1st and Goal with Odog

The Green and White put forth a valiant effort in the final battle of the season. They came up just shy losing 23-20 to the second place Edmonton Eskimos. With that a season that has left many a fan, player and coach scarred emotionally comes to and end for Canada’s team.

Sasky Shake Up! As Ken Miller rides off into the sunset where will the team go from here? Jim Hopson will remain as President and CEO, this we know for sure. How will the rest to the front office and coaching staff shake out? The jury’s still out on whether Brendan Taman will remain as GM. Personally I think he stays and hopefully gets a chance to run the team like a conventional GM should, unlike the handcuffing structure of 2011. The next order of business will be to get a Head Coach in place and the sooner the better as this organization has their work cut out for them in the offseason. I am also of the mindset that the new bench boss should have the power to hire the coaching staff of his choosing. Hiring assistants that compliment the head coach’s philosophies is key to a winning organization. Once the coaching staff is in place then it’s time to decide on what the spring training player roster will look like.

Should I Stay or Should I Go Now! It’s decision time for a few of the Rider fan favorites. Most notably Jason Clermont, Barrin Simpson and Gene Makowsky. These gladiators have fought many a battle throughout their careers and now they have to decide if it’s time to hang up the cleats…….no easy decision for men that thrive off competition. What makes it even tougher is to go out on a low note. Out of these fierce competitors the one I feel for the most is the Minister of Defense Barrin Simpson. The 34 year old middle linebacker has been grinding it out in the CFL for 11 years and has never hoisted the Grey Cup.

As Rider Nation we may complain, question and muse over what went wrong in 2011……it’s our right as the best fans in the CFL. One thing is for certain, come June 2012 we will be just as amped up as we have been for each and every one of the past 10 seasons. I’ve got chills already with anticipation of Gang Green rushing out of the helmet to the roar of the crowd and the fire works as Rider Nation greets the 2012 edition of “Your Saskatchewan Roughriders”.

Be Loud and Proud!

Odog

1st and Goal with Odog

This past Saturday brought an end to CFL football for 2011 in the house that Ronnie and George built, Mosaic Stadium. The Riders played spoiler and came away with a 19-3 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the final home game for Green and White.

Defense Wins Games! That’s been said by many a coach and it is a philosophy every defensive player lives by. In gale force winds the Rider “D” came up with their best performance of the 2011 campaign. The mixture of cagy veterans and rookies implemented the bend but don’t break strategy that included 3 sacks and 4 interceptions, 2 of which were highlight real pics in the end zone keeping the Tabby’s from scoring. It was that combination of pressure on the quarterbacks as well as good downfield coverage that held the Black and Gold to only 3 points.

Time to Shine! As Rider Nation looks ahead to 2012 it was good to see a spark from some players getting their opportunity to play in “Garbage Time”. Ryan Dinwiddie played a solid game with good ball control and possibly redeemed himself following his previous 2 outings. Brandon West showed us some of those ankle breaking moves we grew accustomed to when watching a young Kenton Keith. A strong performance from Michigan Wolverine product Chris Graham at middle linebacker gave a possible glimpse into the future. Several others got their opportunity and played well giving the Green and White their 5^th win of the season.

Next up in the final game of the regular season…the Riders face the squad from the “Evil Empire” the Edmonton Eskimos. The Green and White will be looking to impact the West playoff standings and evaluate more of their young talent.

Be Loud and Proud!

Odog

1st and Goal with Odog

The Roughriders ended the drought on Friday Night Football versus the Calgary Stampeders. No they didn’t win the game; actually the final score was 25-13 in favour of the Stamps. The Green and White did, however, end the touchdown drought by scoring their first major in 5 games.

Turnabout is Fair Play! In 2007 the Riders signed free agent quarterback Drew Tate, a graduate from the University of Iowa who had been recently released from the St. Louis Rams. Fast forward 4 years and the Riders faced that same Drew Tate in his first CFL start now wearing Stampeder red. In a game that saw two 2007 Rider protégés face each other Tate looked sharp as he notched his first win over rival Darian Durant. Very exciting as far as the CFL is concerned to see these two “youngsters” step into their own in this league.

Hierarchy of the Head Honchos! It has been stated the remainder of Darian Durant’s season will be decided by a committee of head coach Ken Miller, President & CEO Jim Hopson and GM Brendan Taman. In order for the Rider organization to right the “Last Saskatchewan Pirate Ship” they need to figure out who the true Captain of the boat is. The current unorthodox management scheme is obviously not the ticket to landing a long term head coach or a winning team.

Up in the Air! That is exactly what the Rider roster is going into Saturday’s game against the TiCats. One can only assume Darant is hanging up the cleats for the remainder of the year. Is it possible Cole Bergquist will get his first CFL start? Hopefully the game will showcase some more of the Riders’ up and coming stars and provide opportunity to evaluate players in a game situation.

Log Jam! With only two weeks left in the regular season the playoff picture isn’t any clearer. In the west Edmonton sits alone in 1^st place at 10-6 with both Calgary and BC right behind them at 9-7. In the east Winnipeg and Montreal sit tied for 1^st at 10-6 with Hamilton close behind at 8-8. Buckle up CFL fans the road to the grey cup is going to be a thriller.

Be Loud and Proud!

Odog

1st & Goal with Odog

The Roughriders dropped a heart breaker at home to the BC Lions on Saturday 29-18. The loss puts an end to Rider’s playoff hopes and brings out the all too familiar Saskatchewan saying “Maybe Next Year”.

The End of an Era! 2011 now marks the first time the Riders have missed the playoffs since 2001. A trip through the past decade starts in the Roy and Danny era where the club crawled out of the basement to hover around the .500 mark year after year and found ways to make the playoffs. Move ahead to the pinnacle of the past 10 years when the Green and White won the 3^rd Grey Cup of the team’s history in Toronto with Eric Tillman and Kent Austin at the helm. 2008 saw a bit of a hiccup under Ken Miller and way too many broken legs! Next Gang Green rebounded to make Grey Cup appearances in both 2009 and 2010 both times falling short to the Alouettes. 2011 sees the Green and White fall back down the stairs into that same basement, leaving all of Rider Nation scratching their heads and wondering what went wrong. When you take a bird’s eye view it’s been good times in Riderville over the past decade and we can only wonder what is to come in 2012 and beyond.

Casting Call! In Coach Miller’s post game press conference he mentioned that whole sale changes can’t be made at this point due to the salary cap implications. Even so it begs the question who is in and who is out for 2012. Some of the names mentioned already for possible exit are Gene Makowsky, Baron Simpson, Wes Cates and Dario Romero among others. Not to say their play hasn’t been good, but a lot may come down to age, retirement and the direction the team chooses to go. The remaining games of 2011 bring a perfect stage to test some of talent already here and give them some more reps. There are several receivers and linemen already in Riderville waiting for their opportunity. Brandon West has brought some electricity to the stage and should be given some more touches at running back to see what he’s made of. This could definitely provide the organization with some extra evaluation time in preparation for “Next Year”.

Colour Blind! Staring through the green tinted glasses of Rider Nation it will be a tough pill to swallow come November when there is no green to be found in the CFL playoffs. However, Roughriders and Argos aside, it has been an exciting year around the league and with all the talk of parody in the sport today the CFL has found just that. We now know which six teams will be in the playoffs, but the order in how they finish is completely up in the air with 3 weeks to go. This still leaves us with 6 quality weeks of CFL football leading up to the battle for Earl Grey’s coveted trophy!

Be Loud and Proud!

Odog

1st and Goal with Odog

The Saskatchewan Roughriders gave up their third loss in a row in Edmonton at Commonwealth Stadium on Sunday. Not only did they lose the game they have now gone more than 13 quarters without scoring a touch down and have been outscored 99-9 in the past 3 games.

On a Wing and a Prayer! The playoff door in the West Division was slammed shut on the Riders with the loss to the Eskimos. The only way Canada’s Team can now make it into the postseason is via the East Division.  The Green and White need to win all 4 remaining regular season games while relying on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to lose their next 4 games to earn the crossover playoff spot. There is still hope for a playoff berth, but they way it sits right now that’s about all it is……hope.

Wild Wild West! The Riders are out of the West playoff race, but for the 3 teams remaining what a race it is! Calgary, Edmonton and BC all currently sit with a piece of the 1^st place pie and a record of 8-6. With 4 games remaining it is set to be a sprint to see who gets the 1^st place and a ticket to the West Final. Add in the fact that that Montreal and Winnipeg are tied for 1^st in the East with records of 9-6 its set to be a heck of a ride heading into the CFL playoffs.

Seize the Moment! With only a glimmer of a playoff hope left for the Riders, opportunity may come knocking for some second stringers and practice rooster guys. Most notably with Darian Durant suffering from a broken foot one can only think it will be a tandem of Ryan Dinwiddie and Cole Bergquist handling the quarterback duties for the remainder of the season. A lot of the key personnel will remain the same, but should that playoff glimmer fade out it might be a chance to try out some other young talent, like Nick Hutchins or Dan Clark on the O-line and give some of the seasoned old boys a rest. For those that do see playing time due to this ill-fated situation they must capitalize on the opportunity and seize the moment with 2012 looming in the distance.

Let’s hope the Riders find focus, determination, and luck with their 2011 playoff lives on the line. CFL post season without the Green and White just isn’t right!

Be Loud and Proud!

Odog

1st and Goal with Odog

Another week is in the books and with that another sub par performance by the Green and White with a 40-3 loss to the Stamps. How quickly Ken Miller goes from genius to the leader of the west’s worst team. All of Rider Nation, much like the play of Gang Green, is floundering and grasping for a way to stay positive.

By the Numbers! With Saturdays ugly performance the Riders need to look deep inside themselves, conjure up any remaining courage, resiliency and pride and  pay homage to the football gods if they hope to see post season action. The Green and White find themselves, mathematically, still in a chase for playoff spot. However it is a long shot, here’s how it shakes out; a combination of 1 Rider loss and 1 win by each of the Western foes knocks the Riders out of a West Division playoff spot. The East Division crossover battle is a little more complicated in that if the Riders and the TiCats are tied in the standings come October 29, the contest between the two could be the decider. If so the Riders would need to beat the Tabbies by more than 30 points. This would put the Green and White into the crossover contention with 1 game remaining. Keep in mind the Riders need to win the next 3 games and Hamilton needs to lose the next 3 games to get into that scenario.

Catch a Wave! It appears the Riders 3 game win streak was merely a swell created by the coaching change. That wave crashed ashore 2 games in a row with the Riders getting blown out of the water in back to back games. Football is a game of emotions! The squad that chooses to put everything on the line and play cohesively as a team with great heart and intensity will come out on top. Coaching can only take you so far, the responsibility is then on the players themselves to pull together as a unit and do the little things right.

Put Me in Coach! Two games in a row I have found myself looking for a quarterback change. Against the Stamps it should have happened as early as the 2^nd quarter. When Darian Durant struggles the entire offence struggles. Possibly a different look from a backup QB could turn the game around before it is out of reach. Edmonton tried it early in Friday nights contest against BC by pulling Ricky Ray in favour of Kerry Joseph. BC still won the game, but Joseph marched the ball and put some points on the board. I understand, Durant is our guy, the Riders have made that quite clear and I agree. I also realize there are other factors such as the play of the offensive line,  but getting blown out and not scoring a major in two consecutive games tells me you have to shake it up.

The Riders have the talent, the coaching ability and the experience to win. It will be interesting to see how these last 5 weeks play out in the CFL.

Be Loud and Proud!

Odog

1st and Goal with Odog

The road to the Grey Cup took a dramatic detour for Canada’s Team following the horrific 42-5 loss to the BC Lions on Saturday at Mosaic stadium. The loss finds the Saskatchewan Roughriders two games back of the Lions for the last playoff spot in the west with only 6 games to go.

Cooler Heads Prevail! The Riders played quite possibly their most undisciplined game to date under the Ken Miller regime. Major fouls, an ejection from the game and a inexcusable number of return yards called back because of penalties killed the Green and White. Add in half a dozen turnovers and it’s not hard to put your finger on what went wrong…….Discipline and Focus that’s what went wrong!

Rough Day at the Office! Darian Durant had a tough day versus the Lions. He looked uncomfortable behind center and often stepped up in the pocket only to fire the ball out of bounds. When your leader is struggling it is contagious, so why not get him out of there? It seems to go against some kind of code of ethics to even consider pulling your starting QB. Tell me what’s wrong with pulling the starting pivot at some point in the game? Let him have a look from the sidelines at what is developing on the field and then slide him back in after a few series. I am still a fan of Durant and he is our guy, but everybody has a bad day. It just so happens that Durant had a bad day in a very crucial game and a change should have been made earlier.

Cagy Veterans! Experienced players bring something extra when they are on the field. They play the part of on-field coach, and in the defensive secondary this is especially key. We go back through recent years where the Riders had Omar Morgan and Eddie Davis directing traffic in the secondary. In Saturday’s loss the Riders were missing that leadership and the Lions took full advantage. Lance Frazier was a scratch late in the week with a leg injury. Frazier is not only a solid defensive half back, he’s the Defensive Captain, he’s a coach on the field, and he’s injured. Without Frazier there to keep the secondary on track, poor coverage and undisciplined play allowed Travis Lulay to pick them apart.

Exit Stage Right! The road to the playoffs may take a big detour if the Riders can pull it together. As the Green and White make their playoff bid they need to focus their sights not only on their western opponents, but on the Hamilton Ticats as well. The Ticats are also two games up on the Riders and should the Beasts from the East falter the Riders could make it to the playoffs via an eastern swing.  However to have any hope they need to put the BC game behind them and right the ship as they battle through a very tough last six games. Those last six games do include one game versus the Ticats and the other five against tough western opponents. The Riders have to string together some wins and hope all the cards play out in their favour or their season could be done early.

Be Loud and Proud!

Odog

1st and Goal with Odog

The Ken Miller undefeated streak continues with his Riders pulling off a 30–20 victory over the visiting Argos Saturday afternoon at Mosaic Stadium. The Riders now sit at a record of 4-7 and still last in the West, but they are looking better than their record shows over the past three games and are gunning for a playoff spot.

I Want the Ball! Winning the turnover battle is crucial to any win and the Riders came out ahead in that category Saturday. Key interceptions by James Patrick and Chris Graham played an integral part in the win.  The pick six by Graham in the dying minutes sealed the victory when the Riders failed to run the clock down on their own possession. Dario Romero also recorded a fumble recovery in the game, that if not for a quick whistle could have also gone for a touchdown.

Bend but Don’t Break! This was not the best performance of the year by the Rider “D”, but they got the job done. On four different occasions the Argos made their way downfield and into Rider territory only to come away with field goals on each opportunity. The defense seemed soft over the middle of the field, but tightened it up when their backs were against the wall. They will have to be stronger next week if they hope to beat the Leos, who are also showing some of the leagues best they know how to play ball too.

Touchdown Getzlaf! Chris Getzlaf is playing up to his potential after starting off the season a little slow. The homegrown receiver has six touchdowns over the last four games and seems to be money every time he touches the rock. Rider Nation has been looking to Andy Fantuz to draw double coverage and free up receivers since returning to the Green and White, but if Getzlaf keeps it up the opposition will have to key in on him. This just adds to the new excitement in the Rider receiving corps over the past couple weeks including the return of Fantuz and Cary Koch.

The Road to the Grey Cup Starts Now! If the Green and White have any hope of a return trip to the Grey Cup it starts next Saturday with a must win game versus the BC Lions. The Lions are 2 points up on the Riders for the last playoff spot in the West and have won their last four games. It will be no easy task for Miller and company when Wally and the boys come to town.

Be Loud and Proud!

Odog

1st and Goal with Odog

The Banjo Bowl saw the highly touted Blue Bombers looking to exact revenge on the 2-7 Roughriders following the events of Labour Day. The Riders would not let it happen as they came to play for the second week in a row and have all of Rider Nation excited once again.

 Relax, Focus and Play Your Game! Words to live by according to any football coach. In the case of the Riders it’s Head Coach Ken Miller who has the entire team relaxed, focused and ready to win. Players who looked to be under achieving early in the season have now found their groove, so much so that they look like the Green and White franchise that has gone to the Grey Cup three out of the past four years. Clearly these boys were not happy under Greg Marshall’s watch, that’s the only explanation for a team that has been able to turn the corner so quickly after changing the bench boss.

 TheButlerDid It! The Rookie Canadian Rider safety has shown signs all year that he can play ball, but the Banjo Bowl had to be Craig Butler’s breakout game.Butlerrecorded two interceptions and a helmet rattling sack on Buck Pierce. This performance coming from a kid fresh out of college, he will be the face of the Riders at safety for years to come if he can sustain this level of play.

 Lost and Found! It appears as if the Bombers defense has lost its swagger and it landed firmly in the lap of the Riders defenders. With a total of 3 sacks and 5 interceptions and a fumble recovery the Rider “D” made it a very long day at the office for the Bomber offence. Epic performances by James Patrick, Jerrell Freeman and Craig Butler paved the way for the Rider win.

 He’s Back! Andy Fantuz made his return to the Green and White on Sunday. Did he steal the show? My first reaction is; No he didn’t. However even though Fantuz only had two catches on the day he drew the attention of more than oneWinnipegdefensive back on several occasions. This equates to Weston Dressler being wide open on the 5 yard line or Chris Getzlaf easily getting in behind coverage for the big catch. The shear presence of the big slotback on the field changes the complexion of the Riders offence and is a huge lift to the team. Add in the stellar performance of Darian Durant and the high flying Green and White attack is back.

 Be Loud and Proud!

Odog

1st and Goal with Odog

The Riders recorded win #2 in the Labour Day Classic against the Bombers. The boys in green united with an epic performance from Rider Nation in the stands to steal the “swagger” away from the Blue and Gold.

Lighting a Fire! The Riders came away with a decisive win over the league’s best team. They played well in all facets of the game with the offence, defense and special teams all showing their best performance of the year. Under the direction of Ken Miller they seemed like a changed team and the men we expected to take the field in Week 1 of the season. The play book didn’t appear to have changed but motivation, drive and intensity sure did. Miller found a way to light a fire in the bellies of these gladiators to play like he believed they could.

Epic Performance! To win football games you have to play as a team and the Riders did just that. The defense didn’t allow a touchdown, the offence put points on the board and special teams won the field position battle. Miller had so much faith in his starting pivot that he gave Darian Durant the freedom to call a majority of his own plays and he looked the best we’ve seem him all year. Chris Milo atoned for his performance inTorontowith some booming punts and sending both field goal attempts through the uprights. Chris Getzlaf put both his receptions in the end zone and Weston Dressler had a tremendous diving one handed grab for another TD. New comer Dallas Baker looked good in his debut with the most receiving yards on the day. The defense brought pure intensity as a group forcing turnovers and bringing pressure all day long.

BattleScars! The intensity of the game mixed with the atmosphere of the Labour Day Classic resulted in some heated tempers in the latter stages of the game. The two teams let their emotions get away on them with three altercations that included two Bomber players, defensive back Brandon Stewart and slotback Cory Watson, being ejected from the game. The two teams combined for a total of 251 yards in penalties and are set to face each other in a rematch on Sunday afternoon in the Banjo Bowl. Will cooler heads prevail as the Riders try to prove they can right the ship and take down one the leagues best for a second time? It will be a game you don’t want to miss.

Be Loud and Proud!

Odog