OUT OF THE TUNNEL: A DEEP DIVE INTO FRIDAY’S GAME

BY: RODPEDERSEN.COM STAFF

With Raptors Fever gripping much of the country this weekend and others pitted in on the Stanley Cup Final, most Canadians are not thinking about football. Not so in these parts.

Many were salivating at the chance to watch the Saskatchewan Roughriders hit the field for the first time this season on prime-time television.

Sure the game wasn’t great, but the first pre-season game isn’t supposed to be. It’s the first CFL action for the rookies, the first taste of Canadian football for the young Americans, and a chance to knock the rust off for the returning players.

This game was ALL of that. The Riders 37-1 loss to the Calgary Stampeders from opening kickoff to the final gun doesn’t mean a thing on paper, but the film the players put up symbolizes all of the weights they’ve lifted and speed work they’ve put in during the off-season and the lengthy hours spent learning and grinding during the first two weeks of training camp.

Without the benefit of time to completely breakdown the game or the All-24, here’s a quick look at a few things from Friday night:

– Zach Collaros received the veteran courtesy and got to miss the game which meant Cody Fajardo got the nod. He played the first quarter and a little in the second courtesy the Riders’ best drive of the football game, but more on that in a bit.

– David Watford stepped in and played until midway through the third when rookie Isaac Harker took over until late in the fourth when Ty Gangi took a few snaps.

– Offensively it wasn’t great. I don’t think anyone expected fireworks. It was the Stephen McAdoo offence we have seen a lot of, especially in 2018.

– The Stampeders played a lot of potential starters in the first few offensive and defensive drives, so it was hard for Fajardo to get things going.

– The best drive of the day came late in the first quarter and was a prime example of what the offence looks like when it’s working well. Fajardo led the offence on a 13-play, 79-yard drive that took 5:59 off the clock. Unfortunately, the Riders couldn’t cowboy up and punch the ball in from the one-yard line. The drive ended right there with no points on the board.

– The rest of the game saw some solid play but there were dropped passes, missed assignments and some overall out of sync play that plagues the first pre-season game.

– David Watford was very average. He has an unreal arm but is still a thrower and hasn’t matured to a passer yet. This is a tough spot for the Riders. If Fajardo is cementing himself as the backup to Collaros, it would be smart for the Riders to keep a younger arm than Watford. He needs to have a great finish to camp to keep himself in the mix.

– A couple of shout-outs. First to receiver Brock McCoin who looked super old-school with the loose white sleeves and the knot in the back of the jersey. He looked great until injuring his hand. Secondly, to Braden Schram who played the whole game at centre. He has some loose snaps back to the quarterback, but other than that had a solid game.

– Defensively the Riders ran into a buzz saw in the first quarter facing Bo Levi Mitchell and much of the starting Stampeder offence. With most of the potential starting Rider defence at home, the top player in the CFL smelled blood and went for the throat early.

– The rest of the game was a grind as the defence spent a lot of time on the field.

– It was the return of Elie Bouka. The defensive back was forgotten by many fans (and admittedly even here) but it looks like he is ready to grab a starting spot on the Rider defence.

– Also, a solid game by the defensive line, especially early. The starting foursome was back in Saskatoon and the group that started the game was able to stop the run and kept the Riders in the game for as long as they could.

– Special teams saw some solid coverage and some pretty good tackling considering the lack of hitting in camp. We will leave the rest to the game film as this is where CFL careers will begin and some unfortunately will end.

– Thursday night at Mosaic Stadium will be a blast. We will all get to see the potential game one starters on both sides of the football and a taste of what’s to come for the Green and White and what the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will have in store for the 2019 season.

WETENHALLS GIVE THE KEYS BACK

Even with all of the action finally starting on the field, sadly much of the headlines were about the CFL taking over the Montreal Alouette franchise.

Earlier in the week, it was reported the Als lost $12-million in 2018 and $25-million over the past three seasons. Not a great situation for what has been a struggle for owner Robert Wetenhall, even when the Alouettes were winning.

The CFL is only as strong as their weakest link. One of the biggest worries for many of the successful franchises in the CFL usually doesn’t start at home but rather concerns the health of the league.

It is critical for commissioner Randy Ambrosie and the CFL front office to take the steps needed for the health of the league now and into the future. Does that future involve a franchise in Montreal? Only time will tell.