FRIDAY COMMENTARY – CHANGING OF THE GUARD?
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)
OF ALL WEEKS OF THE 12 SO FAR THIS CFL SEASON, THIS ONE IS THE MOST PIVOTAL. FOR AT LEAST TWO TEAMS.
THE CALGARY STAMPEDERS MADE THE DIFFICULT DECISION TO SIT VETERAN QUARTERBACK BO LEVI MITCHELL THURSDAY NIGHT AND GO WITH SOPHOMORE JAKE MAIER IN THE WEEK 12 OPENER AT WINNIPEG.
MAIER IS CLEARLY THE FUTURE OF THE STAMPS FRANCHISE, BUT HAS THE FUTURE TRULY ARRIVED? I LEARNED FROM MY TIME IN CALGARY THIS YEAR HOW MUCH THE STAMPEDERS RESPECT AND ADMIRE BO.
THIS COULDN’T HAVE BEEN AN EASY DECISION.
MAIER THREW FOR 294 YARDS, 3 TOUCHDOWNS AND NO INTERCEPTIONS IN A 31-29 LOSS TO THE BOMBERS.
WAS IT ENOUGH TO EARN MAIER A START NEXT WEEK? AND WHAT’S THIS MEAN FOR THE FUTURE OF BO LEVI, WHOSE CONTRACT EXPIRES AT THE END OF THE YEAR?
BUT ENOUGH ABOUT CALGARY.
FOR THE ROUGHRIDERS, FRIDAY NIGHT’S GAME AT BC IS EVEN BIGGER BECAUSE IF THEY CAN’T GET CODY FAJARDO GOING, THEY’RE SUNK.
THE LIONS ARE FAVOURED BY 4-POINTS DESPITE THE FACT CANADIAN QUARTERBACK MICHAEL O’CONNOR IS MAKING HIS FIRST CAREER START.
THAT’S HOW MUCH FAITH THE ODDSMAKERS HAVE IN THE RIDERS, AND FAJARDO. CODY’S COMMENTS IN THE MEDIA ON MONDAY ABOUT BEING PULLED LAST WEEK RAISED EVEN MORE CONCERNS THAN HIS PLAY.
HOW IN THE WORLD DID WE GET HERE?
OF COURSE I’M TALKING TO OLD FOOTBALL COACHES ALL ACROSS THE CONTINENT AND FROM WHAT THEY SEE, FAJARDO’S PROBLEMS ARE ALL MENTAL (NOT TO MENTION THE RIDERS HAVEN’T SUPPLIED HIM WITH THE ADEQUATE TOOLS, THEY FEEL).
OH HOW I’D LOVE TO PAIR FAJARDO UP WITH ONE OF THE MANY GREAT MENTAL COACHES I KNOW IN PRO SPORTS BUT ANYTIME I’VE OFFERED THEM TO THE RIDERS, THEY WEREN’T INTERESTED.
SO AGAIN, HERE WE ARE.
BUT WE’VE SEEN THAT CODY HAS THE ABILITY. WE SAW IT IN 2019 WHEN HE WAS NAMED WEST DIVISION MVP. SO WE KNOW IT’S THERE.
WILL IT BE THERE TONIGHT?
THIS ISN’T NECESSARILY A MUST-WIN GAME FOR THE RIDERS BUT IT IS FOR CODY FAJARDO.
IF HE FAILS, IT COULD BE HIS LAST START. AND DEPENDING ON WHAT GOES DOWN IN CALGARY, YOU MAY WANT TO PUT IN AN ORDER FOR A GREEN “19 MITCHELL” JERSEY.
THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET & 10 pm PT on Game+ TV across Canada and the USA. Call your cable provider to subscribe. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)
Mitchell can still play but has an expensive contract . The stamps have a worthy successor in Maier with a cheaper price tag . The Riders have an expensive starter who’s lost his mojo and no apparent successor. It’s a bad situation and the Riders really need to focus on scouting and development instead of going for a quick fix via expensive and risky free agent signings . They have a history of not working out in Regina .
You know who sent Jake Maier to Calgary? – Former Als Head Coach Dan Hawkins. He worked with Ryan Dinwiddie. Our problem is simply this. The talent tap has been shut off. Roy Shivers, Eric Tillman, Chris Jones – these guys are vagabond football men and have contacts all over. Jim Popp relied on his Dad’s buddies and the NFL scouts. What I see in Saskatchewan is this. I really like Al Ford as a person. He got that GM job as he was a good boy and would laugh at the moron section of the knucklehead’s club: John Lipp,… Read more »
It’s a shame that Cody’s career is at this stage. Zack’s success, Nathan’s success, etc. is as a result of effective pass blockers on the offensive line. Zack and Nathan have had plenty of time to look over the field, do their reads, pick out secondary receivers or check downs. Cody has had none of that this year. He has been harassed from the first game. Can we wait for our o-linemen to develop into adequate players? Likely not this year and we’ll miss out on being in the Grey Cup at home. Next year will be too late as… Read more »
Cody had a great 10 game stretch and the Riders brass made him the highest paid player in Rider history… Since then he’s been the 5th or 6th best QB in the league. We made a mistake! Time to cut our losses and move on! Cody has made his money and will be a great back up for a few more years in this league… Nothing wrong with that.