Riderville – September 18

One of the interesting things to come out of the game was the improved play of the defense. Greg Marshall had been trying to micromanage the Riders defense over what Richie Hall was trying t bring in, and the result was a soft defense against the pass. Hall took quite a bit of heat for the play of the defense but the play of Craig Butler at safety, and moving some guys around like James Patrick has given the Riders the hammer they need at safety and the ballhawks they need on the corners.

I thought Toronto would have tried running more against the Riders, but Argo quarterback Stephen Jyles had some success hitting circus passes deep, but was unable to convert those chances.

The Riders changed up their looks on the line with Jyles, confusing him on whether or not the Riders were blitzing or would drop off when they lined up seven to eight people on the line. Add to this the Argos really don't have a deep threat and the Riders could play the Argos tighter and look for the turnovers.

The Riders front seven had a good game, taking advantage of injuries on Toronto offensive line to get consistent pressure. While Jyles was playing in just his second game of the year, he does have the ability to scramble and the Riders sack totals would have been greater if Jyles was as mobile as say, Buck Pierce.

The Riders offense was slow getting off the mark, but the Riders managed to adjust, especially after Andy Fantuz went out with a high ankle sprain. This brought in Jason Clermont and more importantly, had Durant hit Chris Getzlaf conistently deep on passes. Getzlaf seems to have played his way through the gawdawful first third of the season and is in a groove that bodes well when the Riders go to Calgary in two weeks. Getzlaf traditionally has big games in Calgary.

Fantuz will not likely dress against BC, which may work out considering the other Rider receivers have improved their game. Clermont is a steady short to medium target, but one wonders if Jordan Sisco was healthy to make a solid contribution to the team what the result might be. Neal Hughes may line up more in a slotback position, but that raises of the question of who will provide blocking against BC's improved defensive line.

Durant is rolling out more, which helps open up the field, and considering how well BC put pressure on Calgary, is probably a good thing this weekend. The slow start can also be explained by the fact that Toronto is actually not a bad football team, it has just failed to find a quarterback that seems able to grasp the game. Toronto has given the Riders problems at Mosaic Stadium and it would not have been pretty if the Riders had dropped this game.

This Saturday's game is promising to be a playoff style match with the Riders looking to close the gap with BC and move into a tie for third. Second place is also within reach as the Riders play Calgary the week after in Calgary and then go to Edmonton to play the Eskimos.

The aggressive nature of the Rider defense will come in handy to match the size and skill of the Lions receivers. Arlan Bruce III has always had big games against the Riders, even in Mosaic, and somehow I expect the Riders will likely try to line up James Patrick against Bruce whenever possible.

If the Riders are reverting to their pattern of playing to their opponents level, then the game Saturday against BC should be pretty entertaining and overtime is a definite possibility. A loss against BC would not be the end of the road for the Riders, especially since Hamilton seems to be self destructing.

If you look at the predictions around the league for this past weekend, it seems like everything except for the Rider Argo game was against the form. The Riders will have to make a few adjustments for BC, and I would think the Riders would bring in a defensive back off the practice roster to help cope with the Lions aggressive receiving corps.

While some fans have been beaking off about Dario Romero and his short fuse, that is a quality that will help in dealing the Lion's offensive line, which has been renowned for its cheap shots. The Riders needed a shot of aggressiveness and attitude and Romero has been helping more than hindering the team the last few weeks.

If the Riders beat BC, and at this point I would make the Riders slight favorites, they should beat Calgary in Calgary because the Stampeders cannot win at home this season. BC and Edmonton are the two teams it is hard to get a handle on because of the way the schedule broke for the BC Lions when they started on their winning streak.

What was reassuring about the game was that the Riders won while a month ago, they would have shot themselves in the foot repeatedly trying to make something happen. But the lack of stress Ken Miller has put on the team by allowing them to be themselves has placed the onus on performance on the players, and so far so good. But the test will come on Saturday against a BC team that is a big question mark. If the Riders solve this problem, they will be well on their way on getting into the playoffs, and honestly, so saw this happening a month ago?

by Riderville

Riderville – September 18

What's Trending