davis: winless in seven cfl games it's fair to ask: are the saskatchewan roughriders really bad?
nobody wants to hear about moral victories in the middle of a skid, but here they are anyway ...
sep 9 2024
4 minute read
winnipeg blue bombers' brady oliveira (20) runs for the first down against the saskatchewan roughriders during the first half of cfl banjo bowl action in winnipeg saturday, september 7, 2024.
john woods
/
the canadian press
funny what a seven-game winless streak stirs up. in particular, the naysayers have started deriding everything about the saskatchewan roughriders after the cfl team lost 26-21 to the winnipeg blue bombers in the annual banjo bowl:
it was a mistake to hire corey mace as the riders head coach.
offensive co-ordinator marc mueller has become too bland and predictable in his play-calling.
they’re not winning with the expensive, old veteran, so replace starting quarterback trevor harris with backup shea patterson.
the defence needs to play more man-to-man coverages, fewer zones.
defensive tackle miles brown is a dirty player. (that comes primarily from the winnipeg blue bombers president and fans, who are frequently mistaken.)
in his first stint as a head coach, mace shouldn’t do double-duty as the defensive co-ordinator because it’s hurting his in-game strategies.
general manager jeremy o’day can’t find enough talent to fill the roster.
ya, ya, ya. we’ve heard them all. everything is debatable, but this boils down to one question: are the roughriders really bad?
their 5-7-1, third-place record says the roughriders aren’t great. they’re middle-of-the-pack, but not entirely bad. the answer has been muddied by their recent troubles and nobody wants to hear about moral victories in the middle of a winless skid, but here they are anyway …
other than an embarrassing loss to the edmonton elks, the roughriders have been within winning distance throughout the entire streak, despite finding novel ways to lose — their star returner fumbling a punt into the end zone, coaches botching the final seconds of clock management, their usually reliable kicker missing four field goals or the cfl’s command centre intervening where it never should have intervened.
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little things keep going wrong, causing losses. at the start of the season, when they won five of their first six games, those little things like turnovers and costly penalties and late-game scoring plays were going in saskatchewan’s favour.
although they haven’t won since mid-july and are certainly frustrated, their morale remains high and they undoubtedly believe in mace, his methods and his assistants. nobody has turned on anyone.
o’day hired the right head coach. and any gm who has found — because of injuries — 15 players capable of playing adequately along his team’s offensive line has proven his worth.
there are some valid ideas among the criticisms, with some minor tinkering required, particularly when urging mueller to diversity his offence or imploring mace to blitz his defenders more often, just to let everyone see if his defensive backs can cover opposing receivers man-to-man. mace could also turn the defensive play-calling duties over to his long-time assistant, joshua bell, so the boss can challenge the right calls, oversee in-game strategies and focus on clock management, the most important duties of a head coach.
on offence, mueller has been somewhat hamstrung with a decimated offensive line that doesn’t allow harris many opportunities to throw deep. some running plays would help.
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there aren’t many qbs better at making quick throws than harris, so suggestions to replace him are ridiculous. at 38, playing well and even scrambling on occasion, harris may not be saskatchewan’s quarterback of the future, but for this season he gives them the best chance to win.
after two crushing, non-playoff seasons the roughriders needed a change. mace has quickly instilled a respectful, family culture into every aspect of the franchise. maybe some fans don’t care about the professionalism shown by the staff and players because football is a win-or-else business, but this may be the most mature, respectful and accountable group ever assembled in green and white.
that matters little if the team is losing. with the way the roughriders came roaring out of the gates, who would have thought they would endure their third straight season with a seven-game winless streak, dredging up comparisons to the previous two seasons?
with games remaining against the high-flying b.c. lions and ottawa redblacks, one more against the much-improved elks and two against the lowly calgary stampeders, the roughriders may have lost their grip on a home playoff game. but they are certainly capable of making the playoffs as a top-three team in the west.
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the roughriders have a bye this weekend. perfect timing. losing is embarrassing. it’s also contagious. maybe they can go into quarantine and come out healthy
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