Is this for real?
The CFL turned into the second half of its schedule with a few teams tottering on the abyss. Meanwhile others are looking around and like the Talking Heads are asking themselves…well, how did I get here?
The Saskatchewan Roughriders in second place was something few Rider fans would have thought possible a month ago, but three things seem to have led the Riders to this point. Besides the wins over Calgary, BC and Winnipeg – consider what happened when Zach Collaros has been able to do when healthy; how the Riders offensive line has suddenly become one of the league’s best; and how the departure of Duron Carter has seemingly led to a three game winning streak.
In the first half of the Riders-Bombers Labour Day clash, it seemed like the Bombers were on their way to ending the Riders streak and in the process rightening their ship which was listing to the left following implosions against Ottawa and Calgary. Bomber quarterback Matt Nichol, who was booed or not booed in the home loss against Ottawa, seemed to throw his receivers under the bus in the loss against Calgary and opened the Labour Day Classic with an interception that put the Riders on Winnipeg’s one yard line to start their drive.
After that Nichols used Andrew Harris to devastating effect and it seemed to some, OK. It may be just me, but I thought that Winnpeg was following what Ottawa tried a year ago against the Riders and then had William Powell run for a team record, only to choke in the fourth quarter because of either A) getting away from the game plan or B) the Riders made adjustments and Ottawa didn’t.