No, the Saskatchewan Roughriders shouldn't try to plan to win games the way they did today. But while the 'Riders left plenty of room for improvement, they also showed some positive signs beyond what we've seen so far in 2012.
At the top of that list was of course the play of Drew Willy, the 'Riders' backup quarterback who managed to lead the team to just enough offence to win in his first substantial playing time as more than a short-yardage or developmental player.
Within his first couple of series at the helm, Willy showed that he'd already figured out some lessons that younger quarterbacks all too often take plenty of time to learn - showing enough poise under pressure to find running backs with well-timed screens, to attack the line of scrimmage himself for positive yardage, or to back up to buy enough time to find an open receiver.
Naturally, the Bombers' defence was able to adjust to those strategies over the course of the game. And that's where Willy's surprisingly gaudy passing numbers don't tell the whole story: while a veteran quarterback Darian Durant might have picked up several more incompletions by getting rid of the ball when no positive play was available, the fact that Willy instead took multiple high-yardage sacks trying to back out of trouble didn't exactly serve his team better than the alternative. (Also, a good number of Willy's passing yards were the result of after-catch wizardry by Kory Sheets.)
Ultimately, Willy will need to become more comfortable throwing the ball quickly rather than giving ground waiting for openings that don't materialize. But the 'Riders should be more comfortable relying on Willy when needed than might have been the case before today's performance.
Meanwhile, the 'Riders' defence may not have held the Bombers scoreless again, but its latest performance wasn't much less impressive than that from the previous week. In particular, the secondary did a fine job against some of the CFL's toughest receivers, with both Chris McKenzie and Terrell Maze winning plenty of one-on-one battles when matched against Terrence Edwards and Chris Matthews.
If there's any point which calls for some attention in the coming weeks, it's an uncharacteristically-weak performance on special teams - including a return touchdown by Demond Washington and a mediocre return game centred on Jock Sanders' zig-zagging (though he more than made up for it with his contributions on offence).
But for today, the 'Riders were just barely able to make up for that rare gap with a stout defence and short-handed offence. And that should bode well for the team's chances once it's back to full strength.
Showing posts with label chris mckenzie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chris mckenzie. Show all posts
Sunday, September 09, 2012
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Sunday Morning 'Rider Blogging
As important as it was for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, yesterday's win over Toronto should put to rest a few of the theories about how a change in coaching and strategy has dramatically changed the team.
No, the move to have Darian Durant call his own plays didn't stop the 'Riders from going into exactly the same kind of offensive funk that was all too common earlier in the season. And no, Ken Miller's coaching hasn't ensured that the 'Riders will be ready to take control of each game from the first series - as for a second game in a row, they allowed their opponents to take an early lead.
But the difference now is that the 'Riders were able to come back from those obstacles to win their third game in a row. And while most of the elements of the win (a streaky quick-strike offence, a defence that gave up a fair amount of yardage but held the 'Riders' opponents to field goals) have been common to the team under both of its head coaches this season, it's the end result that matters most for a team that's now back in the thick of the West race.
Mind you, there is one aspect of the team's preparation and coaching which deserves some mention.
All too often, the tendency for any football team with a late-game lead is to go into prevent mode - calling off the pass rush and playing to avoid mistakes rather than to make big plays. And it's exactly that tendency on the part of opponents that's allowed the 'Riders to make the score respectable in so many of their early-season losses.
In yesterday's game, even a slight move in that direction may have allowed the Argos to get back in the game after Saskatchewan took its 23-20 lead. But instead, the 'Riders forced a fumble with a strong pass rush on the Argos' first series. And they then sealed the game on Chris McKenzie's interception return for a touchdown.
Which means that while the 'Riders left more to chance than would have been ideal yesterday, they were willing to take the risks necessary to make the game less of a nail-biter than it might have been. And that confidence in the defence to make big plays when it counts should pay off as the 'Riders face a series of division rivals in the weeks to come.
No, the move to have Darian Durant call his own plays didn't stop the 'Riders from going into exactly the same kind of offensive funk that was all too common earlier in the season. And no, Ken Miller's coaching hasn't ensured that the 'Riders will be ready to take control of each game from the first series - as for a second game in a row, they allowed their opponents to take an early lead.
But the difference now is that the 'Riders were able to come back from those obstacles to win their third game in a row. And while most of the elements of the win (a streaky quick-strike offence, a defence that gave up a fair amount of yardage but held the 'Riders' opponents to field goals) have been common to the team under both of its head coaches this season, it's the end result that matters most for a team that's now back in the thick of the West race.
Mind you, there is one aspect of the team's preparation and coaching which deserves some mention.
All too often, the tendency for any football team with a late-game lead is to go into prevent mode - calling off the pass rush and playing to avoid mistakes rather than to make big plays. And it's exactly that tendency on the part of opponents that's allowed the 'Riders to make the score respectable in so many of their early-season losses.
In yesterday's game, even a slight move in that direction may have allowed the Argos to get back in the game after Saskatchewan took its 23-20 lead. But instead, the 'Riders forced a fumble with a strong pass rush on the Argos' first series. And they then sealed the game on Chris McKenzie's interception return for a touchdown.
Which means that while the 'Riders left more to chance than would have been ideal yesterday, they were willing to take the risks necessary to make the game less of a nail-biter than it might have been. And that confidence in the defence to make big plays when it counts should pay off as the 'Riders face a series of division rivals in the weeks to come.
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Sunday Morning 'Rider Blogging - Saskatchewan Free Agents
With the most significant decision of the 'Riders' offseason apparently having been made already, the next order of business for the team will presumably be to make the best possible use of the CFL's free agent list. So let's use the same classifications as last year to take a look at the 'Riders' list of remaining free agents.*
Must-Signs
C Jeremy O'Day - He remained the 'Riders' Most Oustanding Offensive Lineman in 2010, so the team figures to be plenty happy with his production on the field. And with the 'Riders having traded Jonathan St. Pierre (seemingly O'Day's heir at centre) last season, he should have the chance to anchor the 'Riders' line as long as he wants to.
DB Lance Frazier - Along with James Patrick, one of two current 'Rider defensive backs who combines the veteran savvy to know when to take risks with the athleticism to take advantage when the opportunity arises.
DB Chris McKenzie - With any luck, the next to join the same group. The one caveat in re-signing both Frazier and McKenzie is that it would once again leave the 'Riders fairly small at the halfback position - but there's one intriguing possibility to remedy that once the rest of the league's free agents hit the market.
Worth Bringing Back
OL Gene Makowsky - Not classified as a "must" due to the fact that he's hinted that he may decide to hang up the cleats. But from the 'Riders' standpoint, Makowsky's versatility and experience make him well worth bringing back if he wants to play football in 2011.
T Joel Bell - Again, more a matter of whether he wants to return than whether the 'Riders would choose to sign him. Bell's size and athleticism would seem to give him a chance to catch on in the NFL - though naturally Saskatchewan would prefer to see him settle in as a fixture on the 'Riders' line for years to come.
LB Sean Lucas - Might find another team willing to overpay for his tackle totals from an outside linebacker position - and if so the 'Riders have plenty of replacements waiting in the wings. But as long as the price is right, he's worth keeping around for his combination of tackling and coverage skills.
LB/DB Daniel Francis - If Lucas does go elsewhere, Francis should take advantage of the opening. If not, then Francis will get to choose whether to wait for an opportunity in Saskatchewan or look elsewhere.
LB Kye Stewart - Another piece of the 'Riders' depth at linebacker who figures to be looking for a starting job if one is available.
LB/DL Kitwana Jones - Jones' future may depend on the 'Riders' second wave of coaching choices over the next few weeks. In a Gary Etcheverry scheme which relies on speed and misdirection rather than size, he's an extremely valuable player. But if Richie Hall is put back in charge of a more traditional defence, Jones may no longer be a fit for the 'Riders.
Probably Looking Elsewhere
FB Neal Hughes - He's getting less chances to play offensively than he did a couple of seasons ago, and his window to replace Chris Szarka as the 'Riders' top fullback looks to be closing as Szarka hangs on into his mid-30s. So both he and the team may have reason to want to test other options.
T Wayne Smith - Still has the potential to be one of the league's better offensive linemen. But he's probably spent enough years on the IR for the 'Riders to move on and let somebody else take the risk that he'll get hurt again.
* Note that Mike McCullough isn't included above since he's already re-signed with the team.
Must-Signs
C Jeremy O'Day - He remained the 'Riders' Most Oustanding Offensive Lineman in 2010, so the team figures to be plenty happy with his production on the field. And with the 'Riders having traded Jonathan St. Pierre (seemingly O'Day's heir at centre) last season, he should have the chance to anchor the 'Riders' line as long as he wants to.
DB Lance Frazier - Along with James Patrick, one of two current 'Rider defensive backs who combines the veteran savvy to know when to take risks with the athleticism to take advantage when the opportunity arises.
DB Chris McKenzie - With any luck, the next to join the same group. The one caveat in re-signing both Frazier and McKenzie is that it would once again leave the 'Riders fairly small at the halfback position - but there's one intriguing possibility to remedy that once the rest of the league's free agents hit the market.
Worth Bringing Back
OL Gene Makowsky - Not classified as a "must" due to the fact that he's hinted that he may decide to hang up the cleats. But from the 'Riders' standpoint, Makowsky's versatility and experience make him well worth bringing back if he wants to play football in 2011.
T Joel Bell - Again, more a matter of whether he wants to return than whether the 'Riders would choose to sign him. Bell's size and athleticism would seem to give him a chance to catch on in the NFL - though naturally Saskatchewan would prefer to see him settle in as a fixture on the 'Riders' line for years to come.
LB Sean Lucas - Might find another team willing to overpay for his tackle totals from an outside linebacker position - and if so the 'Riders have plenty of replacements waiting in the wings. But as long as the price is right, he's worth keeping around for his combination of tackling and coverage skills.
LB/DB Daniel Francis - If Lucas does go elsewhere, Francis should take advantage of the opening. If not, then Francis will get to choose whether to wait for an opportunity in Saskatchewan or look elsewhere.
LB Kye Stewart - Another piece of the 'Riders' depth at linebacker who figures to be looking for a starting job if one is available.
LB/DL Kitwana Jones - Jones' future may depend on the 'Riders' second wave of coaching choices over the next few weeks. In a Gary Etcheverry scheme which relies on speed and misdirection rather than size, he's an extremely valuable player. But if Richie Hall is put back in charge of a more traditional defence, Jones may no longer be a fit for the 'Riders.
Probably Looking Elsewhere
FB Neal Hughes - He's getting less chances to play offensively than he did a couple of seasons ago, and his window to replace Chris Szarka as the 'Riders' top fullback looks to be closing as Szarka hangs on into his mid-30s. So both he and the team may have reason to want to test other options.
T Wayne Smith - Still has the potential to be one of the league's better offensive linemen. But he's probably spent enough years on the IR for the 'Riders to move on and let somebody else take the risk that he'll get hurt again.
* Note that Mike McCullough isn't included above since he's already re-signed with the team.
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