Friday Morning Challenge Flag
Fall is around the corner in Saskatchewan and each morning there is a crispness to the air, the frost will soon be showing on the morning grass, and the leaves will begin to change. All that is true for the weather outside, but for an inpatient Rider Nation autumn has been here for some time already. The fans are crispy, frosting and getting ready for change — and who can blame them, the last time their football team won a game was over two months ago. On July 19th, with starting QB Trevor Harris on the IR Shea Patterson led Roughriders to a win over the struggling Blue Bombers. Fast forward and gang in green are still in search of their 6th victory on the season and are winless their past 7 games. Tonight they visit a similarly struggling Calgary Stampeders team and while seemingly cliche the game today is a must win for the Riders. Calgary is not the team they have been in previous seasons and win allows them to somehow continue to control their own playoff destiny. A playoff berth being the only path forward to avoid the chilly winds of change burgeoning up within Rider Nation this fall.
B-Squad Along the DLine
The bye week came at an appropriate time for the Riders, there is no question that the team is banged up especially along the offensive line but not to be outdone the defensive line has been dealt an additional blow this week losing Malik Carney. There had been hope that some reinforcements would be coming back now that Anthony Lanier II has returned to practicing, however it continues to be next man up for this week. Pressure on the QB will be crucial tonight as the Calgary QBs have struggled with consistency and decision making down the field. The DLine needs to live in the backfield in cowtown and rush the Jake Maier or Logan Bonner into bad throws. Pressure causes mistakes and the Rider Defence could really benefit from some turnovers.
Trevor Harris needs to step up
Simply put Trevor Harris in the leader of this football team and while there is a lot that goes into success in CFL football at the end of the day Wins are the only stat that matter and the Saskatchewan Roughriders need one badly. The OLine is badly beat up, the Riders are onto a castaway for their 3rd starting Running Back, the receivers have lost the ability to consistently catch the football, and the play calling hasn’t always been to be desired. All of that is forgotten when you win. Trevor Harris and the Riders need a win, and now is the time to put your team on your back and get them that win. The leash shouldn’t be long either as if the offence isn’t going to follow Harris into the fire then it may be time to give Shea Patterson another look. Wins are the stats that matter and currently it’s Harris - 3, Patterson 2 — and the Roughriders need to find #6, that will come from the captain of the ship and if this ship is sinking if could be time for a new captain.
Corey Mace seeing Red
For the first time in the Corey Mace era, this week had him seeing red — not solely Stampeders red — but anger at the efforts of his own squad in practice. Twice he scolded his team about their efforts not being up to the standard, the second time Mace even pulled them completely off the field. Frustrations are mounting and the challenge was put down on the players to meet the standard of play or there will be consequences. Was the message received? It will be up to the players themselves to respond and they get an opportunity tonight @ 730 pm in Calgary. No doubt if there is the players and Corey Mace think they’ve felt any heat from Riderville another loss and things could begin to boil over.
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