Riders Succeed Again in Beating Hope out of Rider Fans

In terms of quarterbacking, one suspects the ceiling may have been reached on Brett Smith, who scrambles first unless his first read is open. One reason why the book may not have been closed on him is the lack of a quarterback coach who can instill the skills needed to survive at the pro level. Keith Price had a hell of a debut with his opening pass going for a touchdown, and when he rolled out of the pocket, he looked downfield before he decided to run.

I liked the way Rider interim coach Bob Dyce rotated them in, simulating conditions they would expect to see as a back-up. The prospect of one of them starting, or a two-QB system next season is quite high if Darian Durant does not come back from his latest injury, and when you consider he has played nine games in the last 37, adding on the last two games, the prospects of him matching the heights of the 2013 playoff run are starting to run out.

The Riders seem to be carrying a number of high priced veterans who are not justifying their paycheques. Part of that is due to former Rider coach Cory Chamblin surrounding himself with veterans in an effort to reproduce the 2013 Grey Cup run and part of that is due to how former GM Brendan Taman paid out contracts with a bunch of front or back end loaded contracts making it difficult to move players.

The Riders have failed to develop Canadian players and in retrospect, one of the more stupid decisions was getting rid of Keith Shologan and Zach Evans. It’s no good having a Canadian starter with no back-up and the Riders loss of those players, then Craig Butler, left them scrounging through the dregs of former Winnipeg Blue Bombers looking for a jewel or two.

This brings us to the lack of coaching that has existed on the Riders. The Riders have a linebacker and secondary coach who haven’t taught the players the fundamentals of coaching. You might ask why that is necessary if these players have gone through university, but sit for a moment and watch an NCAA game or CIS game – there is a lot of sloppy tackling out there. Canadian players play an average of eight regular season games, maybe a game or two in the playoffs, while American university players play 11 games plus a bowl game. The CFL has 18 games so it is not surprising to see rookie Canadians get gassed halfway through the season and American rookies drop off in the last third of the season.

That’s why coaches and a training system designed to bring the players along is crucial. As a Rider fan, I can put up with losing if there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I don’t want to see Canadian players drafted who once they make the team, never advance, or appear to advance beyond a special team’s ace.

For rookie Canadian offensive linemen, they need to work on their upper body strength, their footwork and their hand work. I am surprised they aren’t taught martial arts in order to maximize their skills on the offensive line.

Canadian defensive linemen need to also work on their strength, speed and ability to hand fight with offensive linemen. Defensive backs need to work on speed and their ability to match up with receivers. Again, martial arts training and dancing (don’t laugh – the new rules forbid contact beyond five yards, knowing how to position yourself around a receiver is the same as hitting the dance floor with a partner).

If the players aren’t willing to put in the effort, then the result should be cut them and move on. I’d prefer to see players willing to work hard than talented players who are sitting on their talent and don’t think they need to improve.

I look at the NFL and I see the New England Patriots stay on top by turning over their roster and being imaginative and creative with how they train their players. There is no reason why the Riders can’t be the same, should be the same, by identifying good players, developing them and if necessary, making sure they have good jobs in the off-season or be willing to let them go to the NFL if necessary. If the Riders get a reputation for graduating players to the NFL, then we will be a magnet for players on the margins of the NFL who are looking to get exposure to get back to the show.

What happens in the last two games will be interesting but not necessarily important. The Riders need to see players in game action against teams with something to play for. If the players perform, they come back, if not, let them go. They need a GM willing to articulate a vision of excellence and how to get there and sustain it. They need a head coach who can achieve that and not let ego get in the way.

It’s a tall order, but having survived 1979-1980 with four wins over two years, I have to believe the Riders can pull themselves out of this. Otherwise we will be referring to this as the best of times…

So the BC Lions go to Toronto to keep their playoff hopes alive, and with Toronto being able to play their remaining home games is a plus, but apparently first place is no longer an option. The Lions took Hamilton apart and Toronto now can add an addled offense to go with a leaky defense. BC is more motivated for this game and I’d say this game clinches fourth in the west for them BC 26-22 over Toronto.

Why I am not surprised the horror show that is the Saskatchewan Roughriders plays on Halloween in Calgary? The Riders continue their efforts to develop an idea about the talent they have for next year and while there will be moments where they will look good, count on the Rider offense to suck at some point in the game and let the other team get back in. The Riders will be competitive, and that is the best they can say this year Calgary 28-21. Oh, I can’t get the promo for AMC’s fear fest with the diabolical laughter and will loop that a lot watching this disaster.

Ottawa goes to Hamilton and Ottawa is coming off a win in Winnipeg while Hamilton got mauled in BC. First place is likely on the line and I can’t shake how earlier Ottawa seemed to be a team ready to make a move, but regress. They are a second year team and that is why their record of balancing a win with a loss will likely come into play here. Hamilton 28-23.

Montreal goes to Edmonton and Montreal has to win this game just to stay alive in the hunt for a playoff berth. While everyone noted Edmonton’s comeback against Saskatchewan, it should be noted Edmonton did go down 21-3 to start the game off. If the Riders learned to tackle, the result could have been different. Montreal can tackle, but Edmonton has a chance to clinch first place – Edmonton 23-20.

by Riderville

Riders Succeed Again in Beating Hope out of Rider Fans

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