WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – PRESSURE BUSTS PIPES

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)

SO FAR, SO GOOD FOR CODY FAJARDO AND THE SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS.

THE GREEN & WHITE ENTER WEEK 2 TIED FOR FIRST IN THE CFL WEST WITH WINNIPEG AT 1-0. AS YOU KNOW, THE RIDERS SURVIVED A SCARE, HOLDING ON TO BEAT BC 33-29 IN WEEK 1 AFTER THE LIONS SPOTTED THEM A 31-0 LEAD.

I STILL DON’T THINK WE’RE DONE TALKING ABOUT THAT GAME YET. FAJARDO EMERGED FROM THE GAME AS THE CFL’S FIFTH-LEADING PASSER WITH 230 YARDS, TWO TOUCHDOWNS AND ONE INTERCEPTION. HIS EFFICIENCY RATING OF 103.3 WAS FOURTH-BEST, AND I ALWAYS LOOK AT THAT.

SO MUCH MORE GOES INTO THOSE STATS THAN THE QUARTERBACK’S INDIVIDUAL PLAY. CHIEF AMONG THEM IS THE PLAYCALLING BY NEW OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR JASON MAAS WHO APPEARS TO BE TAILOR-MADE FOR CODY.

THAT INCLUDES SPREADING THE BALL AROUND TO SIX DIFFERENT RECEIVERS, NONE OF WHOM WERE TARGETED FEWER THAN THREE TIMES.

IT WAS A FAIRLY BALANCED ATTACK AGAINST BC AND LET’S NOT FORGET THE RIDERS ONLY GAVE UP TWO SACKS. (THEIR OFFENSIVE LINE WAS UNDER THE GUN GOING INTO THE SEASON).

AFTER FRIDAY’S GAME, CODY DID AN EXTRA EMPHATIC FIST PUMP AT THE FINAL GUN. I GOTTA THINK IT WAS DUE TO THE PRESSURE HE’S FACING AS THE QUARTERBACK OF CANADA’S MARQUEE FOOTBALL FRANCHISE.

GM JEREMY O’DAY SAID HE DOESN’T WANT CODY TO THINK THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD IS ON HIS SHOULDERS, EVEN THOUGH WE ALL KNOW IT IS. THE TERM “SOPHOMORE JINX” HAS BEEN THROWN AROUND LIBERALLY.

FOR AT LEAST ONE WEEK, CODY FAJARDO PROVED THE DOUBTERS WRONG AND SHOVED THE BALL DOWN THEIR THROATS. THE FANS CONTINUE TO LOVE HIM, AND FOR GOOD REASON. ALTHOUGH HE’S ALWAYS BEEN QUICK TO POINT OUT THEY WON’T LOVE HIM AS MUCH AFTER A FEW BAD OUTINGS.

IN FOOTBALL THEY SAY PRESSURE BUSTS PIPES. BUT IT ALSO PRODUCES DIAMONDS.

AND UNTIL I SEE DIFFERENTLY, THAT’S WHAT THE RIDERS HAVE IN CODY FAJARDO.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY

(Photo: Roughriders)