THE MONDAY MORNING GOALIE

REGINA — Apologies this morning for the upcoming word-vomit.

I’m just going to open up and let it fly, with no real idea of where it’s going to land.

Here goes:

So hopefully training camp is now over.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders seemed to use the opening six games of the 2016 CFL season as just that: an extended version of training camp.  And no one around here seems to have a problem with that, given the fact Chris Jones and Co. took over a franchise coming off one of its Top 3 worst seasons in franchise history.

So through these opening six games and the accompanying 1-5 record, have we learned anything about this bunch?

I’m not sure.

Thursday’s 35-15 loss to the Stampeders in Calgary was more deflating than debilitating.  Through three quarters the stats were virtually identical, and up until the final minute of the third period it was a one-point ball game.

But over the final 16 minutes, Stampeders quarterback Bo-Levi Mitchell said, “Enough’s enough.  Time to get serious” and Calgary when on to fairly easily post 19 unanswered points and put the game away for another Rider loss in the Foothills.

Pshaw.  The current Rider woes really have nothing to do with Bo-Levi Mitchell and the Calgary Stampeders even if the Riders’ regular season losing streak at McMahon Stadium now dates back to August of 2009.  (That streak is hollow by the way, given the fact Saskatchewan won the 2010 and 2013 West Finals in Calgary but no one over there seems to remember that).

But back to the matter at hand.  The Roughriders took Thursday’s loss as hard as any I’ve seen in quite some time.  Several years in fact.

And when players and coaches stare straight ahead in a catatonic trance after a game like that, I often want to ask them what they’re thinking about.  But of course I never do, and settle instead for looking out the window on the bus or plane all the way home.

So what have we learned through the opening third of the season other than the fact Saskatchewan sports the CFL’s worst record?

Well, using last week’s game as a great example, the players are simply not making plays at this time.  The Riders are last in sacks, defensive takeaways, and are on pace to give up a record number of points.  That’s as alarming as it gets, for the time being.

If the Rider brass is wondering what the fans are unhappiest about the most, it’s the sack issue and lack of pressure on opposing quarterbacks.  So far, this has not been the Chris Jones Defense we expected or have become accustomed to over the years.  His is a pressure defense that seems to blitz more than 50 percent of the time but more often that not when I look down from the press box, the Riders are employing three down linemen on defense.

On Thursday night in Calgary, the Riders had 69 plays on defense.  They blitzed on 20 of them, or 29% of the time.  On the 49 snaps where they didn’t blitz, they deployed a 3-man rush on 28 plays or 57% of the time.  They used a 4-man rush on the remaining 21 plays.  They didn’t register a single sack on the night.

Is Jones not comfortable with his personnel?  Are the newbies not picking up the coach’s favourite schemes?  Is Jones saving those calls for the fall months?   I’m not sure, and frankly am hesitant to ask.

But as far as this team not making enough big plays goes, that’s the issue.  And they’re not rookies!  For the most part anyway.  It’s one thing for 12 new players to play together and know each other’s responsiblities, but it’s an entirely different thing to still be learning the Canadian game.  Sam Eguavoen, Kevin Francis, Jonathan Newsome and Justin Cox can be given a pass on that but Buddy Jackson, Shane Herbert, Justin Cappicciotti, Greg Jones, Otha Foster, Corey Irvin, and veterans of that ilk cannot.

Veterans on offense were on the hook for their share of gaffes against Calgary as well, like Darian Durant being unable to connect screen passes to Rob Bagg, or Bagg’s costly fumble in Stampeders’ territory midway through the second quarter.

Interestingly enough, the Riders have better first down success (7.2 yards) than anybody else in the CFL.  However again the culprit seems to be the defense, where Saskatchewan Winnipeg have given up the most big plays so far this year (21 each).

However the other surprising side of today’s story is that fans in the Wheat Province are vastly more positive than anyone would expect right now.

Bright and early at the coffee shop on Friday morning, the smiling young girl behind the counter said to me, “What did you think of the game last night?  I listened to you right up to the fourth quarter and we were still in it!  Maybe we can win this week!”

That one shocked me.  I was in a ball cap and sunglasses and if I could’ve found a fake nose and moustache, I’d have been wearing that too.  I was prepared for the usual barrage of, “‘Why aren’t they doing this?’  ‘Why are they playing him?’  ‘Why are they doing that?‘”

It gets very draining and maybe that’s why I was so deflated after the loss in Calgary; it meant one more week of being asked for answers that I simply don’t have.

But that never happened over the weekend.

Peoples’ heads are up around here, smiles are on their faces, and for the moment at least, they are positive.  They are still following this team’s every move, and have not given up on them.

Will it translate to ticket sales for this Saturday’s home game against the Calgary Stampeders (5:00 pm kickoff)?

Who knows.

There are many, many reasons to come to this game including the fact it’s the last-ever “summer” game at the old Mosaic Stadium during this Farewell Season because the Labour Day Classic is next up and that’s the annual kickoff to autumn.

To my knowledge the Riders will be honouring the 80’s era this weekend and there will be some very exciting franchise legends from the 1989 Grey Cup team flying in for the game.  Listen for details on the SportsCage on 620 CKRM this week, plus interviews with these guys.  The forecast calls for another sunny day, and 26 degrees Celsius.

Most importantly, Saturday’s game is the back-end of a home-and-home series with the Riders’ biggest rival and the game represents the kickoff to the “middle third” of the season.  The season is not lost in any way, especially when you consider Winnipeg and Edmonton are within the Riders’ grasp.  (Winnipeg is two wins up and Edmonton is only one game up with a whopping 12 games to go).

Who predicted Winnipeg and Edmonton to be scrapping it out in the mud when all is said and done?  Ah, never mind.

Maybe it’s this sunshiny summer that has everyone so upbeat and optimistic around here.  Maybe there’s something about Chris Jones that inspires Rider fans and makes them believe the next miracle is right around the corner.

I don’t know?  But for this week, I’ll take it.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to mop this mess up.