Riders vs. Lions: Homeward Bound

If you are wondering, yes today’s title was really just a poorly veiled excuse to mention beloved 1993 classic movie Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. But if you love terrible segues then brother, hold on because the Riders’ INCREDIBLE JOURNEY this season might lead them BOUND for a HOME playoff game. 

If you were to go back in time and tell people in Week 4 of the season that the season would end with the Riders and Lions competing for a home playoff game no one would be surprised. But they would never believe the path the teams took to get there. Very similar paths in that both started hot, decided to become religiously opposed to winning for a long period of time but seemed to have stabilized things of late. Things could not be simpler for the Riders, win and you guarantee a home playoff game and get to finish the season with a bye followed by a meaningless scrimmage against an amateur football team (you can’t consider the Stamps a professional franchise at this point). Lose and you leave your fate in the hands of others and most likely finish 3rd. 

I’ll be honest, of all the teams in the CFL, BC is the one I understand the least. They should be really good. Yes its taking some time for Rourke to re-adjust to the CFL but they should be a top end team. Some times they look like a top end team… but other times they look like an orange version of Calgary. They could stomp us by 30. They could stink out the joint and lose by 30 and pretty much any outcome in between and none would be surprising based on how their season has gone. 

Since TSN/the CFL is insistent on cramming Nathan Rourke down our throat, let’s start with our defense. Look, I am all for hyping your stars and Rourke is a star to be hyped. But its got so exaggerated that Rourke could take a dump on the field and proceed to slip in his own dookie and the announcers would still somehow spin it as evidence of his greatness. 

I think Rourke has all the talent in the world but this season is proving that he is human and readjusting to the CFL takes time even for the best. BC is 6^th in points scored, 7^th in offensive yards, Rourke is last among starters in completion % and has just 4 TDs to 7 INTs. Its been a struggle. The issues start much before Rourke though. Their OL gives flashbacks to the Riders OL in 2022 and 2023. Rourke has been sacked 18 times despite only playing half a season. That’s where we need to attack. We need to dominate the line of scrimmage and should be able to. Disrupting a player as good as Rourke is the key to limiting him. Based on the last time we played, it might also be a good idea to cover McInnis. 

Offensively we are starting to get healthy Ouelette will start. Picton adds some nice Canadian depth back and most importantly we are getting some OL back. Godber is still a week or 2 away but we do get Fry and Brammer back. That’s good because what scares me most about that BC D is the front 4. Robertson, sack leader Teuhema, Banks, Covington and Betts. But beyond that line they are a very average defense. 5^th in points allowed, 6^th in yards allowed. The key with them is patience. They allow the highest completion % to opposing QBs of any team (73.8%) but the second least plays of 30+ yards. They won’t give you huge chunks but you can move the ball on them. Assuming our OL can keep him upright, Harris is very qualified to take advantage of that. I think this is a game where Ouelette can be very effective in the short pass game. Keeping him involved will keep the D-line honest and open space for Baker, Emilus and Johnson. We can’t see the errant throws we saw in Edmonton. This will be a closely contested match and winning the turnover battle and owning the line a scrimmage are the keys to coming out ahead. 

Some people will try and sell you on the emotional boost of having Durant and Shivers in the stadium. Its about damn time we honour Shivers and I maintain that Durant is second only to Ronnie in terms of the best QBs to ever play in Saskatchewan. For fans like me, there will be an emotional boost. I would honestly pay money for halftime to just be Roy with an open mic. But emotional boost for the players… pure BS. Remember the game after Lancaster died, or the final game at old Mosaic, or the game after Reed died? We lost every single one of the despite the supposed “emotional boost”. That will not be a factor in the outcome. 

This is a matchup between two teams that have shown that at their best there are contenders and at their worst they make you wish for temporary blindness. A win for either side is equally possible. I think the Riders should win but my deeply engrained pessimism is shining through. I just have a feeling the Riders won’t do things the easy way (if its any consolation I picked them to lose 2 of the last 3 as well so my pessimism may be beneficial). 

BC by a Stanback 4^th Q TD.

Monday Morning Sentimonies: Playoffs?

Riders 28 – Elks 24 

You’ll forgive me if I’m still in disbelief. Decades of cheering for the Riders tends to breed a healthy level of pessimism. Generally being a Rider fans is just one crushing defeat after another until you just wish Flanders was dead. Not only did the situation we currently find ourselves in (heading back to the playoffs) require us not squandering an opportunity, it also required the Command Centre getting things right AND acting to the benefit of the Riders. I’m not going to say the odds on all these things happening simultaneously were low but the CFL wouldn't suspend a player for betting on that because its so unlikely its not technically gambling, just a donation. 

Now don’t get me wrong. We tried hard to squander this opportunity. Harris threw some very ill-advised passes. Mace still seems oblivious to the basics of clock management.  Pass coverage was as porous as ever. But despite those issues we have found our way back to being a team that finds ways to win… as opposed to that whole 2 month period where we found ways to lose. 

Credit to the defense. They are far from perfect but they stepped up and did their job. After the embarrassment of the last match-up you could tell run stopping was priority #1 and they delivered allowing just 30 total yards. Yes the biproduct of that was a less impactful pass rush (which further leaves our questionable pass coverage out to dry) but it was the right strategy. Edmonton wins when they rush well. Take that away and they struggle. We did that and it worked. The reason it worked is because we forced turnovers. Milligan added to his MOP resume. Auclair was in the right place at the right time. Even Henderson made a play at a key point with a nice punch out. CJ Reavis was a welcome addition back.  

Offensively it was like a 3am booty call. Maybe not the prettiest thing but it got the job done. O-line visibly struggled. Harris was uncharacteristically careless with his passes. But after a season of watching receivers drop perfectly thrown balls on the turf we are finally seeing receivers step up and make plays for their QB. Big time receptions from Baker, Emilus and Johnson. Busby also keeps quietly doing what’s asked of him. I don’t think Trevor Harris is getting the recognition he deserves. In 6 of his 10 starts he has thrown for over 300 yards. Multiple passing TDs in 7 of his starts. 3^rd in the CFL in completion % among starters. Only 1 team has scored more points than us. This with a patchwork O-line and an ever-changing cast of receivers. It might not always be pretty but Harris has been the leader this team needs on and off the field. 

There is a lot more I could rant and rage on in that game but it really doesn’t matter, we found a way to win and punched our ticket back to the elusive post season. We also set up a monster game on Saturday. Win and we host a home playoff game. Yes somehow in a matter of couple weeks we have gone from “will be ever win again” to “chance at a home playoff game” a true testament to how bad the West division is this year.

But I will once again be reverting to my pessimism. It all seems to good to be true. If we just win the next game then our remaining schedule is: bye, meaningless game against what’s left of the Stamps and then home playoff game. So I’ve convinced myself we’ll find a way to screw this up. The good news is I had that same feeling heading into the Edmonton game so… you’re welcome I guess

Riders vs. Elks: Scotchtoberfest

Welcome to October, a month that traditionally has been a dreadful period of going through the motions waiting for the season to mercifully end. To steal a Jeff Foxworthy line, its been kinda like opening a present from your grandma. You’re not sure what you are going to get but you are pretty sure you won’t like it. But in a stunning turn of events we have not only rediscovered winning, but find ourselves still in the playoff discussion. In previous years the only time the Riders were spoken of in relation to playoffs was when opposing coaches said “I hope we play the Riders in October as that will drastically improve our playoff chances.”

Saturday we travel to Edmonton to face the 5-10 Elks. Not to bring up old wounds but the last time we saw the Elks they were mercilessly running us into the ground on route to their first win. They are fresh off getting embarrassed by Winnipeg in back to back weeks and hoping a visit from the Riders will cure their losing ways. A few things about that last game. One, despite getting run all over it was a 1 point game going into the 4^th and we did not have Trevor Harris or Anthony Lanier. Two, that game has to be an anomaly. We gave 276 rushing yards. That is 23% of ALL the rush yards we’ve given up this entire season. In every other game we are averaging 66 yards allowed. 

Edmonton is a really interesting team. Looking at the stats alone, you might think this is a top team in the West: most offensive points, most TDs, #2 in net yards, QB with the best TD to INT ratio. Yet they have just 5 wins and are on the brink of missing the playoffs. Its almost impossible to miss the playoffs in a 9 team league scoring as many points as they have. Now their defense is not good and their special teams has been a liability but still… 

I think it’s a mistake to start Bethel-Thompson in this one. Not because I think he’s bad (again best TD to INT ratio, second most TDs next to Bo…  who might also miss the playoffs, go figure) but you look at how the Elks beat us last time. We were so focused on stopping Ford from running that we let anyone not named Ford have free reign of the field. Would you not want to recreate that success? Its obvious in this one that we need to stop the run. Adding Lanier will help as will not having to worry about Bethel-Thompson running. That does unfortunately leave the passing attack, where we happen to be extremely vulnerable. We do get Reavis back which will be a boost. MBT is a good QB and he has talented receivers around him. We are going to give up yards. Gotta hold them to FGs and try and get some turnovers. Need the front 4 to create some havoc up front and force MBT into mistakes. 

Offensively, we will once again try to find 12 healthy offensive bodies and 4 more to cover the guys that will inevitably end up hurt in this one. The good news is that Edmonton’s defense is not playing very well. 7^th in points allowed, most total yards allowed, most pass yards allowed. In their winning streak they managed to balance that off with a ton of takeaways but when those dry up it’s a struggle. Enter Trevor Harris and an offense that turns the ball over less than anyone in the CFL. Hickson should be angry after sitting a couple weeks and looking to prove himself. Let the man run. Yes, Harris is a good passer and yes, the Elks are somehow much worse at stopping the pass than we are, but we need some semblance of balance in our attack. Once again going to need Baker to step up lead the way. Be nice if Emilus did the same. I can see both Sterns and Duncan-Busby putting up decent yards as Baker and Emilus should draw the most attention. Last week our offense stalled lots and settled for too many FGs. That worked at home against a bad Ottawa offense. On the road against a pretty good Elks offense we need TDs when we get the chance. Key will be starting hot. If we get a lead it will be easy for the Elks to start to give up as they see the season slip away. 

A win buries Edmonton’s playoff chances and depending on how Friday goes may officially secure ours. Win the next 2 and we host a playoff game, its that simple. My long engrained Rider pessimism is seeping in. That sounds way too simple and we never do things the easy way around here. On paper, we should win. But on the road against a desperate team that can score points… I don’t feel great. I expected at least one bump on the road down the stretch and this seems like the most likely time.

Elks by a Geno Lewis TD.

 

Monday Morning Sentimonies: War Of Attrition

Riders 29 – RedBlacks 16

In a very un-Rider-like move, the Green and White seized opportunity on Saturday. With a chance to move into 2^nd place and all but bury the Elks, I, like many, expected the Riders to needlessly overcomplicate things and lose. Instead they won in fairly convincing fashion. This despite enduring even more injuries leaving us with a starting offense that would be questionable by pre-season standards.

In the 4^th quarter there were maybe 4 people starting on offense that we actually intended to be starting. I can assure even the back-up plans did not contemplate a possibility where Alford, Duncan-Busby, Hunchak and Hudon were not only playing significant snaps but being relied upon to contribute offensively. But such was the world we found ourselves in with all the injuries. Bane sadly blew his knee out just as he was starting to show reliable hands and again. Armstead got hurt. Baker and Emilus were briefly out. Thank god they were able to finish the game because next on the depth chart may have been seeing if Micah could play RB or whether Jorgen Hus could run routes. It did not help that out first half offense seemed to rely exclusively on Harris having his receivers run murder routes across the middle.

But credit, where credit is due. They dug deep and got it done. Duncan-Busby stepped up and contributed a lot of yards. Johnson continues to be a valuable receiver. And my man Bertrand-Hudon (aka french Szarka) stepped up and helped seal things in the 4^th. The seas parted on that TD and the only question was whether he would run out of gas before the goal line. Offense settle for FGs too many times but in a game where it was clear the defense had things handled, they did not turn the ball over, they put together drives to keep the D rested and they put up close to 30 points. Again this was an offense featuring more players who should be one our practice roster or unemployed on their couches than actual starters.

It had been a while so it was nice to see the return of a defense that can make a difference. They are the reason we won. 3 interceptions, 2 sacks and just 3 points allowed through the first 3 quarters. The garbage time TD the RedBlacks scored with 2 mins to go really masks how dominant the D was and how ineffective Ottawa’s offense was. It had been a while since we had seen them dominate like that. To the untrained eye you might have even thought you saw Lokombo make a play. I assure you that purely by accident. A) he should have made that pick but B) he was very much in the right place purely by accident and just as surprised as the rest of us when the ball arrived.

It was another well rounded team effort with special teams also doing their job. Lauther was perfect. Alford chipped in a massive return. Kick cover unit was strong.

We very much needed this win and the team stepped up and delivered. The way our depth is stepping up this season is almost unbelievable. Amazingly after taking 2 months off from this whole winning thing, we now find ourselves in a position to host a playoff game. This is a dramatic turn of events because just 2 weeks ago we were all doing our best Jim Mora impersonation: “Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game.”

The way the injuries are mounting though is definitely concerning. We finally got some bodies back in Lanier and Brammer and evidently we are in a 1 for 1 trade system as it appears to have cost us Bane and Armstead. As long as Emilus and Baker are okay then we should be able to survive but we already had to sign Hunchak off the couch and if you think there are any Canadian WRs left out there who are even as good as Hunchak I have some bad news for you. We are one injury away from my phone ringing to see what I am up to next weekend.

For now though, I am definitely going to savour this second win in a row. One more all but locks us into the playoffs. For those of you that have forgotten what that is, they actually do let the good teams keep playing after the end of the regular season.

Other random thoughts:

-        In a game where everyone was getting hurt I’m still shocked that Miles Brown did not somehow inadvertently injure Masoli.

-        I fully support Ben Majors embracing this expectation that he entertain us when he talks on the mic. My only suggestion this week would have been that one that final play with all the ejections he should have started by apologizing for taking for long to only come away with 2 penalties with 6 seconds left.

-        Baldonado is quietly becoming a pretty reliable contributor on the D-line.

Riders vs. RedBlacks: No Ties

Now that we’ve got that pesky “can’t win after Labour Day” thing off our backs it time to tackle the next challenge… winning at home. You see dedicated fans like you and I have not witnessed a home victory after Labour Day since 2021. That is a lot of bad football, often in the not greatest weather to endure just to see us lose, while getting gouged at the concessions. Can’t imagine why attendance has slipped.

Our chance to get back to winning at Mosaic comes in the form of the 8-5-1 RedBlacks. You might remember them from our last encounter when the command centre famously intervened when no one wanted them to and forced an outcome no one liked. The RedBlacks started the season strong but are 1-3 in their past 4.  Jeremiah Masoli gets the start and there’s no way that the announcers don’t beat the “Masoli’s first game in Saskatchewan since Marino” angle to death.

Just on that… Lord I hope Miles Brown doesn’t inadvertently end up injury Masoli like seemingly every other QB he faces. Collaros was on him but Dru Brown and Streveler he was a victim of circumstance. Miles Brown is nothing like Marino (I mean he may also have a black girlfriend but that hardly seems like a relevant detail to anyone not named Craig) but if something happens, no matter how innocent, we will never hear the end of it. Maybe put Brown at safety just to be safe. I imagine he will not be any less impactful than Lokombo there.

Let’s start on offense. We are getting out first glimmer of good news on the “every starting OL we have is on the 6 game front”. Looks like Brammer will be back. There will be one focus in this on both sides. Armstead can say all the right things in the media but I don’t believe for a second that he doesn’t want to run it down Ottawa’s throat and give the DX crotch chop to Dyce (hoping he resists the urge to do the second, or is at least subtle about it). Conversely Ottawa will clearly want to shut him down. Regardless, until I see any kind of evidence that is does not work, keep feeding that man the ball. I don’t expect another 200 out of him but I would like to see 20 more touches. With so much focus on him, there will be opportunities for big plays with play action. Baker and Johnson have been our best receivers of late so lean on them. I also think this is a game where you could fake the hand off and do a short dump to Bane quite effectively. Keys are maintain a balanced attack and don’t turn the ball over. Ottawa lost Pickett for the year which is a big blow.

Defensively we get out best player back in Milligan (thank you eight-pound, six-ounce, newborn infant Jesus, who doesn't even know a word yet—little infant, so cuddly but still omnipotent.) Looks like we will get Lanier back as well which will be a big addition up front. As mentioned, Jeremiah Masoli starts. He’s not as turnover prone as Brown and not as generally bad at anything but running as Crum. He’s a veteran who stays calm and can get the ball to his playmakers. But this is not a very good Ottawa offense overall. 3^rd last in points, 7^th in rushing most giveaways of any team in the CFL. They have dangerous receivers in Hardy, Rhymes and now a returning Pimpleton. Unlike Calgary our DBs can’t rely on the WRs just dropping everything. They are going to need to make some plays. I also expect that with all the hype around Armstead that Ottawa’s new RB Laborn will want to show why they deemed Armstead expendable. I like our chances of limiting the run. But we’re going to be allowing pass yards. The key will be holding them to FGs instead of TDs and forcing a couple turnovers.

One other thing that could play a factor in this is discipline. Ottawa is the most penalized team in the league. After a penalty-filled start to the year we have settled to about middle of the pack in that regard. I could see emotions running hot in this one on both sides. Whichever side can avoid the costly penalties that come from losing your cool will get a big advantage.

There’s two ways of looking at this… we only beat a really bad Calgary team by one score so we are in trouble with mildly competent competition. Or… the Calgary game was just the first step in an upward swing. I honestly don’t know where I land on that one. I don’t think we are a bad team. But I’m also under no illusions that we don’t have some glaring weaknesses.

I think this is an evenly matched team that I am tilting in our favour for 3 reasons. 1) Trevor Harris the best QB in this matchup. 2) We are playing at home. 3) Probably should have just said 2 reasons. I apparently don’t have a 3^rd. Just another example of the high standard or literary and journalistic skill you’ve come to expect in this space. 

It’s gonna take some ridiculous 4^th quarter come from behind drama but I think we win

Riders by a late 4^th Q Harris TD. 

Given that I picked us to lose last week I was very tempted to do the same this week just to be safe. So if we lose you can probably blame me… you know in addition to most likely blaming the refs again.

 

 

Monday Morning Sentimonies: Is This Real?

Riders 37 – Stamps 28

In the moments following the Riders' win on Friday, all I could think about was Corey Grant.

Now there are only 2 possible reactions to that statement: Who is Corey Grant? And Why in the hell are you thinking about Corey Grant? Bear with me. I’m slowly embracing the desire to tell rambling stories that is growing as I embrace my old man-ness. Corey Grant was essentially Mitch Picton of the early 2000s. Reliable role player but far from a star. More to the point of my story… in one particular game in 2008 he scored a TD and in one of the most honest post game interviews ever he said ““The coach is like, ‘Act like you’ve been there,’ but I haven’t been there before. It had been a while, so I didn’t know what to do.’’ 

And that’s how that very random anecdote relates to Friday’s win. Much like Corey Grant, it had been so long since we won, I didn’t know what to do. We hadn’t won a game since July. We hadn’t won a game after Labour Day since 2021. It has been a long damn time! This was a much needed win. To be honest I still don’t really believe we won. To be honest I spent most of the second half assuming we’d find a way to blow it. 

Offense was the driving force in the one. Well specifically, Ryquell Armstead was a one man wrecking crew. Over 200 yards in his debut. Most dominate rushing performance I’ve seen since Kory Sheets. For once we didn’t overthink things. I said before the game Calgary has the worst run D in the league and Armstead needs 20 touches min. Thankfully Mueller either reads this blog or is smart enough on his own to not overcomplicate something so obvious. Also major props to our patchwork O-line. Armstead was impressive but they were giving him major room to operate. Week in week out Edwin Harrison is proving to be one of the best coaching hires in years. Baker and Johnson led the way for the receivers. Finally our QB was blessed with guys actually making catches for him. Harris was smart with the ball (minus that one he threw directly at Calgary's DB). Biggest factor was scoring majors. Far to often over the past 3 seasons we have had to settle for FGs. Harris delivered 4 TD drives. 

Defense did OK and against a lowly team like the Stamps that proved to be enough. We played pretty solid for 3 quarters then visibly took our foot off the gas in the 4^th nursing a lead. Would have preferred they didn’t do that an make the end so damn nerve-wracking but beggars can’t be choosers.  Keep in mind we were missing Milligan, Carney and Lanier. Arguably 3 of our top 5 defenders. We should get Lanier and Milligan back next week so things may be looking up. I won’t lie when we gave up a 69 yard TD on a 1 yard plunge I all but gave up hope but that turned out to be the only thing we really allowed in the first half. To be fair a lot of our defensive success was based on Calgary being awful and not being able to throw accurately or catch those rare perfectly thrown balls. Given that we only get Calgary once more over the final 4 games we may need to find a new strategy on D but for this week, it worked. 

Look, I will say this very clearly, any team that goes shotgun on 3^rd and 1 particularly with the game on the line deserves to lose. I still think Hamilton should be stripped of their win over Toronto for pure short yardage incompetence in this regard. 

After months of playing well sporadically in some phases but not all, we finally put it all together. We had a run game AND a pass game working. We played defense. Special teams made plays. We found ways to win, not lose. 

Now the massive caveat is that Calgary is visibly the WORST team in the CFL so all this win really means is that we are less awful than the worst. If we want to return to the playoffs we need to establish ourselves as less awful than at least 2 other teams. So enjoy this win because if you last since July you damn well deserve it. But hold off on thinking all our problems are over just yet. One week at a time. 

Other random thoughts:

-        With top special teams ace Milligan missing I noticed both Kosi Oneyka and Jaxon Ford step up and make plays.

-        Can someone tell me what it is that Nelson Lokombo does for this team? At least Dalke hit people. I am going to start calling Lokombo pregnancy scare because all he ever is is late.

-        I know its very illegal but as someone who grew up when it was still allowed/encouraged that Emilus crack back was a hell of a hit! Hell put him at safety… you know Chris Jones woulda tried.

Riders vs. Stampeders: Who Is The Worst?

Hope you enjoyed the bye week. A chance for fans and players alike to relax, unwind and not dread losing yet again. That was nice. But now its back to reality and to be perfectly honest, reality kinda sucks right now. Fortunately we get to play a team whose reality also sucks. After this game one team’s reality will suck a little less and the other’s will suck a whole lot more. Or maybe we tie and just wallow in misery together. Have I sufficiently hyped this game for you? TSN should hire me to do their promo videos. 

Do you know the last time the Riders won a game that occurred after Labour Day? West Semi 2021. Do you know the last time the Riders won a regular season game that occurred after Labour Day? November 13, 2021. We are 0 for our last 14. Fall seems to do to us what the playoffs do to the Leafs or Cowboys.

We need to go 3-2 minimum over the final 5 to be in the playoff conversation. If we can’t beat lowly Calgary that ain’t happening, simple as that. This is a must win game, otherwise you might well just start planning for 2025. This is a very winnable as I will shortly detail the very long list of reasons that Calgary is terrible. BUT, my confidence in our ability to seize this opportunity has gone from “Skeptical hope” to “Hello darkness my old friend”. Somehow we managed to come out of the bye week in worse shape than we went into it. No injured players are ready to come back yet. Carney is now out. And we let the best player on the team attend to family matters. 

Side note: I do think it is awesome that the Riders let Milligan prioritize his family. Its those kind of actions that actually demonstrate the family culture Mace is building is more than just words. This helps build our reputation as a franchise that does right by its players. But still, selfishly it sucks and players should damn well know that prime “knock up your lady" season is late March through August. Then you baby stuff can be an offseason endeavour.

So long story short our offensive and defensive lines look like what you’d field in the 4^th quarter of a preseason game and the only thing keeping our crappy pass coverage from complete ruin is off doing stuff that brings joy and meaning to his life, thus likely sacrificing the joy and meaning for us fans. 

But let’s take a pause from wallowing in our misery to point out the misery of our opponent. They suck… and I as Rider fan I feel very qualified to make assessments on levels sucktitude. Second least points scored, 2^nd most points allowed, most giveaways, least takeaways, second most penalties, have not won since first week of August. They (like us) are close to circling the drain and Craig Dickenson is almost ready to book the bowling alley. 

Let’s start on offense. I’ll make this real simple. The Stamps have the worst, THE WORST, run defense in the CFL. If Armstead does not get 20 carries then we should all get to slap Mueller once. I don’t really understand why their run D is so bad. They have a good front 7 featuring top end guys like Awe, Judge, Rose, Howsare and Vaughters. But they can’t stop the run and they can’t generate sacks. Now our practice roster O-line will give them ample opportunity to rebound but just pound Armstead all day. Just tell him every time he gets a first down we’ll send a picture of it to Bob Dyce. They have the 3^rd best pass D and when passing you gotta watch out for Demario Houston. But as long a Harris is patient and doesn’t force anything he should be able to put up points. I think you need to lean on Baker at this point. Be nice if Bane showed up for once to stick it to his old team but I’m not counting on that. 

Defense could be a struggle. With Micah, Brown and Cox I think there is enough talent on the D-line that Baldonado won’t be a liability. But given that our pass coverage sucks at the best of times, going from team MOP Rolan Milligan to Amari Henderson, is like trading a Lamborghini for a tricycle.  This will be an interesting matchup as Calgary’s primary weakness is passing the ball and our primary weakness is stopping the pass. It’s the stoppable force vs. the movable object. I honestly expect Maier to slice and dice us until the redzone then stall and settle for a million FGs. We need to generate some turnovers. Calgary doles them out with reckless abandon and we need to capitalize on that. 

I was iffy on this game from the start but at one point was leaning towards a win. If we could have got like 1 or 2 bodies back, a Lanier or a Brammer or something, I think it would have been huge. Instead we lost 2 more starters. Calgary is very beatable team and I think we should beat them.

But maybe its my burgeoning (I purposely used that word to make myself sound smarter) old man cynicism. Maybe it’s the lack of a fall win since 2021. But I just have a really bad feeling about this. It will be close, we will have lead, but we find a way to be slightly more awful than the Stamps.

Stamps by a FG.