Chris Jones Bringing in Jon Ryan

To no one’s surprise, Dolegala could not move the team until late in the half, when he had a better idea of what to expect. The Riders needed their defense to win this game and to have their special teams show up to contribute.

The Argos did everything they could to hand the game over to the Riders, including fumbles, interceptions and turning the ball over on third down. They also tried a 61-yard field goal that was returned by Mario Alford for a 113-yard touchdown return just before half time for a 15-11 lead.

Where I was shocked was seeing the first half stats where Toronto had 300 yards total offense to the Riders less than 100 yards offense. If the Riders could not get their offense going, their defense was going to be worn down on the field.

There was a moment in the fourth quarter when it seemed Charleston Hughes would have scored a touchdown after recovering an errant McLeod Bethel Thomspon snap for a touchdown that was disallowed for being batted forward rather than kicked forward in the goofiest interpretation of forward pass I have seen applied on the field.

Instead, the Riders were held to a field goal and the effect of injuries, suspensions and Covid took its’ toll as Andrew Harris showed his performance enhancing regimen paying by becoming the first Canadian to rush for more than 10,00 yards. The Riders could not make a tackle to save the game.

You could say it was ironic that Alford, who lit the stadium ablaze with his touchdown return at the end of the first half then fumbled a kickoff return at the end of the fourth quarter to give Toronto the touchdown that clinched the game for them.

The Riders are now 4-3, looking battered in social media circles for their play although their penalty situation was much better against Toronto this game. Cody Fajardo has been diagnosed with an MCL injury that will not keep him out against BC on Friday night but will limit what he can do.

The Riders are trying some new things out with their offensive line, seeing which combinations may work better. The inability of the offensive line to open holes for the running game against Toronto is concerning, and the question the coaches must ask is whether the players are not capable or whether it is the coaching that is not helping them be as efficient as they should be.

Fajardo will get Williams back in the receiving corps, but the offensive line will bear some watching as apparently Covid moves through their ranks and the defensive secondary. A few of the new receivers have shown some good things and how the pieces fit together will make for an interesting show.

The defense should be better with the addition of A.C. Leonard and Nick Marshall, although the way Bo Lokombo got beaten deep does not inspire confidence in the Riders pass defense. Lokombo though is a rookie player and rookies learn from their mistakes or they get cut so lets’ see what Lokombo is made on in this game.

Last week I should have been playing horseshoes in seeing Montreal beat Ottawa 40-33, BC beating Hamilton 17-12 and Winnipeg beating Edmonton 24-10 to remain undefeated.

Montreal had Trevor Harris riddle his former team but the question mark with Montreal is going to be consistency. Khari Jones, who was the former Montreal coach now hired by Hamilton to be an “advisor” pointed out the lack of discipline laid on his doorstep as the reason to be let go has continued under new leadership.

Ottawa, despite losing their starting quarterback, is competitive, and while a coaching change is usually prescribed by nervous owners, the players have not seemed to have given up on the team and Paul La Police should get a full season before a decision is made.

BC and Hamilton was a snooze fest with Hamilton’s inability to generate offense forcing the team to go to Jones and signal to offensive coordinator Tommy Condell that he better get an idea of how to get Dane Evans into the end zone or else someone else will try.

I am guessing Stoney Mountain Penitentiary served pepper steak following the Bombers win over Edmonton to the hungry Bomber fans. While the Bomber fans get defensive when you talk about injuries, etc., the Bombers have not had as many major injuries as other teams, but you get the sense that it is a matter of time and luck before they get hit.

Let me put it this way, if the Bombers lose Zach Collaros, who was underwhelming against Edmonton, there is no way the Bombers look any better on offense. One must balance this out against the Bombers getting inside the heads of their opponents much as the Bombers have gotten into the heads of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

This week Montreal goes to Hamilton, and you must wonder what nuggets of information Jones will provide his new employer about his old team. Montreal and Hamilton have allowed 17 and 19 sacks respectively, both rank at the bottom when it comes to time of possession while Montreal has 15 sacks and Hamilton only 10.

The numbers to watch are the turnovers. Hamilton ranks last in turnover ratio with –13 turnovers while losing 9 fumbles, worst in the CFL. A fair amount come from the hands of quarterback Dane Evans and it would be nice, but foolish, to think Jones can cure that in one week of work.

It should be a close game when you factor into Montreal’s penalty issues and Hamilton not having a running game. Jones helps gives some hints to his new bosses in Hamilton, but Montreal should win this 33-17.

Friday night has BC coming to Saskatchewan and BC has been proving it can win the ugly games like their win against Hamilton. BC has a bit of an advantage with their offense and the fact the Riders have a quarterback playing on one leg.

I would say BC should win this game, but there are too many unknowns at this time like what will the Rider offensive line look like, who suits up on the defensive line and secondary. The Riders have the makings of being a good team despite themselves and if the discipline they showed against Toronto carries on against BC, they should be able to run more against BC while hopefully defending the long ball better than they did against Toronto. Riders win this one 21-17.

The Riders will have to get momentum because Edmonton brought in the Pope this past week but also traded for punter Jon Ryan. Ryan kicks deep and had problems kicking for field position, but Ryan was also a high school quarterback and receiver in university and therefore fits Chris Jones’s definition of a multi-talented football player. Edmonton is getting better and as Jones tinkers with his roster, he is looking for a competitive race for fourth and a crossover spot.

The game of the week is the rematch of Winnipeg and Calgary, this time in the cow town. It is only a matter of time before Winnipeg loses and you would think this would be the week, but news of a Covid outbreak in the Stampeder locker room makes one think the Stamps will be short-handed for this game and the Bombers have more of their core players around to ensure what Bomber fans would call a character win and proof they are truly three-time Grey Cup champions. Winnipeg wins 24-21

Finally, we have Ottawa at Toronto and as a nation yawns it will be interesting to see if the whiney Toronto Argos feel emboldened from their sweep of the Riders. The Argos seem to have discovered the secret is keeping Andrew Harris running through the other team, especially in the fourth quarter, and if Toronto can keep from turning the ball over to Ottawa, they might be able to win.

I am not going to go that route because Toronto has their own discipline problems and after two emotional games against the Riders, I think the Argos are fat and sassy on top of the east and ripe for an Ottawa 33-31 upset.

Hughes walks off after TD he scored is called back

Dolegala Tries to Score Against Toronto

Reinn Sings National Anthem Before Toronto

Dolegala Runs for First Touchdown

by Greg Urbanoski

Chris Jones Bringing in Jon Ryan

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