves up Matt Scianitti. Our secondary needs to avoid giving up big plays. If we can force Reilly to string long drives together I think the advantage switches to our D. Keep them in front of you and make tackles on the first opportunity... not the 4th or 5th like we sometimes do. We will need our D to create a turnover or 2 for us to have a chance in this. I don't see us getting 5 like last time but a couple will be needed.
The Esks are the second most penalized team. Who would have thought that they would have discipline issues given the cool collected demeanor of their coach? That could be the difference in a game I expect to be tight.
This is not a must win but I think Jones is trying to sustain a "win the next game" mentality and the momentum that can create is a powerful force headed into the playoffs. While a loss is far from catastrophic (and may have the consolation prize of screwing the Bombers) I think we can make a huge statement in this game and gain a huge wave of momentum at the most important time of the season. The Riders have been playing to the level of their competition so I see us coming out very strong against a team on a 5 game win streak. Let's grab an early lead and force the Esks to overcome a deficit and a rowdy crowd (how else are you going to stay warm?).
Close game where we will need a comeback in the 4th but in the end:
Riders by a Bakari Grant TD. He'll win back our love and secure a west division playoff spot in the process.
Monday, October 30, 2017
Monday Morning Sentimonies: Ten!
Riders 37 - Als 12
How many wins do the Riders have this season? In the words of Billy Bob from the timeless classic Varsity Blues " Ten! A F*%#ing 10!" I feel the need to start on this point because there is a fair bit of negativity in the air following the Rider game on Friday, you know the one where we won by over 20 like some very astute prognosticator said we would. In the coming paragraphs I will join in said negativity but I feel compelled to remind people that a) we won and b) we have 10 wins and can clinch 3rd in the West with one more. (A year ago we would have killed for either of those to be true... we I personally wouldn't have killed just so we're clear but I'm sure some people would have).
The Riders have a habit of playing to the level of their competition. Beat some good West teams handily, almost lose to Ryan Lindley, beat the Stamps at home, etc... Friday was a continuation of this. If you had watched no other football than the first have you likely would have surmised that both teams were out of contention. Sloppy play, poor decisions, boneheaded mistakes on both sides. Fortunately things righted themselves in the second half when the Riders remembered they were good and the Als kept on being the Als.
Defense continued their strong play. Turnovers, sacks, shutting down the run, keeping the score very low. They did their job. We finally found out that Duron is not invincible as he was beating on a couple throws. He also has a clear habit of watching the ball looking for a big play rather than watching his receiver. With any luck we won't see him at CB when it matters most. Butler was fired up and made a ton of plays. Moncrief continues to impress me. And ho hum Ed Gainey got his tenth pick of the year by shear force. I still maintain that Jefferson is our Defensive MOP but 10 picks is still one hell of a feat. About the most entertaining thing that happened while we were on defense was when the announcer first called Matt Shiltz, Matt Schlitz. "Give me six schliztes. Ah F it whatever's free"
Offense was lucky they were playing a bad team. There wasn't a whole lot of good outside of Owens and Richardson. Glenn was shaky but that was one of the few times I would not have pulled him as he wasn't actually doing that bad. Especially considering that Bridge came in and forced it into triple coverage for a pick. Between Crapigna's two uncharacteristic misses and Grant's already much mocked hot dogging we left 13 points on the field. More when you consider that do due how terrible the Als are we routinely starting in their end (I mean one punt was so awful that it netted 11 yards). But as I said, Owens was good and it was nice to see us be able to close out a game by running it down their throats (20+ rushes is always a Prophet pleaser). Lots to clean up but It was nice to see Glenn not be completely useless. More importantly I actually like a lot of what we did offensively (at least conceptually). The sweeps to Owens, the actually emphasis on the run, getting Christion Jones involved on not a blind deep pass. Some actual creativity. If you add that to a healthy Roosevelt and an actually involved offensively Carter, good things could be in-store in the playoffs.
Overall while the game was sloppy, the outcome was a lopsided win over a team we were supposed to beat. Would I preferred we did it without the all the crap? You bet but a win is a win. And the bigger thing is we seemed to emerge mostly healthy (something the Bombers wish was the case). I am jacked for a meaningful November game at Mosaic!
Other random thoughts:
- Too bad the University section isn't a thing anymore. The malfunctioning mic during the anthem was their time to shine.
- Off the 110 yards along the sidelines, I'll never understand why Cox decided to use the one containing a ref to enter the field. Stupid. By the way, the penalty call on that should clerly be "Illegal use of Cox"
- The first PI call on Montreal was BS in my opinion
- I love how the Riders have legit stopped even pretending to try for halftime entertainment. By this time next year they may either just turn the jumbo tron to TSN or actually do nothing at all.
- Christion Jones is legit (more quality analysis) that stat of him having 1000 return yards in 9 games was eye popping. There were times in Rider history where 1000 return yards would have taken us 1001 kicks. Blocking for him has been solid.
- I love Durant but personally I thought the video was a bit much. Show him on screen, cheer him but save the sappy video for when he retires.
How many wins do the Riders have this season? In the words of Billy Bob from the timeless classic Varsity Blues " Ten! A F*%#ing 10!" I feel the need to start on this point because there is a fair bit of negativity in the air following the Rider game on Friday, you know the one where we won by over 20 like some very astute prognosticator said we would. In the coming paragraphs I will join in said negativity but I feel compelled to remind people that a) we won and b) we have 10 wins and can clinch 3rd in the West with one more. (A year ago we would have killed for either of those to be true... we I personally wouldn't have killed just so we're clear but I'm sure some people would have).
The Riders have a habit of playing to the level of their competition. Beat some good West teams handily, almost lose to Ryan Lindley, beat the Stamps at home, etc... Friday was a continuation of this. If you had watched no other football than the first have you likely would have surmised that both teams were out of contention. Sloppy play, poor decisions, boneheaded mistakes on both sides. Fortunately things righted themselves in the second half when the Riders remembered they were good and the Als kept on being the Als.
Defense continued their strong play. Turnovers, sacks, shutting down the run, keeping the score very low. They did their job. We finally found out that Duron is not invincible as he was beating on a couple throws. He also has a clear habit of watching the ball looking for a big play rather than watching his receiver. With any luck we won't see him at CB when it matters most. Butler was fired up and made a ton of plays. Moncrief continues to impress me. And ho hum Ed Gainey got his tenth pick of the year by shear force. I still maintain that Jefferson is our Defensive MOP but 10 picks is still one hell of a feat. About the most entertaining thing that happened while we were on defense was when the announcer first called Matt Shiltz, Matt Schlitz. "Give me six schliztes. Ah F it whatever's free"
Offense was lucky they were playing a bad team. There wasn't a whole lot of good outside of Owens and Richardson. Glenn was shaky but that was one of the few times I would not have pulled him as he wasn't actually doing that bad. Especially considering that Bridge came in and forced it into triple coverage for a pick. Between Crapigna's two uncharacteristic misses and Grant's already much mocked hot dogging we left 13 points on the field. More when you consider that do due how terrible the Als are we routinely starting in their end (I mean one punt was so awful that it netted 11 yards). But as I said, Owens was good and it was nice to see us be able to close out a game by running it down their throats (20+ rushes is always a Prophet pleaser). Lots to clean up but It was nice to see Glenn not be completely useless. More importantly I actually like a lot of what we did offensively (at least conceptually). The sweeps to Owens, the actually emphasis on the run, getting Christion Jones involved on not a blind deep pass. Some actual creativity. If you add that to a healthy Roosevelt and an actually involved offensively Carter, good things could be in-store in the playoffs.
Overall while the game was sloppy, the outcome was a lopsided win over a team we were supposed to beat. Would I preferred we did it without the all the crap? You bet but a win is a win. And the bigger thing is we seemed to emerge mostly healthy (something the Bombers wish was the case). I am jacked for a meaningful November game at Mosaic!
Other random thoughts:
- Too bad the University section isn't a thing anymore. The malfunctioning mic during the anthem was their time to shine.
- Off the 110 yards along the sidelines, I'll never understand why Cox decided to use the one containing a ref to enter the field. Stupid. By the way, the penalty call on that should clerly be "Illegal use of Cox"
- The first PI call on Montreal was BS in my opinion
- I love how the Riders have legit stopped even pretending to try for halftime entertainment. By this time next year they may either just turn the jumbo tron to TSN or actually do nothing at all.
- Christion Jones is legit (more quality analysis) that stat of him having 1000 return yards in 9 games was eye popping. There were times in Rider history where 1000 return yards would have taken us 1001 kicks. Blocking for him has been solid.
- I love Durant but personally I thought the video was a bit much. Show him on screen, cheer him but save the sappy video for when he retires.
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Riders vs. Alouettes: The Return
Oh how times can change in
17 weeks. Week 1 seems so long ago; when the Riders lost to the Als in the
season opener. Questions abounded in Riderville about the quality of our team,
coach and kicker. The Als were riding a wave of optimism and were viewed as an
early contender in the least… err I mean East. Flash forward 3 months and the
Riders are playoff bound and should reach double digit wins (our kicker is
pretty good after all too. Go figure). The only thing the Als are contending
for is 1st overall draft pick and tax exemption due to their senior
citizen status. I still can’t believe we lost that game to them. Then again I
can’t believe that of Montreal’s 3 wins, 2 of them were against us and Calgary.
I’m sure Durant had
something different in mind for this game when the schedule first came out.
Instead of leading a strong Alouette team into his old stomping grounds and
making all Rider fans desperately miss our former leader, he instead is getting
a pity start because Kavis feels it’s the right thing… that and the Als’ other
QBs are terrible. Most teams out of the
playoffs adopt a “play the young guys” philosophy to audition for next year.
The Als are playing Durant… though on their aged roster maybe Durant does count
as “one of the young guys”. I expect and will be fully participating in an
extended ovation for Durant. The guy poured his soul into this franchise and
was a key player in arguably the greatest moment in franchise history. He is
the second most successful QB this franchise has ever had and deserves to know
he is appreciated. Once the game starts though, I also expect and will be fully
participating in thunderous boos for every pass he bounces off the tuft (that’s
a lot of boos). See it’s possible to respect an opposing player but still mock
him mercilessly.
I could list you any
number of stats to demonstrate that the Als are terrible. Nine straight losses
(by an average margin of 23 points), winless on the road, least points scored,
most points allowed and on and on. And it’s not just on the field that they
embarrassing themselves. Off the field has been highly entertaining (for anyone
not associated with the Als franchise): trading SJ Green for a 6th
round pick; cutting Bear Woods and having the GM and coach disagree on the
reasons; firing said coach (though he was admittedly a bad coach); pretty much
anything involving Kavis Reed (which unfortunately for the Als is everything).
They are screwed and the fact that they think Kavis is the guy to fix all this (with
his right hand man Joe Mack) is further evidence of how screwed they are. Dig
up stupid!
On to the game…
Offensively, we need to get back on track. Last week’s points total was inflated by a punt and INT return TD… and a fumble that set us up on the 3 yard line for our lone offensive TD. Glenn starts and honestly I think this has to be his last chance as the starter. If you can’t produce against the worst team in the CFL then what hope is there for the November games that really matter and involve credible teams? To help him out we need to stay as committed to the run game as we were in Calgary. It may shock you to learn that Montreal has the worst run D so we should be able to ride Richardson to a lot of yards. Still say we need to find ways to get Christion Jones involved in the O and if there was ever a game to experiment, this is it. When we pass, nothing in that secondary really scares but I would certainly be looking to exploit former Rider Tevaughn Campbell (he remains an extremely fast guy with minimal ball skills. Case in point the time he gave up a safety on an interception).
Offensively, we need to get back on track. Last week’s points total was inflated by a punt and INT return TD… and a fumble that set us up on the 3 yard line for our lone offensive TD. Glenn starts and honestly I think this has to be his last chance as the starter. If you can’t produce against the worst team in the CFL then what hope is there for the November games that really matter and involve credible teams? To help him out we need to stay as committed to the run game as we were in Calgary. It may shock you to learn that Montreal has the worst run D so we should be able to ride Richardson to a lot of yards. Still say we need to find ways to get Christion Jones involved in the O and if there was ever a game to experiment, this is it. When we pass, nothing in that secondary really scares but I would certainly be looking to exploit former Rider Tevaughn Campbell (he remains an extremely fast guy with minimal ball skills. Case in point the time he gave up a safety on an interception).
Defensively bring the pressure.
For all the things the Als do poorly (aka pretty much everything) they can run
the ball effectively (#2 in the League). We need to take that away from them. I
have always been a big Durant fan but one of his recurring deficiencies was
that he is not good at the hot route. Pressure will lead to mistakes… or balls
where the intended receiver is the hash mark. Duron will be manning the corner
again. I expect Durant (who is oddly more accurate on deep balls than short
ones) to test that. I don’t think Duron is super human on the corner, he can be
beat but you are playing with fire because one off throw is all it takes for
him to score and that amps up everyone. This is a defensive unit that held
Calgary without a TD in 2 games… I like their chances of standing up to a unit
that no longer cares and wasn’t very good even when they did.
After a big win over the
best team in the league this game has all the potential of a letdown/trap game
and I would honestly worry about it… were it not for how bad the Als are. This
is a game we should win and should win easily. We have failed to score 30
points only once at home… and that was against the best D in the League. By
contrast Montreal hasn’t held a team under 29 points since early August. So
essential the outcome hinges on whether you think Montreal can score 30 points
against us. Given that they haven’t accomplished that feat in over 2 months I
like our odds. Can’t overlook this game still have to go out and play hard but
in the end…
Riders by 20… you heard
me.
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