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Alcohol is the only winner in this 2015 Rider Season

Sep 23, 2015 | 9:17 AM

The return of Kevin Glenn was supposed to spark the Riders against the Ottawa Rouge et Noir Saturday night at Taylor Field, but Glenn plays quarterback and not cornerback and that is why the Riders lost 30-27.

In a season where the Riders have lost games in new and original ways, losing because the star linebacker mixed up when to call a time out with a minute left in the game shows the 2015 Riders are not the brightest of their mother’s children.

That play resulted the Riders only having seven seconds to try to go 75 yards for a touchdown or get into position for a field goal and not even Joe “747” Adams in the heights of white powder country in the 1980s could dream of getting a ball that far.

Let’s be fair to the defense. Even the offense, after probably their best first half of the season, looked like the 1-11 group they are as they failed to catch passes, take stupid penalties and capitalize when they needed to. While I admire Jerome Messam as a tank when he hits the line, his problem besides dropping catchable balls, is that unless the hole is open for him when he hits the line, he lacks the Kory Sheets ability to change direction suddenly and find a new way to attack the line. The result is Messam runs into a mass of people that sometimes even he can’t get through.

The Riders mental errors can be seen with time count penalties as players lose track of whether or not they are supposed to be in the huddle or not. That lack of mental sharpness has been there all season and will probably get worse as they cycle new players through the line-up in an effort to see who can play next season. The final touch was fitting on the timeout called just before Ottawa attempted their final field goal which screwed the slim hopes the Riders had of getting back into the game.

The other thing I noted was how the Rider defensive backs played off the Ottawa receivers. If you PVRed or taped the game, look at the seven to 10 yard cushion the Riders gave Ottawa receivers while I compared several NFL games and found their defensive backs, playing under the same rules as we do up here, beat the crap out of the receivers in the first five yards.

Yeah, I know, we have a bigger field and more of a margin of error, but speaking as a former linebacker/defensive back, on a Canadian field I played physical in the first five yards to disrupt the timing patterns of the other teams. If I held them up for even a second or two, that is a second or two the defensive line might need to close in and make a sack or at least make the QB hurry the throw.

That kind of head shaking philosophy points out a couple of things about the Riders that needs to be addressed after the season. The Riders are awful at fundamental football – they don’t know how to tackle properly, they don’t know how cover or take advantage of the new rules which comes down to the position coaches being able to teach them. Our defensive backfield coach is unable to teach. The same could be said for the linebacker coach, but since we have no true linebackers, I might give him a pass until we do find some.

With the Riders still amazingly in the playoff hunt, although they would need an asteroid to hit BC, bounce over to Winnipeg and finally end up in Montreal to make it official, it will be interesting times in Riderville.

Hamilton lost Zach Collaros Saturday with a possible knee injury and the rumor mills were flowing with speculation that the Riders were showcasing Glenn for a trade to Hamilton. Kent Austin said later Hamilton was fine with their two quarterbacks, but I suspect a shellacking coming up of the Cats in a year when they are built for a Grey Cup might make Austin reconsider. The trade deadline is October 10 I believe.

I would love if Glenn was traded getting anywhere from a third round pick and up and a Canadian or neg list player. The Riders have the first overall pick, but no second round pick and getting one in that round would be nice. I suspect Hamilton will not go for that, offer a fourth round pick and that is where the fun starts, screw Hamilton over and open the door for the Ottawa RedBlacks to win the Grey Cup, or take the conditional fourth round pick.

The other interesting rumor was sparked during the Baltimore game when Ravens Head Coach Jim Harbaugh took a swipe at offensive coordinator Marc Trestman during the Ravens loss to the Oakland Raiders. If not John Hufnagel as GM and Head Coach some say, then Trestman should be considered.

I would agree, but I wonder if Trestman does get the axe from Baltimore after this season, which is only two weeks old in the NFL, I think Trestman would consider other NFL options before considering the Riders. The other thing I would consider is if Trestman falls flat on his face in Baltimore, he may not be the right person for Saskatchewan.

So this week, Hamilton has the bye, so don`t expect any major changes, but a lot of eyes will be on two games.

First up is Calgary at Winnipeg. The Matt Nicholls era as savior of Winnipeg ended in the festive turf on McGill Stadium as Montreal used special teams and a good defense to raise the possibility of an eastern crossover for the first time in history. The BluBonic Plague returns to Winnipeg but Calgary will be more concerned with keeping ahead of the Eskimos and will dispatch Winnipeg in a swift and humane fashion – 27-19.

BC visits Edmonton and for BC, leaking fans and chances to make the playoffs, this is not good considering they are meeting a team that knocked Calgary and Hamilton off in the last two weeks. BC has good special teams, I guess, and if weather is a factor and if they can pressure Mike Reilly, anything is possible, but their quarterbacking is too stupid to give them anything other an immaculate upset. Edmonton wins 26-19.

Toronto goes to Ottawa and the east gets real interesting with Hamilton losing Zach Collaros for…yet to be determined. If Collaros is gone for the season, the east is wide open and you would think Ottawa now has the momentum to make a move for first place. Two wins on a western road trip will do wonders for a team`s confidence and even I have to admit Henry Burris is building a case for most outstanding player. This will be a playoff game type of atmosphere, but I think Ottawa squeezes out a close one because Toronto`s defensive secondary still sucks. Ottawa wins 26-25.

Finally Montreal comes to Saskatchewan and you would have to think the Riders have no shot. Especially if they trade Kevin Glenn but I don`t see that this week. What I see is a Montreal team that has problems away from home and while Jonathon “Straight Outta`Crompton wins, as a passer he inspires no real terror as of yet. The Riders lose one more game and they are out of the playoffs. I think the Riders win one more game – 25-24.