Saskatchewan’s CFL franchise deserves all
the criticism it gets
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| QB Darian Durant calls a play in the huddle for the Roughriders. |
You have to think some Saskatchewan Roughriders fan
somewhere is getting the urge to throw his or her jersey on the field.
While I don’t condone that type of behaviour, all you have
to do is check social media lines and sports talk shows in Saskatchewan to feel
the frustration of Rider Nation. After Saturday’s 53-7 stinker of a loss to the
Tiger-Cats in Hamilton, it is getting harder and harder to see the light at the
end of the tunnel for the Roughriders, who fall to 1-7 on the season and are
6-29 in their last 35 outings in the regular season and playoffs.
A lot of TV viewers undoubtedly switched over from the game
telecast on TSN over to see the impressive and heartfelt final performance of
the Tragically Hip live from Kingston, Ont., on CBC. The iconic performance of
Hip frontman Gord Downie, who is battling terminal brain cancer, will ensure
the Roughriders performance will be forgotten for a short moment. The criticism
for the “Green and White” won’t stay at bay for long.
Outside of a handful of plays against the Tiger-Cats at Tim Hortons Field, the
Roughriders weren’t in Saturday’s game at all. The second half really felt like
it was mail it in time. You would like to see signs of improvement, but the team
just keeps regressing.
In the worlds of legendary former NFL head coach Bill
Parcells, “You are what your record says you are.”
Right now, the Roughriders are a very brutal CFL football team.
There have been a number of things that have been hard to
stomach, and a handful of them are as follows.
Release of Chick a huge mistake
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| John Chick signs autographs at Roughriders training camp in 2015. |
Chick was cut by the Roughriders back on Jan. 14. During his
time with the Roughriders, Chick became a fan favourite thanks to the
combination of his stellar play and the fact he was very active representing
the team in the community.
The 33-year-old product from Gillette, Wyoming, was with the
Roughriders from 2007 to 2009 and was a key cog in the club’s 2007 Grey Cup
championship win. After a stint in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts and
Jacksonville Jaguars, Chick rejoined the Roughriders in 2013 and helped them
win the Grey Cup later on that year on home turf at Mosaic Stadium. He remained
with the Roughriders until being released in January.
A day after releasing Chick, the Roughriders signed
defensive lineman Shawn Lemon as a free agent. Lemon helped the Calgary
Stampeders win the Grey Cup in 2014 and was a key member helping the second year
Ottawa Redblacks reach the Grey Cup last year. At age 27, he was also six years
younger than Chick, and a lot of people saw Lemon as Chick’s replacement.
Lemon played one regular season game with the Roughriders
and was traded to the Toronto Argonauts.
If you are going to bring in a younger player to replace an
established star, you better be sure the younger player stays with your team
longer than the established star does, if the star player signs with another
team.
Chick resurfaced with the Tigers-Cats and has 16 tackles,
seven sacks and two forced fumbles in eight games. He recorded two of his sacks
on Saturday against the Roughriders.
To make matters worse, the Roughriders defensive line has
struggled all season especially with getting pressure on the quarterback.
Departures of Dressler and Getzlaf also hurt
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| Chris Getzlaf signs an autograph for a young Roughriders fan in 2008. |
Dressler was released the same day Chick was and Getzlaf was
allowed to become a free agent after last season. Dressler, who turned 31 in
July, is currently on the six-game injured list with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Getzlaf, 33, signed with the Edmonton Eskimos.
The Roughriders have gotten good production from their
receivers for most of the season, but there is a feeling among the fans the
presence of Dressler and Getzlaf would result in more points. In Dressler’s
case, he is also an accomplished kick returner, and if he wasn’t going to be
used as a receiver, he is better than any returner the Roughriders currently
have on their roster.
Both Dressler and Getzlaf played with a lot of heart and
genuinely cared about the team and the fans. Without Dressler and Getzlaf, the
fans feel less connected to the team.
Roster fines were earned
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| Stamps QB Bo Levi Mitchell escapes the Roughriders rush. |
The CFL said the Roughriders were in violation of policies
that prohibit practice with ineligible players, having players participate in
practice who are on the six-game injured list and having free agents practise
with players who are under contract. The league’s investigation spanned over
several weeks.
Since those fines were announced, it seems like everyone has
chimed in with their thoughts.
The bottom line was the Roughriders were caught violating
the rules, and they paid for it. The whole situation also brought out Jones’
weakness on the personnel front.
After Jones came on board, it seems players have be coming
and going out of the Roughriders dressing room through a revolving door. At
some point in time, you need to stick with a group of players and run with
them. If you are shuffling guys on and off your roster, you can’t build any
chemistry on and off the field that is needed to win.
Roughriders fans got their backs up for a short time regarding a Twitter comment Calgary Stampeders quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell made about Saskatchewan’s roster situation a couple of days before the fines were announced. Mitchell’s words didn’t have a lasting impact as the losses mounted.
When the Stampeders beat the Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium 19-10 on Aug. 13, the hecklers weren't even that harsh to Mitchell.
Roughriders fans got their backs up for a short time regarding a Twitter comment Calgary Stampeders quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell made about Saskatchewan’s roster situation a couple of days before the fines were announced. Mitchell’s words didn’t have a lasting impact as the losses mounted.
When the Stampeders beat the Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium 19-10 on Aug. 13, the hecklers weren't even that harsh to Mitchell.
Defence is brutal
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| Members of the Roughriders suspect defence get ready for a play. |
Over eight games, the Roughriders have held their opponents
to under 30 points twice and under 20 points just once. If you are looking for
you offence to score over 40 points a game to win in the CFL, you are in a lot
of trouble.
Against the Tiger-Cats on Saturday, the Roughriders allowed
421 yards through the air and 88 yards along the ground. You might think the
rushing defence would be a strong point, but the CFL has been more of a passing
league than normal this season.
The Roughriders have been giving up huge amounts of yards
through the air all season comparable to the yards given up to the Tiger-Cats.
Besides the fact their defensive line has struggled, there are times when the
receivers from the opposing team have been wide open to the point you can’t see
a Roughriders defensive back anywhere.
Jones built a reputation as being an outstanding defensive
coordinator in the CFL with the Calgary Stampeders and Toronto Argonauts before
becoming a head coach first with the Eskimos and now with the Roughriders. When
you become a head coach, it is never a good sign when the side of the ball that
is your specialty is not getting the job done.
Can the Roughriders break their funk?
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| Roughriders QB Darian Durant stays cool under pressure. |
While star quarterback Darian Durant had a rough outing against
the Tiger-Cats throwing his first four interceptions of the season, he gives
the Roughriders a chance to win every time he steps on the field. His composure
was evident on Saturday even when things went downhill.
Unfortunately, losing has become a habit for this team, and
as anyone can see over the Roughriders last 35 games in the regular season and
playoffs, losing is a hard habit to break.
The Roughriders travel to Edmonton on Friday to take on the
defending Grey Cup champion Eskimos (4-4), who appear to be getting on track
after two-straight wins.
For the moment, it seems like things are going to get worse
before they get better.
If you have any
comments about this blog post, feel free to email them to
stankssports@gmail.com.
