The Saskatchewan Roughriders came out victorious after a back to back series against the Hamilton TigerCats. Wahoo! 3-2! Here's how I see things:
1. The turning point of the game was when Brendan LaBatte was injured and returned to the game to gut it out in the trenches. What tremendous character, athleticism and leadership all wrapped up in one guy nicknamed Blue. I believe this one thing is what pulled the team together. At the same time, I don't want to hear about why the Riders only back up was Eddie Steele. Eddie Steele himself must be amazing to be able to play both ways even if it was only a short time. Sure there are depth problems on the offensive line but this one single storyline was the difference.
2. I am so exhausted of hearing about the so called quarterback carousel. We heard it from Glen Suitor and we hear it from all the sports media/pundits who by the way all counted us out in this game. The bottom line here is that one guy, whether it was Branden Bridge or David Watford, had to make a move to step forward and show that he wanted that spot. The reward? You play well and you get more playing time. You falter and out you come from the game. That seems pretty motivational to me. Not only that, but we also saw these two quarterbacks come together to help each other out. It wasn't that Chris Jones finally heard everyone complaining...no, it was that Air Canada was doing the right things and earned the time. You can pat yourselves on the back if you want for thinking Chris Jones finally saw the light but you will be very wrong because he doesn't care what you think and he doesn't care what I think. That's how a 4 Grey Cup winning coach operates and I applaud that.
3. The play calling is boring. Is it? The whole first half was a set up for what was going to happen in the second half. It became apparent to me in the end of the second quarter when the Riders kept running the ball and even instead of taking a knee on the last play, they ran once more. This whole scheme was to set up for the second half of the game when the Ticats were keying on the run and we were able to take to the air. The short throws from side to side are also to set up the run game. Football is like a chess game. If this one thing works then the next thing can work. Instead of calling out the offensive coach let's take a step back and think about these things. Play calling is one thing and execution of the play is another. In the game last night the Riders executed.
4. Torches and pitch forks. After the game when I took a cruise through the various fan pages I was surprised to see Ticats fans very upset with their team and coach. It's surprising to see people wanting Johnny Manziel in the game. Why? For a few weeks those of us in the west have viewed Masoli as the hottest quarterback in the league...that was until he played the Riders. What has Manziel proved? These same fans are the people who also didn't like what the Riders were doing with our quarterbacks. What do you want? Do you want the next guy when the starter isn't doing what you want? Do you want a guy to find a rhythm? You can't have it both ways. Be happy with what you do have. Ultimately, I think Hamilton's downfall was that they game planned for the team they played two weeks ago and not the refreshed and tuned in team that was coming in. That would explain why they tried a trick play...and, well, we know how that went for them.
5. Funny - no one is talking about Duron Carter this week. You remember him right? Bo Levi Mitchell's favourite receiver? Next week the Stampeders roll into Mosaic Stadium. They are without doubt the best team in the league right now. Bo Levi had a leg injury in Week 5 but has been named starter in their tilt against the Montreal Alouettes. Will Carter get a chance to pick him off again? We'll all have to wait to see! I'll be in my seat in section 126 as usual.
Thanks for reading as always. Don't forget to look for my Power "Groupings" at the end of each week and join us on ABC Rider Fans to continue the conversation!
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