Riders are the most entertaining team in the CFL

It was probably a bit unrealistic for Rider fans to expect Harris to throw for another 400 yards and eviscerate the Calgary, uh, Skip The Dishes Delivery Guys judging from their jerseys. The Riders were welcoming the return of two American tackles on the offensive line that were supposed to make the team more physical and tougher to stop.

This worked for less than a quarter as Jerald Hawkins went out with an injury, likely gone for the season, and the Riders had to jury rig their offensive line to try to keep quarterback Trevor Harris upright.

The changes on the offensive line did lead to three Calgary sacks in the first half, notable because Calgary had not recorded any sacks in their first two games. However, the Riders did unleash Jamal Morrow on the ground for 133 yards.

It was a sloppy first half that turned entertaining in the second as the Riders surged ahead, then to clinch the game in the fourth quarter, came up short on a third and short. Calgary drove to kick a field goal to force overtime where Calgary QB Jake Maier forced a ball in the second overtime session resulting in a game winning interception by Nick Marshall.

Afterwards people were complaining about the decision to go for the first down instead of kicking a field goal to extend the lead to six points. They were also complaining about Brent Lauther missing a field goal and convert that if made, would have made overtime a non-issue.

Having rewatched the game, and I recommend doing that to take the emotion out of it, let’s go with Lauther first.

I took in a practice before the game where Lauther was kicking all kinds of field goals and was working on the timing with long snapper Jorgen Hus and holder Adam Korsak, who is kicking the lights out of the ball as the punter. The conditions in Calgary were tricky with the wind which also helped Korsak boot a 65yard single.

For everyone demanding the Riders bring in a new kicker to keep Lauther sharp, I would wait until game six so the Riders have a chance to develop their timing on special teams.

Korsak is going to be an amazing kicker, so if Lauther misses a field goal or convert for the next game or so, but Korsak averages more than 50 yards a punt, that is a trade off I would be happy with.

Rider Head Coach Craig Dickenson has been taking heat for his game decisions, like going for the first time on the final drive of the fourth quarter. A field goal would still have left time for Calgary to get a touchdown, although if the Riders had gotten a touchdown, there would have been no overtime.

The Riders adjusting their offensive line with Hawkins injury were fortunate to be physical enough to help Morrow get 133 yards rushing. However, the adjustments meant not everything would work smoothly, and if you look at it that way, then Craig Dickenson was playing the percentages by going for it and was giving the offense an opportunity to establish themselves as a physical unit like the Stony Mountain Bombers.

The offensive line is not there yet, but the offensive line and the quarterback was much improved over last year. The thing that kind of nagged at me after the game was where was the defensive line?

The Riders did put pressure on Maier, sometimes through the blitz, and the run defense was OK, but the Riders could have had a better game rushing the quarterback.

So, with a week off, the Riders can sit back and see what happens elsewhere before they return to action against the Edmonton Elk, or chronic losers.

The Riders may be upset about the rash of injuries they have endured, but Calgary has lost their two receivers, Reggie Beggleton for six games and now it appears Malik Henry is gone for the season. Expect Calgary to focus on their running game and try to find some receivers to help the dink and dunk style being used by Maier.

The BC Lions scratched the hell out of the Stony Mountain Bombers 30-6 in Winnipeg, a game that feline lovers across the world celebrated. The Lions were noted for their young active defense, but they managed to shut down Winnipeg’s offense and Vernon Adams Jr. had a statement game with a touchdown just before half time to extend the Lions lead and allow them to cruise to the win.

The Lions demonstrated yet again why they let Shawn Lemon go from their defensive line because the group they have now is young, fast and probably cheaper than Lemon. Adams for his part has a reputation for being hot and cold, but fortunately for the Lions, he was hot and after three games, I would think the leading head coach candidates would be Ryan Phillips, the BC defensive coordinator, and Jordan Maksymic, the offensive coordinator.

Last year Maksymic helped Nathan Rourke have a breakout season that almost resulted in a Grey Cup appearance, and this year with the way Adams has played, Maksynmic has proved he can coach a variety of quarterbacks.

BC goes to Toronto this week and we will talk about the game in a bit, but BC is definitely for real.

I thought BC would beat Winnipeg due to the Bombers appearing to rely on their veteran core to bail them out of any situation. I don’t think Winnipeg truly appreciated how good BC is and Winnipeg’s offense and defense both looked tired against BC,

The thing to avoid is jumping to the conclusion that Winnipeg is about to implode like a billionaire’s sub going down to the Titanic wreck. Winnipeg and their fans have been spoiled the last three years and they are learning the rest of the league is catching up.

I don’t think complacency is the enemy in Stony Mountain Penitentiary, what the Bombers have to be wary about is experiencing a run of injuries being seen in Calgary or Saskatchewan. If the Bombers get hit with a streak of injuries, and they tend to happen in streaks, then the Bombers will have to fight to be competitive in the west.

Montreal went to Hamilton and handed Hamilton their third straight loss,38-12, this time without Bo Levi Mitchell, although Hamilton was more productive with Mathew Shiltz at quarterback.

Hamilton is starting to resemble the Riders of last season, who were trying to play in the Grey Cup they are hosting, and Hamilton’s run in free agency and their trade for Mitchell was supposed to be the cherry to make Bob Young finally a Grey Cup Champ.

What has emerged is an over-paid underproducing group that seems to feel they are entitled to be in the Grey Cup game. That isn’t the way to win a Grey Cup and with Mitchell and his shoulder on the six game injury list, Hamilton should sink out of contention for a playoff spot by Labor Day.

Montreal is an interesting team because with a new coach and a quarterback who could only master the spin move in getting away from the rush in Cody Fajardo, no one was expecting much from them this year.

Fajardo has a chip on his shoulder and even when getting sacked in Montreal, he seems to have an easier first read which for Fajardo is the only way to succeed. Now if teams can focus in on how Montreal is doing this and counter it, Fajardo could well sink in the rest of the season, but he is playing like a man who has something to prove.

Which brings to mind a conversation I had with James Kennedy, a Bomber fan, in the Rider store before the season started. I suddenly had the thought that the worst case scenario for Rider fans would be for Cody Fajardo to lead Montreal to the Grey Cup.

Which is entirely possible with Fajardo in the east. Montreal has a good defense and will William Stanback running the ball and Austin Mack catching everything Fajardo can throw at him, Montreal will be capable of surprising people, and if they beat up on Hamilton and Ottawa, they will make the playoffs.

Toronto continued the ritual humiliation of the Edmonton Elk who are trying to match the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for longest home losing streak in pro football with a 43-31 win.

The game was a microcosm of Chris Jones’ experience in Riderville as the head man with a decent defense, but an offense that spins the quarterbacks like some kind of carnival sideshow.

Cornelius Taylor, named for not one, but two characters in Planet of the Apes, was pulled for Kai Locksley who was cut after the name. Jarret Doege finished the game and may even start the next game.

If the name Doege rings a bell, he is the brother of former Rider back up QB Seth Doege, whose jersey I once had. However, the Elk are attempting to talk to BC about a trade for back up quarterback Dane Evans, who did start in Hamilton last year, but while accurate, did not manage to do much, but that is more than what is being seen in Edmonton.

There has been discussion about whether Chris Jones will be let go, and perhaps depending on how his contract is structured (he is in the second of a four year deal) the Elk might be able to get out from under that, but Jones wears so many hats, from GM to defensive coordinator, that the Elk may not have the people ready to step in and assume those roles should they decide to let Jones go.

If you use Jones’ experience in Saskatchewan as a guide, the time to assess the Elk will be game six or seven when if the Elk are lucky, they will be able to get some consistency offensively.

Which may or may not come this week when Edmonton goes to Ottawa, Ottawa is coming off a break and is also winless and has concluded that a raffle amongst fans to replace Jeremiah Masoli may pay off more than having Nick Arbuckle take the snaps.

Edmonton with their revolving door at quarterback is not a recipe for consistency and relying on their defense will pay off eventually, but Ottawa also has a defense that may be ideal to put pressure on whoever the Elk line-up behind center.

The Elk have more a quarterback than Ottawa does, or does not, but the Elk are also coming off a short week and when a team with a week off meets a team with a short week of prep, go with the team that has had the longer time off, regardless of their talent.

If you have trouble sleeping, tune into this game. Ottawa should win 20-19 on a missed field goal.

Fortunately there are two other games that will be very interesting.

The Stony Mountain Bombers go to Montreal to visit the latest in modern dance facilities and this will be the first team that Montreal has played that has actually won a game this year.

On paper you have to like Winnipeg especially with Fajardo quarterbacking because Bomber fans will remember Fajardo hitting the upright with a pass in a western final a few years ago.

Winnipeg has owned Fajardo, or so it seems, but here is where the question of whether it was Fajardo or the Saskatchewan offensive line that allowed the Bombers to treat the Riders like a prison shower.

Fajardo has on paper been much better than he was in Riderville, a better supporting cast and lessened expectations probably helps, and while the Bombers look forward to renewing acquaintances with Fajardo, he may not be the guy they remember chasing around Incestuous Field in Winnipeg.

BC showed if you have a defensive line that is fast and can put pressure on Zach Collaros, the Bombers can be beat. Montreal has that defensive line and much like BC did last week, Montreal has the element of surprise on their side.

Montreal wins this one 29-22.

Finally we have what might be a Grey Cup preview with BC going to Toronto. The Lions have set the bar in the west with their win over the Bombers while the Argos would seem to have only Montreal standing between them and first place.

It is hard to rate Chad Kelly after two games and I would suggest this is a fool’s errand to do so until after the season. Kelly does tend to force some throws and while he does have good legs, he is also on learning curve and I think BC defensive coordinator Ryan Phillips is doing a better job than Chris Jones in Edmonton.

BC offensively seems to be avoiding the highs and lows fans have become accustomed to experiencing with Vernon Adams Jr. and with their defense, BC does not have to shoot out the lights to be competitive.

Expect a defensive struggle and probably an entertaining one with BC eking out a 24-22 win to solidify their hold on first in the west.

by Greg Urbanoski

Riders are the most entertaining team in the CFL

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