Another year, another close call in the Grey Cup as the Saskatchewan Roughriders fell three points short of the Alouettes yesterday. But the good news is that there are obvious areas where the team can improve for next season without affecting its overall game plan.
Indeed, one of the 'Riders' trouble spots for most of this season looks to have turned into a late-season strength - and promises to get all the better going into next year. For much of 2010, the team had trouble getting to opposing quarterbacks even in Gary Etcheverry's high-pressure system. But in the last few games, Jerrell Freeman's emergence and Brent Hawkins' return has gave the team the push it needed to frustrate even the league's top two veteran quarterbacks. And if Keith Shologan's playoff results hold up and Shomari Williams can improve from his rookie-season difficulties, the 'Riders may be back to having one of the league's top pass-rushing units from the start of 2011.
And indeed based on yesterday's game, there doesn't seem to be much missing from Saskatchewan's defence. The 'Riders clamped down on Avon Cobourne in addition to giving Anthony Calvillo fits for most of the game - and their biggest early-game weakness (tackling bigger receivers like Jamel Richardson and S.J. Green after a catch) was thoroughly fixed by the end.
Unfortunately, while the defence put the 'Riders in a position to win, the offence couldn't get the job done. And while it's tough to blame Darian Durant for his interception which effectively ended the game, there's a bit more reason for concern about the offence's weak production through the middle of the game when it had a chance to build on the 'Riders' only lead.
After all, the 'Riders actually deployed a better ground attack than they had in ages - which in theory should open up opportunities for Durant. But the passing attack didn't land a single deep play all game (the big gainers to Jason Clermont, Cary Koch and Andy Fantuz were all on catch-and-run plays), and was inconsistent at best on short- and mid-range routes. And that kept the 'Riders from either building an advantage, or taking back the game at the end.
But that looks to be more an issue of execution than personnel. So aside from maybe looking at making the line a bit more athletic for next season and working Jordan Sisco into a seven-receiver rotation, I'd doubt the 'Riders will want to make any big changes from a unit that showed the ability to dominate at times.
Meanwhile, the 'Riders' special teams had about as good a game as could have been expected. Yes, Montreal converted on a fake punt - but that was due to a missed tackle by Hawkins in a one-on-one matchup, not a problem with the coverage scheme. And the return games were close enough to even that there isn't much reason for concern.
That said, it's worth noting that while the special teams mostly executed what they were asked to do, the 'Riders' loss can be traced to limitations in the coaches' confidence. Before the Calgary game, one of my observations was that a lack of confidence in a team's kicking game can be huge when every point counts. And yesterday, the 'Riders punted on third downs from the Montreal 38 and 41 - leading to one point on the board, and five missing from what the team could have posted with a successful field goal unit.
Of course, kicks from that distance aren't gimmes for anybody in the CFL - as Damon Duval showed with his two misses. And even if Luca Congi hadn't been hurt, the 'Riders' normal kicker wouldn't figure to be a lock from those distances.
But it can't escape notice that despite using two roster spots on kickers including an import, the 'Riders didn't have enough confidence to even try a field goal from 45 yards. (Which might not have been the case if they'd jumped on, say, Justin Medlock when he was available.) And the points most certainly would have come in handy at the end.
The good news is that once the disappointment from yesterday wears off, there's plenty to look forward to for the 'Riders going into 2011. But it's always frustrating to fall just short, especially when that's due at least in part to problems which may well have been within the team's control. And hopefully the team will learn from its roster construction issues to take full advantage of another chance next year.
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