The Saskatchewan Roughriders are [metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”spread-away” query=”531030″ site_id=”3downnation”] point underdogs entering their Week 7 matchup with the B.C. Lions, thanks in part to a wide disparity at the quarterback position.
26-year-old Mason Fine will be making his third career start for Saskatchewan and first of the season following the loss of veteran Trevor Harris to a tibial plateau fracture. Meanwhile, the Riders’ defence will be tasked with containing Lions’ QB Vernon Adams Jr. — one of the league’s hottest passers through the first third of the season.
“Our guys know it’s a big challenge,” head coach Craig Dickenson admitted to the Regina media this week. “Our guys know it’s going to be one of those games where probably not a lot of people are picking us to win.”
Adams has been on a tear through the Lions’ first five games, completing a league-leading 71.5 percent of his passes. Entering Week 7, the 30-year-old pivot was second in the CFL with 1,540 yards and nine passing touchdowns, hot on the heels of Winnipeg’s Zach Collaros with a game in hand.
The lone hiccup came two weeks ago during a clash with the undefeated Toronto Argonauts. B.C. suffered its first loss of the season by a resounding 45-24 margin due to a bizarre six-interception outing from their star quarterback.
Adams bounced back with a turnover-free win against the Montreal Alouettes and is now coming off a bye week. Still, some have suggested that other teams could emulate the Argos’ strategy in that game and replicate the results.
Dickenson is not among them, saying he came away from watching that particular game film even more impressed with VA than he was before.
“We looked at some of the coverages (Toronto) ran, but I just think it was one of those games where B.C. was playing from behind and Vernon’s aggressiveness just shines through,” the veteran coach explained.
“I honestly think the six picks he threw in that game were a testament to his character more than if he’d only thrown three and shut it down. He was pushing the ball downfield, trying to make plays, trying to will his team to victory. I think that was one of those games where you could tell he’s a never-say-die guy and he’s gonna keep slinging it until the end.”
Adams has battled inconsistency throughout his CFL career but has protected the football remarkably well during his time in B.C. In his 10 starts for the team outside of the Toronto game, he’s thrown just three picks, with that single performance tripling his total in orange.
The Riders sit middle of the pack in terms of pass defence but are tied for second in the league with seven interceptions, including a pair of game-winners from Nick Marshall. Unfortunately, they’ve struggled to disrupt the rhythm of opposing passers, boasting a league-worst seven sacks.
Defensive end Pete Robertson knows that has to change this week.
“Them guys like to get the ball out real quick, he’s quick with his reads. An elusive quarterback, he can get out of the pocket and make plays with his feet,” he told reporters.
“What we’ve got to do is execute. We’ve got to get to him, try to get him off his throwing point, try to get a hand in his face. He’s not a taller guy, so try to get your hands in those windows, try to get some of those balls batted down. But pretty much the thing is we have to execute up front.”
The rest will be up to Fine and the offence, with Dickenson remaining confident in his young signal-caller’s ability. Most analysts immediately faded the Riders after their starter was lost to injury, but out-duelling VA and the Lions could change that assessment.
“I think they all are measuring sticks in some ways, but this certainly will tell us where we’re at,” Dickenson said. “We know we want to have a good outing and we want to be competitive and have a chance to win at the end, so we’ll see what happens. We’ve had a good week and we expect to be in this game. We expect to win it.”
The Riders (3-2) and Lions (4-1) will kick off at 7:00 p.m. EDT on July 22.
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