Naturally, there were a few ugly points to be found in yesterday's loss to the Eskimos. But while the game unfortunately drops the 'Riders out of sole possession of first place (with a significant risk of dropping further in the standings over the next couple of weeks), the game also seemed to me to hint at a team with loads of potential for growth as the season goes on.
Most importantly, yesterday's game was the first one where the 'Riders' offence showed some significant ability to generate yards and points when tested.
Even in the team's two earlier wins, it mostly put points on the board by taking advantage of a short field off turnovers. And the team's woeful second-half point totals hinted at serious trouble reacting to defensive adjustments during the course of the game.
But yesterday, the offence faced four series where it started off under particular pressure. And every time it performed admirably.
The first was of course the first-half drive where Richie Hall chose to hem the 'Riders in with a punt rather than kicking a makeable field goal - a move which made sense to me only if one sees a reasonable prospect of forcing a turnover which will lead to more points. Rather than either making a mistake or handing the ball back in great field position, Darien Durant and the offence instead cobbled together a brilliant 102-yard drive (featuring three runs and three passes of 10+ yards apiece) for a touchdown which gave the 'Riders their biggest lead of the game.
From there, the offence went dormant until late in the third quarter. Which is where I'd see some serious room for improvement: especially with a once-massive lead having been reduced to a modest one by halftime, the offence seemed unduly conservative and unambitious, allowing the Esks to spend most of the third quarter on the attack and take the lead. And the issue went beyond receivers having difficulty getting open, as Durant again appeared tentative at times in running the ball when that seemed to be his best chance of generating first downs.
But as soon as the 'Riders were down, the offence woke up again, putting together a 75-yard drive to take back the lead. And on its last two series with a chance to decide the game, the offence found ways to move the ball into Edmonton territory - getting stopped only by a questionable spot on a line plunge, then a questionable incompletion call on a pass which would have kept their last drive going.
Of course, close doesn't count in football. But it does at least serve as a useful indication of whether a team is on the right track. And while the offence plainly needs to work on its consistency over the course of a game, its methodical demolition of Edmonton's defence on the two long drives in particular should offer a strong indication of what the 'Riders are capable of accomplishing at their best.
On the downside, the 'Riders' defence had a rough game by all accounts. Granted, there's never much likelihood of outright stopping an offence led by Ricky Ray - but it's at least possible to make his life difficult with pressure and creative looks, and the 'Riders disappointingly didn't manage to do much of that after the first quarter (when it seemed like they might be able to frustrate Ray the way they did Buck Pierce in the season's first game). And the 'Riders' tackling took another turn for the worse, with both Calvin McCarty and Arkee Whitlock scoring on long touchdown runs where multiple defenders made contact but didn't finish the job.
Unfortunately, the schedule gets tougher for the 'Riders from here on in, with a couple of road games coming up against West rivals who will be eager to bury the team at the bottom of the division. And with the defence getting exposed over the last couple of weeks while the offence is still getting in gear, fans may have to brace themselves for an ugly-looking record in the near future.
But at this point in the season, I'd be less concerned with the immediate record than with whether the 'Riders are developing a complete team capable of holding its own with the CFL's elite when it counts. And if the 'Riders can build on their positives from yesterday's game, then there's plenty of reason for hope that they won't need close calls to finish off key drives once the games matter most.
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