There hasn't been much news out of the 'Riders' camp this week. But let's note one point where there's little reason for optimism out of the team's coaching change.
While Greg Marshall's firing seems to have been based more on poor results than any obvious problem in the process leading to the Saskatchewan Roughriders' record, there was one move which smacked of desperation in Marshall's final game. The 'Riders' defence has generally been effective except for its weakness in forcing turnovers - meaning that the team should have every reason to want to emphasize the ball-hawking skills of its interceptions leader and reigning nominee for Outstanding Defensive Player.
But for some obscure reason, Marshall's last game saw James Patrick moved to a linebacker position where he has to spend more time covering receivers one-on-one and tackling running backs, while rookie Craig Butler (known more for hitting than picking off passes) took his place at the position on the field that allows for the most roaming in coverage. And no, the move can't be explained as an import ratio maneuver - since an arrangement swapping the two positions would result in the same ratio while better emphasizing the skills of both players.
Unfortunately, judging from the fact that the 'Riders apparently plan on keeping that arrangement up under Ken Miller, it looks like Marshall may not have been the one to make the call after all. And the 'Riders' tough road to the playoffs only looks to be all the more difficult if they keep minimizing the talents of their key skill players.
Showing posts with label greg marshall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label greg marshall. Show all posts
Friday, September 02, 2011
Monday, August 08, 2011
Monday Morning 'Rider Blogging
Once again, the 'Riders' latest loss was more a story of missed opportunities than poor play overall - particularly in the third quarter, when Saskatchewan's near-total dominance on both sides of the ball led to a grand total of one point. But there's a downside to that type of loss as well, as the fixes normally available for a losing team don't apply to the 'Riders in the slightest.
Normally, the best advice for a struggling team is to take better care of the ball. And indeed, usually a losing streak involves losing the turnover battle handily - which tends to even out over time.
But the 'Riders' last two losses have featured a grand total of zero turnovers, to two for the team's opponents. So there's nowhere to go but down on that front.
Likewise, a struggling offence can normally find some obvious room to improve its completion rate. But Darian Durant has completed two-thirds of his passes over the past two weeks - and while a few too many of those have been for little or no gain, it's hard to see much prospect of pushing that number upward.
And aside from Geroy Simon's first-half eruption, the 'Riders' defence has played about as well as could be hoped for - holding two fairly strong offences to 22 and 24 points.
So what's left for the 'Riders to improve?
Well, the biggest problem looks to be getting some touchdowns out of the current possession offence. And there are a couple of obvious points which might help, including setting up receivers to take the ball in stride rather than catching the ball flat-footed, and designing plays to let Durant make better use of the time he buys to find receivers far downfield.
And of course it would help for the 'Riders to stop shooting themselves in the foot. In particular, it's beyond me how an offence with an elite quarterback has so much trouble working within the play clock - and indeed a faster-moving offence might also help to set up bigger plays by getting opposing defences off stride.
Meanwhile, the 'Riders' receivers have plenty of work to do on timing up the play without going offside - not to mention catching the ball once it reached them. (Needless to say, James Robinson didn't help on either front.) And of course, a better field-goal conversion rate would at least help to keep games close.
But even if the 'Riders can improve on those points, they might face enough concurrent decline in their turnover ratio to keep them on the losing side of any given game. Which means that while it's too early to give up on the season or any large number of the 'Riders' players, there's ample reason for concern that matters will get worse before they get better.
Update: I won't claim to have much insight on Dallas Baker, the import receiver who arrived in a trade for Luc Mullinder today. And hopefully he'll provide one of the playmakers the 'Riders have lacked.
But it's seldom a great feat of CFL roster management to trade a perfectly serviceable non-import for an import lottery ticket who was available as a free agent just months earlier. And if Baker isn't ready to help immediately, the effect of the deal will be to push the 'Riders even further away from where they need to go.
Normally, the best advice for a struggling team is to take better care of the ball. And indeed, usually a losing streak involves losing the turnover battle handily - which tends to even out over time.
But the 'Riders' last two losses have featured a grand total of zero turnovers, to two for the team's opponents. So there's nowhere to go but down on that front.
Likewise, a struggling offence can normally find some obvious room to improve its completion rate. But Darian Durant has completed two-thirds of his passes over the past two weeks - and while a few too many of those have been for little or no gain, it's hard to see much prospect of pushing that number upward.
And aside from Geroy Simon's first-half eruption, the 'Riders' defence has played about as well as could be hoped for - holding two fairly strong offences to 22 and 24 points.
So what's left for the 'Riders to improve?
Well, the biggest problem looks to be getting some touchdowns out of the current possession offence. And there are a couple of obvious points which might help, including setting up receivers to take the ball in stride rather than catching the ball flat-footed, and designing plays to let Durant make better use of the time he buys to find receivers far downfield.
And of course it would help for the 'Riders to stop shooting themselves in the foot. In particular, it's beyond me how an offence with an elite quarterback has so much trouble working within the play clock - and indeed a faster-moving offence might also help to set up bigger plays by getting opposing defences off stride.
Meanwhile, the 'Riders' receivers have plenty of work to do on timing up the play without going offside - not to mention catching the ball once it reached them. (Needless to say, James Robinson didn't help on either front.) And of course, a better field-goal conversion rate would at least help to keep games close.
But even if the 'Riders can improve on those points, they might face enough concurrent decline in their turnover ratio to keep them on the losing side of any given game. Which means that while it's too early to give up on the season or any large number of the 'Riders' players, there's ample reason for concern that matters will get worse before they get better.
Update: I won't claim to have much insight on Dallas Baker, the import receiver who arrived in a trade for Luc Mullinder today. And hopefully he'll provide one of the playmakers the 'Riders have lacked.
But it's seldom a great feat of CFL roster management to trade a perfectly serviceable non-import for an import lottery ticket who was available as a free agent just months earlier. And if Baker isn't ready to help immediately, the effect of the deal will be to push the 'Riders even further away from where they need to go.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Sunday Morning 'Rider Blogging
Let's start a quick post on yesterday's game with a bit of relative optimism that figures to be lacking among 'Rider fans. Yes, the drubbing at the hands of the Tiger-Cats made for the team's first truly poor all-around performance of the 2011 season. But the relative strength of the two teams wasn't anywhere near as bad as the final score made it appear.
As poorly as the 'Riders performed offensively, they did manage to drive the ball into the red zone several times, while also posting a couple of near misses which didn't show up in the game stats. Which means that even after an almost completely ineffective first half, the 'Riders' embarrassingly low point total had as much to do with turnovers and strategic considerations (in trying to come back from a huge deficit) as with any obvious structural problem with the team's offence.
And Saskatchewan's defence actually played better than it had in the team's previous two games. Indeed, it combined at least some level of pressure on Kevin Glenn with relatively sure coverage and tackling to keep the game close in the early going, then hold the Ticats short of the point totals posted by Edmonton and Hamilton in the 'Riders' first two games.
All of which is to say that contrary to some of the frustrated comments following the game, the 'Riders are still a long way from the down times of years long past.
No, the 2011 team isn't a true bottom-feeder which gets dominated in the trenches on both sides of the ball to the point where the efforts of the team's skill players seem irrelevant. Instead, yesterday reflected a game where the breaks went almost entirely the Ti-Cats' way to overwhelm the effects of a mostly evenly-matched contest - and a couple of relatively subtle changes (say, the 'Riders being the ones to convert on their chance for an early interception on their opponents' end of the field, and Darian Durant's out-of-bounds bomb to Weston Dressler connecting) could easily have changed the complexion of the game.
Of course, that doesn't mean the 'Riders don't have plenty to improve after a bad loss against a team which was also at the bottom of the CFL standings. And it's particularly worrisome that the offence which has been the 'Riders' relative saving grace produced next to nothing until the game was out of reach.
But while there's an awful lot to be done to fix mistakes in all phases of the game, the 'Riders have at least showed enough in the first three games of the season to suggest there's still hope of getting there. And it'll be up to the team's coaching staff to keep the focus on what can be done, rather than letting frustration drive the team to the point where it truly isn't competing.
As poorly as the 'Riders performed offensively, they did manage to drive the ball into the red zone several times, while also posting a couple of near misses which didn't show up in the game stats. Which means that even after an almost completely ineffective first half, the 'Riders' embarrassingly low point total had as much to do with turnovers and strategic considerations (in trying to come back from a huge deficit) as with any obvious structural problem with the team's offence.
And Saskatchewan's defence actually played better than it had in the team's previous two games. Indeed, it combined at least some level of pressure on Kevin Glenn with relatively sure coverage and tackling to keep the game close in the early going, then hold the Ticats short of the point totals posted by Edmonton and Hamilton in the 'Riders' first two games.
All of which is to say that contrary to some of the frustrated comments following the game, the 'Riders are still a long way from the down times of years long past.
No, the 2011 team isn't a true bottom-feeder which gets dominated in the trenches on both sides of the ball to the point where the efforts of the team's skill players seem irrelevant. Instead, yesterday reflected a game where the breaks went almost entirely the Ti-Cats' way to overwhelm the effects of a mostly evenly-matched contest - and a couple of relatively subtle changes (say, the 'Riders being the ones to convert on their chance for an early interception on their opponents' end of the field, and Darian Durant's out-of-bounds bomb to Weston Dressler connecting) could easily have changed the complexion of the game.
Of course, that doesn't mean the 'Riders don't have plenty to improve after a bad loss against a team which was also at the bottom of the CFL standings. And it's particularly worrisome that the offence which has been the 'Riders' relative saving grace produced next to nothing until the game was out of reach.
But while there's an awful lot to be done to fix mistakes in all phases of the game, the 'Riders have at least showed enough in the first three games of the season to suggest there's still hope of getting there. And it'll be up to the team's coaching staff to keep the focus on what can be done, rather than letting frustration drive the team to the point where it truly isn't competing.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Sunday Morning 'Rider Blogging
No, a loss to the CFL's strongest team shouldn't be considered reason to panic. But yesterday's game did reveal some important gaps between the current 'Riders and the team they should be seeking to emulate.
Most obviously, the performance gap between the two offences could be traced to the difference between the Alouettes' well-coordinated group of receivers and the 'Riders' less experienced crew. Yes, Anthony Calvillo was allowed to complete a few more passes than would have been ideal (and we'll get to that shortly), but he also found receivers in stride and ready to rack up yards after the catch at every turn - making it far easier to march the ball down the field in a hurry in a game where plays with the wind were at a premium.
In contrast, the 'Riders' receivers made Darian Durant's job more difficult throughout the game, with a bit of help from some odd play design. Efrem Hill was the most obvious offender - wiping out one otherwise perfectly-executed play by inexplicably wandering out of bounds, and giving away plenty of yardage on another reception by taking one step out of bounds with plenty of open field in front of him. Terrence Nunn showed the downside of his "Flying Nunn" persona, lunging headlong at a couple of passes where a more controlled reception would have allowed him a chance to gain YAC yardage. And the 'Riders late-game lob pass strategy looks to have been doomed from the outset, as receivers like Wes Cates and Weston Dressler were thoroughly blanketed by tacklers by the time high-arcing passes reached them.
Which isn't to say that the 'Riders' offence played poorly on the whole. In fact, the 'Riders current scoring pace is just about a point per game below the team's 2010 total - signalling where the real problem has come in.
Once again, it was the 'Riders' defence that played far below expectations. But this time out, it wasn't the pass rush that bore the blame, as Calvillo faced fairly regular pressure throughout the game; instead, the normal strengths of a Richie Hall defence were sorely lacking.
Rather than making sure tackles, the 'Riders flailed around after far too many Montreal completions, with catch-and-run touchdowns by S.J. Green and Tim Maypray serving as only the most vivid examples. And the 'Riders' pass coverage was also a significant issue - particularly in the third quarter, when Calvillo picked the 'Riders apart with a series of line-drive throws on crossing routes which would seem to have been vulnerable to an effort to bat down passes at the line.
Fortunately, there's still lots of time left in the season for the receiving corps to gain experience (and health), and for the defence to sort out how best to handle a precision passing offence. But after two games where the 'Riders have yet to take a single lead, it's probably time to start ratcheting down our expectations.
Most obviously, the performance gap between the two offences could be traced to the difference between the Alouettes' well-coordinated group of receivers and the 'Riders' less experienced crew. Yes, Anthony Calvillo was allowed to complete a few more passes than would have been ideal (and we'll get to that shortly), but he also found receivers in stride and ready to rack up yards after the catch at every turn - making it far easier to march the ball down the field in a hurry in a game where plays with the wind were at a premium.
In contrast, the 'Riders' receivers made Darian Durant's job more difficult throughout the game, with a bit of help from some odd play design. Efrem Hill was the most obvious offender - wiping out one otherwise perfectly-executed play by inexplicably wandering out of bounds, and giving away plenty of yardage on another reception by taking one step out of bounds with plenty of open field in front of him. Terrence Nunn showed the downside of his "Flying Nunn" persona, lunging headlong at a couple of passes where a more controlled reception would have allowed him a chance to gain YAC yardage. And the 'Riders late-game lob pass strategy looks to have been doomed from the outset, as receivers like Wes Cates and Weston Dressler were thoroughly blanketed by tacklers by the time high-arcing passes reached them.
Which isn't to say that the 'Riders' offence played poorly on the whole. In fact, the 'Riders current scoring pace is just about a point per game below the team's 2010 total - signalling where the real problem has come in.
Once again, it was the 'Riders' defence that played far below expectations. But this time out, it wasn't the pass rush that bore the blame, as Calvillo faced fairly regular pressure throughout the game; instead, the normal strengths of a Richie Hall defence were sorely lacking.
Rather than making sure tackles, the 'Riders flailed around after far too many Montreal completions, with catch-and-run touchdowns by S.J. Green and Tim Maypray serving as only the most vivid examples. And the 'Riders' pass coverage was also a significant issue - particularly in the third quarter, when Calvillo picked the 'Riders apart with a series of line-drive throws on crossing routes which would seem to have been vulnerable to an effort to bat down passes at the line.
Fortunately, there's still lots of time left in the season for the receiving corps to gain experience (and health), and for the defence to sort out how best to handle a precision passing offence. But after two games where the 'Riders have yet to take a single lead, it's probably time to start ratcheting down our expectations.
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