Riders Out of Playoff but Lead League in Marketing & Attendance
So, not surprisingly on Thanksgiving it became official; the 2016 Saskatchewan Roughriders were not going to make the playoffs. Not even an incredible display of “Rider Math” where everything from the orbit of a new mini-planet on the edge of the solar system to the amount of greenhouse gases put out by the province of Saskatchewan, would factor into whether the Riders could run the table and the Deadmonton Schmoes could stumble out of the playoffs.
That being said, the Riders remain a fascinating team to watch. This is partly due to their three game winning streak, partly due to their defense finally figuring out how to play together, partly due to the additions the team has made including Canadian linebacker, Henoc Muamba; American defensive lineman, William Jefferson; oft-injured receiver, Jeff Fuller and now Canadian defensive back, Andrew Leu.
Let’s not forget injured defensive lineman, Lindon Gaydosh who is now rehabbing in some hot tub somewhere, whom the Riders got in exchange for Canadian defensive lineman, Justin Cappicciotti and offensive lineman, Xavier Fulton.
Rider GM and Head Coach, Chris Jones, started off the season with a massive rebuild and brought his own people while cutting Rider fan favorites like Weston Dressler and John Chick. Some of the free agent signings like Maurice Price, Shawn Lemon and Kendial Lawrence did not work out and Jones, to his credit, cut the cord to Lemon and Lawrence when it became clear they would not be an asset to the team.