By Greg Urbanoski

Riderville

Second place on the line on Saturday!

Nov 10, 2021 | 9:45 AM

Usually at this time the CFL season is prepping for the western and eastern semi-finals but in this Covid season, we still have more games and if you are the Edmonton Chronic Wasters, you a week from hell coming up.

The Riders 19-17 win over the Chronic Wasters was closer than it had to be and has raised the blood pressure of Rider fans everywhere who were expecting Edmonton to roll over and play dead when the Riders came to town. The problem with that is Edmonton has played the Riders pretty tight over the years. A Does anyone remember the last two games of 2019 when the Riders got a walk off field goal to win in Edmonton and a last minute pick six to clinch first?

The other problem with assuming the Riders would lay waste to Edmonton is that the Riders offensive line is probably a year away from being good. Edmonton has a pretty good defensive line and the truth of the matter is the only way the Rider offensive line will get better is with more experience.

Until that happens, the Riders have to get rid of the ball quickly before the opposing defense falls on Cody Fajardo like Donald Trump at Putin’s buffet table. Ideally they would run the ball more, use more play action, but as soon as I wrote that, I wonder if the Rider offensive line is capable of consistently teeing off on opposing defenses.

The problem is not just the offensive line, the offense has also suffered with receivers being in and out with injuries, notably Shaq Evans, Jordan Williams-Lambert and now Kyran Moore, the Riders have had to look to their Canadian receivers to step forward and some have, some have not. Unlike 2019 when Fajardo had a pretty consistent receiving corps and an adequate offensive line, now he has to get used to not just getting the ball away quickly, but trusting receivers who may or may not warrant it.

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Fajardo did not help himself by throwing his receiving corps under the bus a few weeks ago. Yes, he did apologize but those of us who remember Ron Lancaster know he took all the responsibility onto himself for the performance of the offense.

With people saying Fajardo is a one year wonder, well, yeah, if you compare him to guys like Jon Jennings and Casey Printers who burst onto the scene like a super nova and then burned out shortly afterwards that may seem apt, but consider this.

The second year as a starter was bound to be tougher on Fajardo because teams now have film on him and can chart his tendencies like how he likes to scramble. Where Fajardo and offensive coordinator Jason Maas have to come together is how to up their game to better use the offensive pieces they have while keeping in mind they will not be able to do everything they want until the offensive line gets more experience.

The good news is the Riders are in second place, mostly due to their defense. In the last two games, the number of stupid penalties taken by the Riders has apparently abated but the offense has the look of a pub appetizers menu – lots of stuff for many people but not very filling.

The Riders wrap up their season against Hamilton next week and the Edmonton and Hamilton games will be good to gauge the ability of the Riders to handle first Calgary in the western semi-final and then the Bombers in the Western final.

I am not feeling as bad about our prospects against Calgary as I was three weeks ago. The Stamps have five to six players who are not vaccinated and will not be allowed to go on the road with the team because to fly, you need to be vaccinated.

So Calgary will not be coming in with their best possible unit which could work well for the Riders or not. The Stamps do a good job finding players so finding new players with not much film may work against the Riders who might be unfamiliar with how these players fit in.

But, and this is a big but, if the Riders can be physical with Calgary and dictate what kind of game will be played here, they will win. If the Riders allow Calgary to take an early lead and you can bet that will be the first play for Calgary, then I wonder if the Riders have the confidence to stay in the game and find a way to win.

The key will be finding a consistent running game. In November, the focus usually shifts to the running game because of the cold and various field conditions. If the Riders can get William Powell into a consistent running game and who knows, maybe find a complementary running back to switch off, the Riders can get the confidence their offensive line needs by constantly beating up their defensive line.

If the Riders are to beat Winnipeg, they will need a ball control offense, a defense that confuses Zach Collaros and a kicking game that can hem Winnipeg deep. There are just too many intangibles from now to then to ponder, such as injuries, weather conditions and whatever else pops up.

Winnipeg will likely bring their starters out for their next game against Montreal just to crush Montreal’s spirit and set Winnipeg up as the odds on favorite for the Grey Cup. For Winnipeg’s last game, I would think they will freely rotate to get reps to their backups because that may come in handy in case someone goes down.

The Riders have managed to stay in the first half against Winnipeg, but when it comes to the fourth quarter, Winnipeg has found a way to turn the screws on opposing teams and win. The result is Winnipeg is like a bully who has shaken down all the kids in the schoolyard for lunch money and now has nothing better to do.

There is the possibility that Winnipeg will be hit by some injuries, but other than poking a Bomber mascot with a needle in some voodoo ritual, the Riders have to show they have the character and determination to finally get the Winnipeg monkey off their backs.

The Riders cannot go to the western final and think all they have to do is show up and they will make it to the Grey Cup. The Riders have to demonstrate some sort of killer instinct, and they need it on offense right away. The defense has been pretty good except for some busted coverages, so the offense now has to do its share.

In the meantime there are games to be played…

Ah, Hamilton versus the Toronto School for Wayward Boys. Well, Hamilton kind of lucked out that BC sucks so badly that Hamilton can finish anywhere from first to third. Hamilton kept the band together for a year longer than necessary and age and degradation of skills is kicking in. Toronto barely survived BC, so that is not a vote of confidence in this Covid -19 world we live in, and so Hamilton will emerge with a hard fought 24-20 win.

Calgary at BC – Well, the clock is ticking on the Stumps but at least they should clinch a playoff berth by getting off the bus. BC’s inconsistency makes life interesting but Calgary should have enough to roll into BC Place, and enough left over then to hit a few strip clubs on their way out of town. The Stamps brought back Reggie Begelton at receiver and with any luck he has been vaccinated so Bo Levi has someone to throw to that he knows. Calgary 21-BC 20.

Winnipeg at Montreal. Well I have to admit Montreal served noticed they can stand with Winnipeg and if the Bombers get as fat and sassy as their fans, they will suffer at some point. If you have a strong running game you have a shot at beating the Boobers. Mind you with a record of 10-1, there is not much for the Bombers to prove other than “Abandon Hope all ye who Enter Dollarama Field”. The St. Catherine’s Street factor may come into play, but I suspect either Winnipeg or Montreal to start playing backups and I think Winnipeg may be better rounded and winning with a 25-19 score.

Edmonton at Saskatchewan. The Riders have fallen back into their tendency to play down to the level of their opponents. If the Riders had to work to best the Edmonton Chronic Wasters by 19-17, what will happen this week? Well, as the Riders desperately try to get their running game going in time for the playoffs they should beat the Chronic Wasters 24 – 20 because hey, the Riders like to keep it close for the ratings!