OUT OF THE TUNNEL: PLAYOFF BOUND
BY: RODPEDERSEN.COM STAFF
Chalk.
Most know it as the writing tool formerly used in classrooms or what kids use to draw on sidewalks.
It’s also a betting term where someone is betting heavy favourite with very low odds. The term is also expanding into sports slang where the favourites always win.
Chalk sums up the Saskatchewan Roughriders 41-16 demolition of the Toronto Argonauts at BMO Field on Saturday night.
From the opening drive until the final gun, the Argos didn’t stand a chance against a well-rested and clearly motivated Green and White club.
Since it was a chalky game, here is your chalk edition of Out of the Tunnel:
– The Argos geared up to stop William Powell and the Rider run game. They did half of that as Cody Fajardo gouged the Double Blue for 80 yards along the ground and a score.
If a team wants to stop the Riders they will have to win the game in the trenches. Stop the run and have solid gap integrity, but with the way the Riders offensive line is playing, it will always be a big task for any interior defence.
– On the other side of the football, the Riders got most of their pressure from up the middle. With the changes to football at every level, interior pressure is the first key to victory. Micah Johnson may have played his best game of the season and is getting loose at the right time.
As for the Argos, with the BC Lions offensive line slowly improving from atrocious to bad, the Argos may have the worst offensive line in the CFL.
– A quick example of the anatomy of a bad team came with Toronto’s last drive of the first quarter. Their defence had the Riders pinned deep in their own end and after a solid punt, the Argos still had great field position at the Rider 54-yard line.
After the left tackle was called for illegal procedure, the Argos went two-and-out, had an illegal punt and the field was instantly flipped.
The Riders didn’t score but, with the score still tied 3-3, it was a huge swing in momentum.
– Big shout out to veteran Canadian receiver Cory Watson. He is having another solid season and the Riders offence is better when he is in the lineup.
– We love when the Riders go with the two tight end sets. They have a lot of success with it including Albert Awachie picking up his second catch of the season and the obvious 55-yard touchdown catch by Emmanuel Arceneaux in the fourth quarter (his first as a Rider).
This is heavy American football thinking, but the New England Patriots have had huge success with this package and we think it could trickle down into the CFL.
It’s an obvious run package but if an offence can consistently pass out of it, this could be incredibly lethal.
It also means more (or some) tight ends in the CFL!
– TSN is still having some difficulty producing the live mic broadcasts. When the mic’s are up, the replays are completely off the table and this comes even in crucial situations. Fingers crossed they can improve this broadcast experience soon.
– It’s been some lean years for the Toronto Argonauts. Since 2016 they are 20-47 and have made the playoffs just once, in 2017 with a 9-9 record that was good enough for first in the East.
This is a bad situation for a team in Canada’s biggest market.
It’s comparable to NCAA football.
It is popular across the United States but with the dominance of teams in the south over the past decade, it is inching closer to becoming a regional sport.
This is very much like the CFL. The league is incredibly regional and it starts in the prairies. It so badly needs success in the country’s three biggest cities to truly get back on track. We know a lot of fans in the prairies, Ottawa and Hamilton will say the CFL is just as good even with Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal not having any success. It may be, but the ad dollars are much larger if those three markets are playing and drawing well.
It’s going to be a fun game on Saturday with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers coming to town on a two-game losing streak. This is the biggest game of the season for both teams. The winner will take the season series and take a huge step into sealing a home playoff game in the West Division.
Look for the Riders to bounce back and beat up on a reeling Blue and Gold.
This Week in Canada West
The Saskatchewan Huskies have the Calgary Dinos’ number. The Huskies Adam Machart ran for 174 yards and a touchdown in the 29-15 victory.
Defending Hec Crighton award winner Adam Sinagra was knocked out of the game at halftime having thrown a pair of interceptions with Josiah Joseph not having much more success in the second half.
The loss puts the Dinos in a tie for first with the Alberta Golden Bears who beat up on the UBC Thunderbirds 40-20 on the road in Vancouver.
Brad Launhardt was stellar with 320 yards passing and two touchdowns with Ben Kopczynski being his favourite target as he had 141-yards receiving.
The Golden Bears defence had four sacks and two interceptions in the win.
The Regina Rams thought they were going to escape IG Field in Winnipeg with a win. Rams defensive back Brandon Brooks intercepted Manitoba Bisons quarterback Dez Catellier in the end zone with 1:04 remaining in the game and a 26-24 lead.
The Rams were unable to move the football and had to give the ball back to the Bisons with enough time to move the football to field goal position.
With no time remaining, Bisons kicker Matt Riley nailed a 39-yard field goal for the 27-24 victory.
Week 6 in Canada West (all times local):
Friday, October 4th
UBC (0-5) at Regina (1-4) 7:00pm Mosaic Stadium
Manitoba (3-2) at Saskatchewan (3-2) 7:00pm Griffiths Stadium
Saturday, October 5th
Alberta (4-1) at Calgary (4-1) 1:00pm McMahon Stadium
This Week in the PFC
It was a trio of blowouts in the Prairie Football Conference with the top-three teams all coming out on top with dominating road performances.
The Saskatoon Hilltops seal first in the PFC by drilling the Edmonton Wildcats 38-10. The Regina Thunder win their second in a row by tallying 66-points in the snow in Calgary for the 66-6 victory. The Edmonton Huskies keep pace with the Rams for second in the conference, taking out the Winnipeg Rifles 38-20.
Week 8 in the PFC (all times local):
Saturday, October 5th
Edmonton Wildcats (2-4) at Edmonton Huskies (4-2) 7:00pm Clarke Park
Sunday, October 6th
Winnipeg Rifles (1-5) at Regina Thunder (4-2) 1:00pm Leibel Field
Calgary Colts (1-5) at Saskatoon Hilltops (6-0) 1:00pm SMF Field
Canadian to Watch in the NCAA:
DE – Daniel Joseph (rs-Jr.)
Penn State (Big Ten)
6′ 3″ 260lbs.
Brampton, Ontario
High School – Lake Forrest Academy (Illinois)
Joseph has seen action in all three seasons with the Nittany Lions after redshirting his first season in 2016.
He is currently in a rotation of defensive linemen in 2019, Joseph has a sack and four total tackles. Joseph was also on the first CFL scouting watchlist for the upcoming 2020 draft.
His brother is 2017 CFL first round draft pick Faith Ekakitie and his cousin is current Calgary Stampeders defensive tackle Ese Mrabure.
(RODPEDERSEN.COM STAFF/PHOTO: TORONTO ARGONAUTS)
You refer to Toronto having gone through “lean years”. I think you should re-write that sentence. “Toronto has seen some lean years since 2016, except 2017 when the went 9-9 and WON THE GREY CUP!!” I think you really missed the boat with that one.
Russ from Saskatoon