As the old saying goes: they don’t ask how, just how many and that’s a good thing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. That’s because their first win over 2016 sure wasn’t pretty.
There were a few occasions where the Riders looked like they were starting to put it together only to become their own worse enemy soon after. First, they blocked a punt for a touchdown, taking a 16-9 lead. Instead of building off such a play, the defence quickly gave up a 47 yard touchdown pass to Brad Sinopoli making it a close game once again. In the fourth quarter, Naaman Roosevelt made a huge catch on the sideline putting his team in a goal situation. Rather than punching it in, centre Andrew Jones botched back-to-back snaps and the Riders were forced to settle for a field goal.
When all was said and done, the Riders didn’t have many toes left but they had enough to win.
That’s where this team does deserve a lot of credit. Last year, when the wheels started to come loose, they quickly fell off and the game was over. This year’s team has remained mentally tough for the most part despite their struggles. They nearly completed a comeback on the Eskimos in Edmonton and would have won if not for some passive defensive calling in the game’s final 30 seconds (more on that in a bit). There was a time in the third quarter when it felt like bolts on the wheels were coming loose for the Green and White. However, they did just enough to hang in there and eventually took advantages of some opportunities to pick up the win. Everyone played a part in this win with points coming from the offence and special teams while the defence made the last stand to clinch the win.
The Riders also got some good fortune when Redblacks quarterback Trevor Harris left the game during the first series with a leg injury. If he played, the outcome might have been totally different, but that’s football, as a former Riders head coach used to say.
Other thoughts
After getting passive on defence against the Eskimos in the final seconds, it appears Chris Jones learned his lesson. With around a minute left and a one point lead, the defence did not sit back and hope. Jones called what was one of, if not the biggest blitz of the night, taking down quarterback Brock Jensen. While we didn’t see too much pressure all night, the Riders got it when they needed it.
Mitchell Gale had himself a pretty good night for his first CFL start. Gale finished with over 350 yards passing with one touchdown and no interceptions. There was another lull offensively in the third quarter but he made some plays at the right time. Right now, Gale looks like the best backup not named Kevin Glenn the Riders have had since Drew Willy. However, it is just one game and anyone can look good once but there is reason for some level of optimism. Is Gale a future starter? That’s still up for debate but he might be a serviceable backup.
Naaman Roosevelt continued his stellar play. Roosevelt not only had 182 yards but made timely catches to give his team a chance. Right now, he’s probably my leading candidate for the Riders Most Outstanding Player nominee. Defensively, that nod might go to Justin Cox who just seems to make plays. Cox would have had a pick tonight if not for Brandon McDonald flying in at the last second causing a distraction.
Tyler Crapigna is proving to be worth Jerome Messam. The Riders aren’t running the football and Crapigna has missed just two field goal attempts this season. Oh, and his game winner on Friday was his first attempt from beyond 50 this year, no big deal.
