Of all the games played by the Saskatchewan Roughriders, this was certainly the most recent. The Green and White lost 17-16 to Winnipeg in a match that, unless you were directly involved, you would never think twice about.
Here are the rest of my thoughts on what happened.
It sucks (and that’s okay)
This is more of a league-wide statement than a thought on this specific game.
There is a section of fans in the CFL that gets upset when anyone criticizes anything related to the league. He believes the CFL is trying to grow, and any negativity towards any aspect of the league is not constructive criticism, but an attack on its core.
I, personally, think the league is so strong that a few jokes about bad play probably won’t be the end of it. By the way, before anyone comes at me for secretly hating on the league, I just want to say that I love this game and this league. If I didn’t do that I wouldn’t be spending my Friday nights watching this game.
With that out of the way, allow me to declare: this game sucks. It was dull, poorly played and largely lifeless. The only amusing part of it was the fact that it was close despite the comically large difference in talent and stakes on both sides. If I were a Winnipeg fan, I would be angry at how my team played in a game that was everything to us and nothing to our opponent.
Tough journey to the playoffs
The riders are in an enviable position where they have everything. I would prefer more where Saskatchewan is compared to Winnipeg, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges.
The Riders are trying to keep the intensity high while also trying to keep everyone healthy for the next meaningful game they will play in three weeks. I think they walked that tightrope very effectively in this game.
The game was not the most aesthetically pleasing, but that was the priority for the riders. It doesn’t matter who it was, everyone who played for Saskatchewan gave their all and that’s all you can ask for at this time of year.
Having achieved everything, riders will find it difficult to match the desperation of their opponents, but they can try to counter their efforts. They absolutely matched the Bombers’ effort in this game, and they may have also matched their frustration, although that had more to do with Winnipeg than Saskatchewan.
what a beginning
The riders couldn’t have asked for a better start than this. Saskatchewan laid the foundation for a strong special teams day by forcing a fumble on the opening kickoff.
Then, after a penalty-assisted flea-flicker, the Riders were at the goal line and sprinted for a touchdown. This set the tone for the rest of the game.
I know that after the game, Mike O’Shea said his team wasn’t waiting for a handout. Well, it didn’t seem so. It seemed as if they were expecting the riders to run out of reserves at some point. Saskatchewan let them know on the first play of the day that they weren’t going to make life easy in Winnipeg all night.
move people forward
The first thing the Riders want to see in these last few games is everyone going out healthy. After that, they want to see some players find their rhythm and finish the season strong.
Some players completed this on Friday. First up was Mario Alford, who made a promising start to the season but injuries slowed him down. He hasn’t looked as explosive since his return, but the old Alford bounced back with some high-powered plays in this game, helping the Riders secure starting field position. He was a weapon early in the season and if he comes back in the playoffs, he could be the game-changer the team needs.
Shawn Benn Jr. was another player who may have moved things in the right direction. He had only three receptions for 20 yards, but was never able to get back to his 1,000-yard form in a single game. This was his first real action as a receiver this year, so it’s a good start. He’s exactly the type of player that could really get a lot out of these last few games, potentially giving Trevor Harris another weapon to work with. If nothing else, he will increase his stock in free agency.
Maier did what he could
Jake Maier got the call up at QB for the Riders because they gave Trevor Harris a week off, and he was completely fine. The stats won’t shock you seeing as he only had 15 completions for 123 yards, but he did exactly what he was asked to do in this game.
One of my main criticisms of Maier in Calgary was his unwillingness to push the ball down the field, so I give him points for at least trying to do that in this game. That said, he was certainly more effective when he turned to shorter and intermediate throws.
There’s not going to be any QB controversy or anything like that, but Maier is just getting reps to be alert if the Riders need him in big moments. He accomplished that.
Caller-Oh no, he got hit again
The biggest story of this game from the riders’ perspective may actually be on defense. Again, this was a unit that was missing many regulars, but it didn’t matter.
He was constantly in Zach Collaros’ face, and knocked him to the ground on several occasions. The pass rush was so effective that, late in the game, the Bombers ran a screen for Brady Oliveira, and it looked like almost every other play Winnipeg ran.
There have been some holes on defense this year due to injuries, but this game should give Saskatchewan confidence that if there are any injuries or issues come playoff time, the depth players should be able to step up.
kicking it into gear
It feels like every week this year, we’ve had a significant update. As you can see from tonight’s final score, some of these games are going to come down to a kick or two.
The above comment about players finding their rhythm certainly applies to Brett Lawther, who needs to get the Riders right for the playoffs. He missed another kick in this game, but it was a 48-yarder, so it was definitely no kick. This wasn’t even his worst mistake this season. He should continue to build confidence over the past few weeks, which the riders will be hoping for.
On the punting side of things, Jesse Mirko was excellent, pinning Winnipeg to their own five on a few occasions, which helped the defense greatly. Now, if they had punted in the end zone, maybe it’s a different game, but you would definitely take advantage of the field position that the Riders’ punting game gave them.
final thoughts
Saskatchewan was not going to show anything in this game that would dramatically change anyone’s opinion of them in the postseason.
It was almost the best situation for the Riders because they stayed healthy and the guys that were there competed and it didn’t look like the team was going through anything. The cherry on top will be beating your rivals in a game that means everything to them.
Now we have one more dress rehearsal before this team plays the biggest game of the year. Due to the bye in the West Semifinals, I’m hoping we’ll see some more regular players at least start next week’s game against BC so they don’t have to take a month off between games.
