Tuesday Morning 'Rider Blogging

After a few weeks of maddeningly bad luck, the Saskatchewan Roughriders desperately needed a win against B.C. to stay in the race for a top-two position in the West. And last Friday's victory signalled that the 'Riders can win in a game where the breaks mostly even out.

Yes, Saskatchewan benefited from three interceptions by Thomas DeMarco. But those seemed to be more a product of design than chance - and in fact reflected the breaks splitting evenly, as at least as many potential interceptions slipped through the hands of 'Rider defenders.

Of course, it's an open question whether the 'Riders can force that many dangerous passes from a more experienced quarterback in the playoffs. But the trade-deadline addition of Alex Hall to an already-ruthless pass rush means there's a strong chance that any opposing pivot will have to take some risks to get rid of the ball - meaning that a secondary which converts half of its opportunities should keep the turnover balance in Saskatchewan's favour.

Meanwhile, the 'Riders had a turnover of their own attributable to the Lions beating the odds, as Drew Willy was again stopped on a third-and-one gamble. And two more missed field goals by Chris Milo surely don't reflect the usual likelihood of success from one of the CFL's most accurate kickers.

But against B.C., Saskatchewan was able to complete enough of its drives to overcome those lost points - while the 'Riders defence only seems to be getting stronger as the season goes on.

Again, the hope for the rest of the season will be to develop to the point where Saskatchewan can overcome a bad break or two to beat an elite opponent. (And Kory Sheets' health may serve as the one unpredictable factor where the 'Riders have no room for error.) But particularly at the end of a four-game losing streak, it's enough for now to win an important divisional game without needing to rely too much on the luck of the draw.