Monday Morning 'Rider Blogging

Far too often throughout the latter half of the 2013 season, the Saskatchewan Roughriders' early-game offensive struggles partially masked their greatest strengths.

Particularly after Alex Hall arrived in a mid-season trade, the 'Riders were built ideally to hold leads. The defence boasted enough elite pass-rushers to pressure quarterbacks while leaving plenty of extra coverage to drop into the secondary; the offence could churn up yardage on the ground as well as any, while also enjoying a high enough comfort level to try the occasional deep ball rather than playing too conservatively.

But if the 'Riders didn't get to deploy those weapons as often as they'd have liked earlier in the season, they showed exactly what they could do in its final two weeks - and particular in yesterday's Grey Cup victory over Hamilton.

The 'Riders' 24-point offensive outburst in the second quarter effectively forced the Tiger-Cats to abandon their running game and rely on repeated deep passes into tight coverage. Kory Sheets managed to pile up a few records and awards in the season's most important game - which should easily make up for any he lost to injury during the regular season. And just when it looked like the Ticats might make the ending too close for comfort, the combination of two deep passes to Weston Dressler and a Ticat turnover put the game well out of reach.

Of course, the CFL offseason will mean plenty of player movement - particularly with an expansion draft moving away from the best current teams in the league. But the Roughriders were able to play their best possible type of game when it mattered most - and an entire province is now getting to celebrate as a result.

Friday Morning 'Rider Blogging

Last week, I noted that the Saskatchewan Roughriders' semi-final win against B.C. reflected a team just barely adjusting to an opponent who thoroughly neutralized its strengths. But in case there was any doubt whether the 'Riders could play exactly their preferred type of game against a playoff-ready opponent, Sunday's win over Calgary should put that to rest.

This time, the 'Riders' defence was able to force another pile of turnovers out of a strong team - including two at the end of the Stamps' biggest offensive plays of the first half. And the 'Riders did everything needed to hold a lead - running out the clock with a highly effective two-back running attack on offence, and stifling the Stamps' comeback attempts in the second half.

That win of course sets up a first for the 'Riders: an opportunity to play in a Grey Cup at home. But can the 'Riders match their previous week's performance against the Ticats - who were the lone team the 'Riders were able to sweep during the 2013 regular season (albeit in weeks 4 and 5)?

On paper, the Ticats seem weaker than both of the 'Riders' previous playoff opponents in most facets of the game. Hamilton was able to post a winning season record thanks in large part to a healthy starting quarterback and an efficient performance against the dregs of the East. But if the Ticats' strength lay in their ability to beat up on weaker opponents, then their 1-5 record against the West's playoff teams seems to signal a disadvantage.

But the small sample size of the regular season aside, Hamilton may be as well positioned as anybody to pull off a David strategy.

Henry Burris' athleticism and strong arm will allow him to keep a wider range of options open than most quarterbacks on any given play, making it more difficult for the 'Riders' turnover-oriented defence to attack him aggressively without leaving some dangerous openings. And he'll have a fairly deep set of receivers to help him - with C.J. Gable's pass-catching out of the backfield serving as a particularly useful release valve.

Meanwhile, the Ticats' defence may not have been a huge strength, but it was effective against the run in the latter half of the 2013 season. And if the 'Riders can't control the ball and the clock quite as easily as they did against the Stamps, that will put more pressure on Darian Durant to throw the ball in less-than-ideal conditions.

Of course, there may also be some opportunities to turn the Ticats' tendencies against them. In particular, Burris' continued propensity for turnovers (including a league-high interception total) could offer the 'Riders exactly the opening they want to generate points defensively.

But a high-risk, high-reward strategy likely represents the Ticats' best hope of coming away with a Grey Cup win. And so the most important question in Sunday's game may well be which team is able to generate the most big plays when the Ticats have the ball.

Friday Morning 'Rider Blogging

Ideally, a football team would hope to be able to win on its own terms in the playoffs. But that wasn't to be for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in their semi-final matchup against the B.C. Lions.

The 'Riders' greatest strength through the second half of the season was a devastating pass rush which forced sacks and turnovers on a regular basis. But the Lions countered a swarming defensive line with plenty of options and quick passes - leaving the 'Riders regularly flailing at open-field tackles, and enabling B.C. to dominate the possession battle for most of the first three quarters.

And on offence, the 'Riders have relied in large part on Kory Sheets and a mid-range passing attack. But with B.C. ready to contain both of those threats, the 'Riders found a couple of backup plans: a remarkably successful deep passing game based on the high-risk principle of "launch the ball to Taj Smith in double coverage and hope for a miracle", and the return of Darian Durant as a second rushing threat.

In the end, that proved to be enough to overcome the Lions. But we'll have to see whether B.C. found some weaknesses which will prove irresistible for the Stampeders next weekend.

After all, Andrew Harris' broken tackles tended to lead to a first down or slightly more - but the speedier Jon Cornish figures to churn up far more yardage if the first defender on the scene can't either make the tackle, or at least turn him back toward other defenders in pursuit. And while the Stamps' comfort level with fewer players in the secondary may leave some deep passes open, it will also limit Durant's ability to find running room.

Of course, the 'Riders will have their own opportunity to prepare for the battle in the trenches on both sides of the ball. And hopefully they'll be able to resume playing the style of game that worked best throughout the 2013 season.

Friday Morning 'Rider Blogging

Obviously the final two games of the 2013 regular season didn't go the Saskatchewwn Roughriders' way. But they did seem to offer a clear indication what the 'Riders will need to do in order to advance in the playoffs.

For the 'Riders' defence, the issue the last couple of weeks seems to have been largely one of timing. In the first half against Calgary, the defensive line was able to anticipate many of the Stampeders' plans (particularly in reaching Kevin Glenn just as he was deciding on a course of action), resulting in four fumbles which gave Saskatchewan an early advantage. But when Drew Tate took control, the 'Riders had to contend with a more mobile quarterback in the absence of the same amount of preparation to anticipate his habits - and Tate was able to keep the 'Riders off balance just enough to pull out the win.

Likewise, while Mike Reilly managed to scramble his way into field goal range on a couple of first-half drives, the Eskimos' offence scored its lone touchdown with third-stringer Jonathan Crompton at the controls.

All of which sets up a rather noteworthy test against the Lions. Saskatchewan dominated its two previous previous matchups with Thomas DeMarco and Buck Pierce at the helm, but the Lions now have Travis Lulay back in the lineup. And it's worth watching whether any any variations from his usual timing actually work to the Lions' advantage.

On the offensive side of the ball, the 'Riders' passing game was once again iffy in both games to close out the regular season. But the promise of a healthy offensive line offers reason for hope the 'Riders' ruchin gattack can return to its early-season form - particularly as Chris Garrett's strong performance at running back against Edmonton coincided with the return of Chris Best.

If the defence and the running game can live up to the standards they've set earlier this season, then Darian Durant should be able to play it safe through the air - a major plus with one of his favourite targets at something less than full strength. But it's far from clear whether the 'Riders can keep up if they're forced into a shootout - and now isn't the time for that kind of guesswork.

Friday Morning 'Rider Blogging

Halfway through the first quarter of last weekend's contest against B.C., nobody would have been surprised to learn that the game would be decided by a team giving the ball away repeatedly until it dug a hole too deep to escape. But the ultimate outcome would have been rather more unexpected.

After a couple of early fumbles, the 'Riders' offence largely managed to hang onto the ball for the rest of the game - even if Durant, Sheets and company didn't do much more than that. And the 'Riders' defence once again raised the bar in controlling a game on its own.

Typically, we'd expect to see a tradeoff between turnovers and big plays. But in its second matchup against Thomas DeMarco, the 'Riders' defence achieved the best of both worlds: it was consistently in position to defend passes and make tackles, while creating tons of opportunities to go after the ball. And the result was a spectacular 8 turnovers on paper (which would have been even more impressive if a pick-six hadn't been called back on an unrelated penalty).

And the 'Riders also completely contained the most dangerous unknown within the game. While Stefan Logan showed he hasn't lost any of his speed or elusiveness in his return to the CFL, those well-established skills weren't enough for him to break any big plays on offence or special teams.

Having clinched at least second place in the West with the win, the 'Riders' only possible mobility is upward. And while the combination of multiple skilled quarterbacks and Jon Cornish's power running attack will offer an even tougher test for a team hoping to dominate the game defensively, the 'Riders chances of corralling even the CFL's best offence are looking better by the week.

Tuesday Morning 'Rider Blogging

In some ways, CFL wins don't get much uglier than the Saskatchewan Roughriders' narrow victory over Edmonton on Saturday. But while a 14-9 slugfest may have continued to emphasize the 'Riders' weaknesses as the regular season draws to a close, it also allowed plenty of room to notice the team's strengths.

Through most of the 2013 season the 'Riders' defence has ranked among the CFL's best. But few games have seen a performance as strong as this one.

The 'Riders' updated defensive line showed it could simultaneously keep Mike Reilly contained and shut down any running attack. And when Reilly responded with a steady stream of long-shot passes, the secondary was up to the task - consistently blanketing the Eskimos' receivers when they tried to go deep (note that the Esks' only two big plays of the game came on a tipped pass and a short catch-and-run play), while mostly containing receivers who caught shorter throws.

And after the first drive of the game where the Eskimos managed some sustained success, the defence's final goal-line stand put the focus where it belonged.

It doesn't take a great deal of offence and special teams dominance to win a game when a team's defence is that effective. But the 'Riders fell dangerously close to the line on Saturday.

A shrewd fake punt to keep a touchdown drive going just barely made up for the points lost on yet another failed third-down gamble along with a botched punt. And Kory Sheets' return to triple-digit yardage was about the only sustained highlight on offence: the 'Riders managed exactly zero big plays of their own, while managing at best a modest ball-control strategy throughout the game.

There may not be much opportunity for the 'Riders to upgrade offensively at this point. But as long as the defence can keep hounding opponents into turnovers without conceding scores as a result, a couple of long drives per game and a return to a low-turnover attack might well be enough to get Saskatchewan through the West. And we'll hopefully find out next week that home field will be part of the mix for the postseason.

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.

Friday Morning 'Rider Blogging

Early in the season, the Saskatchewan Roughriders frequently dug themselves into a hole at the beginning of a game, only to pile up just enough points at the end to emerge victorious.

But that kind of luck can only last for so long. And Sunday's loss in Montreal provided an all-too-vivid example of the dangers of failing to take control of a game when the opportunity arises.

Once again, the 'Riders played well enough on defence to win with even a modest point total. And a resurgent return game gave the offence reasonably good field position throughout the game...which it just barely managed to squander at every turn.

Most obviously, Saskatchewan turned two possessions deep in Montreal territory into a grand total of two points at the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second. And it's especially a mystery how a team which seemed unstoppable on two-point conversions not long ago managed to fail on first and goal from the Montreal 3-yard-line.

But even the punt singles which represented far too much of the 'Riders' offence for most of the game signalled an inability to produce when it counted most. In a game where a couple of field goals could have made all the defence, Saskatchewan's offence stalled multiple times around midfield - while the Als were just slightly better at converting opportunities into points (accounting for one deep turnover from each team).

Of course, the 'Riders combination of field position and passing yardage hid a couple of major problems with the team's offense. It's possible to get by with a low-percentage passing attack as long as a team can reliably generate some yards on the ground - but Saskatchewan's pitiful 15 yards rushing meant that the burden to move the ball was entirely on Darian Durant's right arm. And while Durant generated a few big plays, his 24-for-46 showing was far short of the efficiency needed to keep the offence on the field (and the defence out of difficult situations).

Hopefully the return of Kory Sheets will help somewhat this week against B.C. - both in generating yards in the trenches, and in forcing defences to scheme against some meaningful running threat. But there's reason to worry that the 'Riders ran through their luck early in the season.

Sunday Morning 'Rider Blogging

Earlier in the 2013 season, the Saskatchewan Roughriders looked like they could control games with a ruthlessly efficient offence.

Two thirds of the way through the season, that theory seems to have broken down - with last week's loss to B.C. serving as just the latest evidence. But the Lions did leave some opportunities open which the 'Riders plainly weren't inclined to take - and as the season reaches its home stretch, it may be time to take a second look at the 'Riders' goals on offence.

In particular, the last few games have seen some worrisome trends developing: more of Darian Durant's passes are being batted down at the line, fewer receivers are managing to create space anywhere on the field as long as Durant stays in the pocket.

But those problems look to have a common solution. If the 'Riders' offence is easily controlled when Durant stays in place, then surely there's a ready response available by ensuring that he moves with the ball more often.

And Durant has made clear that he still has the athleticism to break tackles and find open space. The problem is that in recent games, he's used that skill mostly to earn another steamboat or two behind centre rather than to expand the field or gain yardage on his own - culminating in a final-drive illegal forward pass penalty on a play where Durant could comfortably have picked up a first down on the ground.

Of course, there are risks involved in forcing a quarterback to take more hits than he can avoid, and Durant's propensity for fumbling is also a concern. But he hasn't exactly avoided those issues in recent weeks behind an increasingly shaky offensive line.

Which means the 'Riders may need to ask Durant to spend more time using defensive aggressiveness to his own advantage, rather than hoping to control the game from the pocket. And if he can succeed changing the angles opponents have to control in coverage and moving the chains himself as a backup plan, then a quick, high-precision offence is far more likely to work when it counts most.

Thursday Afternoon 'Rider Blogging

It would be nice to be able to blame the 'Riders' latest loss on injuries hitting a few more of the team's key players. But that excuse would ring rather hollow against an opponent missing the CFL's defending Most Outstanding Player and its top starting quarterback - particularly at the point in the season where every team needs to be prepared to deal with a few missing starters.

Unfortunately, as I'd worried at the start of 2013, the 'Riders seem rather unprepared to deal with the foreseeable. The offensive line has indeed proven fairly thin, resulting in Darian Durant facing unmanageable pressure for the most of the past five games; the dropoff from Weston Dressler and Rey Williams to their replacements had an obvious impact on the 'Riders' performance on Saturday; and a decision to operate with only one true running back proved deadly when Kory Sheets got hurt in the first quarter against Toronto.

Yet even that spate of injuries might not have been enough to lose an otherwise close game if not for some other avoidable problems. After starting off the season as the CFL's most disciplined team in avoiding both penalties and turnovers, the 'Riders have racked up both at an alarming rate in recent weeks - with the most painful sequence Saturday coming early in the first, when an interception, a pass interference penalty, an unnecessary roughness call and a botched snap helped turn zero offensive production by the Argos into ten free points.

From that point on the 'Riders had little choice but to go to the air - initially to try to catch up, and then to account for Sheets' loss. And the results were about what we should expect when a CFL team has to show its hand too soon: Durant and company managed to make a few opportunistic plays (especially in the second quarter), but couldn't keep up consistent production against a defence which could load up a blitz with no risk of punishment. And the 'Riders' defence which started off strong gave up just one more score than the team could afford.

What's worse, the Toronto game likely ended the easiest five-game stretch the 'Riders can expect all season. Now, the schedule features plenty of tough divisional games which will only raise the degree of difficulty - and it's an open question whether Saskatchewan will be back to health in time to fix what's been ailing it over the past month.

Saturday Morning 'Rider Blogging

Needless to say, last weekend's result against Winnipeg was far from what 'Rider fans would have hoped for to start the second half of the 2013 season. And it's particularly worth noting how a few strengths seem to have been lost just when they were needed most.

In last week's post, I noted that Saskatchewan's success in the Labour Day Classic was based largely on its ability to finish off drives. Unfortunately, that pattern didn't play out again against the same defence. While the 'Riders still managed slightly better offensive numbers than the Bombers, they didn't find the end zone once - with two solid drives and two turnovers in Winnipeg territory in the first half leading only to three field goals and an interception.

That left the 'Riders with a precarious halftime lead. But unlike in many games this year, the 'Riders didn't figure out how to exploit an opposing defence after the break. Instead, they had more trouble dealing with the Bombers' relentless pass rush as the game went on, as Darian Durant took hit after hit without managing to find any weak spots behind that first wave of pressure.

Nor did the special teams provide much help. The most obvious play of concern was Will Ford's return touchdown - which can perhaps be written off as a single breakdown. But in the weeks to come, I'll be most interested to see what becomes of the 'Riders' own uninspiring return game: Tristan Jackson's usual unreliable hands no longer seem to be paired with his trademark breakaway speed, which may leave Saskatchewan with a need to audition other returners until Jock Sanders is ready again. 

As a result, the 'Riders' defence was pretty much left on its own to try to salvage the game. And it came remarkably close, breaking down on only a couple of second-half drives (with undisciplined penalties and low-probability catches as the key plays) and producing multiple turnovers. But it fell just short of putting points on the board - which the 'Riders needed on a day when the offence couldn't produce a single touchdown or big play.

We'll start to find out today whether the 'Riders' struggles against Winnipeg were simply a matter of a bottom-tier team taking (and succeeding in) a few more risks than most opponents will dare, or whether it offered hints that other CFL teams will also be able to exploit. But there doesn't seem to be much doubt that the 'Riders have room for improvement as their schedule gets tougher down the stretch.

Friday Afternoon 'Rider Blogging

Once again, the Saskatchewan Roughriders faced a significant challenge from a team at the bottom of the CFL's standings in last weekend's Labour Day Classic. But once again, the 'Riders emerged on top - finishing the first half of the 2013 season with an 8-1 record. And perhaps more importantly, one of the keys against the Bombers was one of the team's weaknesses over the previous few games.

After two games in which they had nothing but trouble finishing off drives, the 'Riders were ruthlessly efficient turning field position into points against Winnipeg. Out of 7 possessions where Darian Durant scrimmaged inside the Bombers' 40, the 'Riders managed touchdowns on 6 - and the lone exception (which resulted in a field goal) came after the 'Riders were already in semi-prevent mode with a 15-point lead.

That consistency in putting touchdowns on the board helped to mask what was otherwise a closer game than one might have expected given the records of the teams on the field.

In what's become a familiar theme, the 'Riders' defence played well below its potential against a quarterback who challenged it both on the ground and through the air (with another batch of careless penalties helping the Bombers stay in the game). The offence took the better part of the first half to get going. And the special teams which have given Saskatchewan an advantage through most of the 2013 season mostly played Winnipeg to a draw - at least, until the late Spencer Moore punt block which effectively sealed the game.

We'll have to hope that the 'Riders' increased effectiveness as last week's game went on will carry over into this weekend's matchup. But while there's room for improvement in a lot of areas, they'll be able to cover a lot of holes if Durant and Kory Sheets can keep converting when it counts.

Thursday Morning 'Rider Blogging

Yes, Saturday's Roughrider win over Edmonton represented another narrow victory over a seemingly struggling team. But otherwise it couldn't have been much more different from the team's previous game against Montreal. And the 'Riders will need to figure out whether Edmonton has found a formula which more-talented opponents can copy, or whether its go-for-broke approach will be seen as too dangerous by the likes of the Lions and the Stamps.

Unlike in Montreal, the 'Riders' offence rated as solid but unspectacular throughout the game, racking up field goals for the better part of quarters before finally finding the end zone in the last 20 minutes of the game. And Corey Chamblin apparently planned to rely on another defensive lockdown like the 'Riders' previous performance to hold onto a tight lead - particularly when he chose to kick a field goal on 3rd-and-1 early in the third quarter.

But after managing a couple of big plays to stay in the game through the first half, the Eskimos put together two disturbingly efficient touchdown drives to win back the lead at the end of the third quarter. And we'll want to keep a close eye on how they got there.

Mike Reilly's scrambling throughout the game produced not only yards on the ground, but open receivers downfield. Which may make for a model for other teams to imitate - if they're prepared to risk the combination of turnovers and devastating hits which eventually turned Saturday's game in the 'Riders' favour.

For now, the 'Riders don't look to have much reason to change what worked once again (other than sorting out their return game). But it won't be long before they start facing crucial divisional games again - and it figures to be an open question whether the 'Riders' current scheme can keep a contender's quarterback from running wild.

Tuesday Morning 'Rider Blogging

Last week, I wrote this about the Saskatchewan Roughriders' upcoming schedule:

Of course, the next few games may seem to be ones where the 'Riders can afford to experiment somewhat. And hopefully the team can keep up enough focus against a few reeling opponents to stay in the win column even if the breaks don't mostly go Saskatchewan's way.

After Saturday's nail-biter against Montreal, it may be important to clarify that I saw that as a fallback position rather than a primary game plan.

Which isn't to say one can fault the 'Riders' defence at all. In fact, it performed as well as it has all season: Montreal scored a grand total of 8 points all game which were attributable in any meaningful way to the Als' offence, and the 'Riders were able to stop a number of drives starting deep in their own zone.

But Saskatchewan's strength through most of the 2013 season so far had been its ability to avoid putting the defence in those types of situations. Instead on Saturday, a series of four lost fumbles both kept the Als in the game - and nearly handed them the win before a late burst of effectiveness by Darian Durant's offence.

Hopefully the answer for now will involve mostly a return to the basics: the 'Riders have already shown they can take care of the ball earlier this season, and the most recent game should offer a helpful reminder of the consequences of failing in that effort. But most opponents won't offer the combination of internal chaos and injuries that kept Montreal from taking full advantage - and while the 'Riders once again have a narrow hold on first place in the West, it could slip away just as easily as the ball seemed to on Saturday.

Tuesday Morning 'Rider Blogging

Obviously Friday's result against Calgary wasn't what the Saskatchewan Roughriders hoped for - particularly since it means having only one game of separation from third place in the CFL's West Division. But it's worth noting that most of the problems against the Stampeders were simply a matter of the inevitable ebb and flow of luck during the course of the season - meaning that there isn't much the 'Riders figure to need to change.

On offence, the 'Riders started off rather pitifully - raising the question as to how an offence that's so effective capitalizing on halftime adjustments seems unable to find weaknesses at the start of any game. But they managed to score enough points to win most games - despite breaking their zero-turnover streak and watching more than a few plays fall apart due to dropped or bounced passes.

Darian Durant was effective stretching the field, as even the deep plays that got broken up managed to open up room for the 'Riders to operate inside. And the offensive line had another fairly strong game, allowing Durant enough time to make plays against a talented set of pass rushers and clearing enough space for Kory Sheets to dominate the second half.

The obvious area of concern came on defence, where Jon Cornish consistently shed tackles until the 'Riders could meet him with three defenders at once. About the only exception was Tyron Brackenridge, who did manage to make some impressive one-on-one tackles. But I have to wonder whether the 'Riders may need to shuffle their positions and assignments to let Brackenridge spy Cornish in future games, rather than counting on Craig Butler to keep a power rusher contained.


Of course, the next few games may seem to be ones where the 'Riders can afford to experiment somewhat. And hopefully the team can keep up enough focus against a few reeling opponents to stay in the win column even if the breaks don't mostly go Saskatchewan's way.

Sunday Morning 'Rider Blogging

Just two games ago, I noted that there was still one major question facing the Saskatchewan Roughriders: whether the team's offence could function without Darian Durant at the controls. But at most one week later than might have been ideal, we seem to have our answer.

No, Drew Willy isn't anywhere close to Durant's comfort level in the 'Riders' offence. In fact, Willy's performance yesterday served largely to highlight some of the most important elements of Durant's game which won't be duplicated by any backup: his comfort level with multiple 'Rider receivers, his ability to prolong plays by finding the right angle or the right fake to slow down onrushing defenders, and his command of a full array of offensive weapons.

But if Willy obviously isn't up to Durant's standard, he showed yesterday that he can still do enough to earn a win for the 'Riders in a game where the team's defence and special teams play up to a reasonable standard.

In particular, Willy's willingness and ability to stretch the defence after a tentative start worked wonders throughout the game. In the second quarter, he piled up three passing touchdowns to give the 'Riders a lead they wouldn't relinquish - and in the second half, a couple of deep throws that didn't quite connect nonetheless served to keep the Ticats guessing and opened up opportunities for Kory Sheets to run down the clock.

Meanwhile, the rest of the 'Riders can best be seen as filling their roles in a game where everybody else needed to step up slightly to account for a less experienced quarterback. Of particular note, Geroy Simon had his first huge game for the team - nicely replicating a pattern which helped the Lions for so long where even newcomers who couldn't find any other receivers open always seemed to connect with Simon. The defence didn't corral the Hamilton offence as well as in the previous game, but made up for it with a bevy of sacks and turnovers. And the 'Riders' special teams once again reduced an opponent's return game to rubble.

Now, Durant gets a couple of weeks to heal; Willy can spend the bye week processing what he saw in his first successful CFL start; and the rest of the team mostly needs to keep up and build on what it's done already. And while the odds are that 'Riders will have some tougher games ahead, we can't ask for much more at this point in the season.

Monday Morning 'Rider Blogging

Needless to say, there isn't much to question after a performance like the 'Riders romp over Hamilton yesterday. But I'll point out a couple of aspects of the 'Riders' recent play which may mean far more than the numbers receiving the most attention so far.

On that front, while "no turnovers in four games!" and "130-yard rushing streak!" make for interesting bits of trivia which do signal some important elements of the 'Riders development as a team, we probably can't count on their being repeated indefinitely. (That goes doubly since the former ignores two interceptions called back due to penalties and a fumble recovered by the 'Riders, and the latter only applies because Kory Sheets piled up yardage after yesterday's game was well in hand.)

More interestingly for the team going forward, we've seen the offensive evolve even over the first few games of the 2013 season.

At the start, Darian Durant primarily kept the chains moving with quick passes caught in traffic. But now, the offence is opening up in a few ways which can only complicate life for defences trying to defend the 'Riders.

Most obviously, Durant's success with a patient precision offence has opened up opportunities for deep passes - with two bombs to Rob Bagg yesterday breaking the game open much like Taj Smith's big game the previous week put the 'Riders ahead to stay.

But Bagg and Smith have also added another dimension to the 'Riders offence. In the past, most of the complementary receivers around Weston Dressler and Chris Getzlaf have been unimpressive in picking up yardage after short catches. But both Bagg and Smith have been effective shedding defenders and breaking tackles after catching the ball the past two games - turning short passes into big gains, and ensuring that even harmless-looking plays can turn nerve-wracking for defenders.
 
Meanwhile, the 'Riders' defence of course had a stellar game in pitching a shutout against the Ticats. But the shutout was based in large part on one of the most basic elements of defensive football: relentlessly effective tackling which shut down plays even after the ball went where the Ticats wanted it to.

Seldom did a Hamilton receiver manage to make a catch without a defender hitting him as the ball arrived. And while the Ticats hardly tried to run the ball, their few efforts to do so were easily snuffed out as the 'Riders' linemen were constantly in position to make a tackle on the first try.

Of course, more skilled groups of receivers than Hamilton's injury-depleted unit will make that more difficult in the games to come. But as long as the 'Riders can stay in the habit of winning the tackling war on both sides of the ball, they'll be in great shape for the rest of the season.

Monday Morning 'Rider Blogging

Last week, I noted that even after a 2-0 start, the Saskatchewan Roughriders might be one injury away from some serious problems. And another impressive win later, that number may be down to zero.

But there are a few ways the 'Riders can handle the late-game injury to Darian Durant. And I wonder whether the best option may be the one which looks past the next game or two.

Once again, the 'Riders' success against the Argos (particularly early on) was based largely on superb interaction and timing between Durant and his receivers. And it's a wide open question whether Drew Willy can match the skill Durant has developed over the course of multiple years as a CFL starter.

Which means that if the 'Riders' priority is simply to win from week to week, they'll have a strong incentive to pursue one of two paths: playing Durant as soon as he's close to being ready, or alternatively playing Willy in a radically simplified offence better suited to a less experienced quarterback.

But if the 'Riders have decided that a conservative offensive style isn't good enough to get them through the playoffs with Durant at the controls, it seems highly unlikely that they can give the benefit of the doubt to Willy. And so now may be the time to take the training wheels off of Willy and see if he can run something close to the 'Riders' full offence - with the assurance that he'll get a full game at a time to try until Durant is fully healthy.

If he can, then all of the team's questions will resolve themselves fairly quickly. Durant will still be the obvious starter when healthy, but the 'Riders will be able to trust that a single injury won't torpedo their playoff hopes.

But what if he can't? Well, at least the team will know for later in the season, giving it the option of picking up some additional quarterback insurance if Durant's health is in serious question (or some more aggressive defenders to fit the '07 model if need be). And the 3-0 start means the 'Riders have at least a bit of room for error without losing a chance at home-field advantage and playoff positioning.

Again, the downside of that option is that it leaves the 'Riders on somewhat shakier ground as long as Durant is at less than full health. But it's the end of the season rather than the start that gets remembered - and the easiest path to a win next week may not be the best option for the 'Riders' chances of making and winning a home Grey Cup.

Monday Morning 'Rider Blogging

Two games into the Saskatchewan Roughriders' regular season, the "experienced team starting quickly" theory is looking fairly solid. But let's take a look at what's gone better than expected - as well as where there may be room for concern.

To start with, a couple of areas which looked like possible weaknesses have proven to be anything but. The 'Riders' special teams were a major question mark as the season started, but have been nothing but steady through the first two games. And the relative newcomers in the 'Riders' secondary have developed in a hurry, as Saturday's game against Calgary saw relatively newcomers Macho Harris and Prince Miller make a number of big plays to shut down the Stamps' quick-strike offence in the second half.

More importantly, though, the 'Riders offence has taken a major step forward. And the main question for the rest of the season will be whether it can keep up the pace.

Under most circumstances, I see the easiest path to success in football involving an opportunistic offence and strong units elsewhere. But alongside some cap and personnel-replacement considerations, that preference is largely a matter of practicality.

The problem with a precision offence is that it can be stopped in its tracks by a single misfire or dropped pass. And until this season, the 'Riders' personnel has been better suited to seeking out big plays than stringing together long drives - as Darian Durant has sometimes been erratic as a passer, and Chris Getzlaf has alternated between spectacular catches and cringe-inducing drops.

But two games into 2013, the 'Riders' key skill players (including Durant, Getzlaf, Weston Dressler and Kory Sheets) have looked like they can piece together a touchdown drive six yards at a time almost at will. And that style worked to perfection against the Stamps, as a methodical offence both kept the Stamps' playmakers off the field most of the second half and made up for an early deficit.

What's more, there's even some prospect for improvement. After all, Geroy Simon is still waiting to get back onto the field, and Taj Smith continues to show that he can make jaw-dropping catches when given the chance (even if they didn't translate into numbers against the Stamps).

Of course, there is a downside to fine-tuning an offensive machine around a single quarterback: while it may be possible to plug in new parts elsewhere, it's rare for an inexperienced backup to be able to find the small openings exploited by a more comfortable starter. Which means that the 'Riders' offensive line may be under even more pressure to keep heat away from Durant.

But if the greatest risk for the 'Riders is that their ruthlessly efficient offence relies on the skills of a quarterback who looks to be reaching his prime, that's hardly a bad sign. And while any football season is bound to involve some ups and downs, we haven't seen much of the latter from the 'Riders yet.

Sunday Afternoon 'Rider Blogging

I was going to post about the 'Riders' offseason...until Stephen LaRose said pretty much everything I planned to say. So instead, I'll stick to pointing out where I'd question or clarify LaRose's take.

Simply put, I think he's right to compare the current 'Rider team to the 1976 version as a needlessly old group assembled with too little regard for the team's longer-term development. But I also think that the current roster is closer to 1976 than 1977: with one important caveat, the veterans aren't so far over the hill that the team figures to suffer.

And indeed, there's still at least some room for improvement over last season. The offense has plenty of weapons if the offensive line stays healthy and develops together (as I don't see Patrick Neufeld being anything more than a backup if a unit of Fulton/LaBatte/Picard/Best/Heenan plays to its potential), and the defence has far more playmakers than last year's version if John Chick and Ricky Foley have anything left in the tank.

With that in mind, I'd place the 'Riders' expected record - given fairly good health - around 10-8 (with plenty of early wins and a few more late losses). But that may not lead the 'Riders to continue the trend of teams making and winning the Grey Cup at home, particularly if the veterans wear down over the course of the season.

And the 'Riders are facing some ugly risks further down their depth chart. The biggest problem with filling out one's roster by thumbing through past CFL yearbooks is that there are few young players with any prospect of stepping into a bigger role to replace anybody who gets hurt (with the receiver position looking like the lone exception). Darian Durant's health is an absolute must for any 'Rider hopes; Neufeld may not be a part of the ideal offensive line, but without him the team has no margin for error with its remaining unit; an already-small defensive line could reach a critical point with a single injury to Keith Shologan or Tearrius George; and the linebacking corps is comprised almost entirely of players who have washed out elsewhere.

Now, if there's a rational strategy to be pursued with the current roster, it might well involve overpaying some veterans early, being prepared to trade or cut anybody who doesn't play up to his past peak level in the first few weeks, and encouraging the remaining vets to mentor a wave of new players around mid-season to set the 'Riders up for both a playoff drive and seasons to come. But given Brendan Taman's preference for pricey vets and lack of focus on player development, the plan instead seems to be to ride the new arrivals as far as possible - with no backup plan in sight.


That might well lead to the type of panic trade feared by LaRose - but a precarious cap situation figures to limit how many more vets the 'Riders can take on during the season. Which means that the best hope may be for the team's new imports to join the front office in failing to notice that it's no longer the late aughts - and stay healthy and productive accordingly.