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B.C Lions, Come On Down! - 02/11/2008

The regular season is over. Eighteen games played and what do they all mean now? Nothing. The B.C Lions are coming to the hostile environment at Mosaic Stadium and they don’t care about anything that happened during the season. It doesn’t matter that the Saskatchewan defense was best in the league in fewest total yards allowed per game at 354, or lowest gain per pass by an offense at 7.3 yards per catch, or that the Riders were third in the league for fewest points allowed per game with 25.1. No, the Lions are coming into Saskatchewan with one goal… to win. The Riders defense is one of the best in the league, but that doesn’t matter. The defense’s job at this time of the year is to find a way to get the Riders a win. The Rider offense has struggled at times this year, therefore the Riders hopes at repeating fall heavily on the defense. As the old cliché goes, “Defense wins Championships”.

During the Riders Grey Cup run last year, the defense allowed all three opposing starting running backs a combined rushing yardage of under 100 yards. That is a phenomenal stat and if the defense wants to be successful again this post season they need to stop the run. The Lions offense relies on Stephan Logan to make big plays on the ground. Buck Pierce is hurting and struggling, but if Logan has a big game, then Buck’s job gets easier. Buck will have a very successful day if he can establish play action and be given lots of second and short opportunities. Maurice Lloyd, Anton McKenzie, Sean Lucas, and Renauld Williams will have to carry this defense like they did all season. Our linebackers are our greatest strength. Richie Hall will find ways to effectively blitz the linebackers and drop them into coverages at the right times to confuse Buck Pierce. John Chick has two games under his belt now and will be expected to provide consistent pressure for a defense that has struggled in that area this season. The best way for the Riders to eliminate B.C’s deep threat abilities is to get quick pressure. B.C has a tough offensive line, so for the Rider defensive line to be successful, they are going to have to do it on pure will power. This time of the year it’s not always who has more talent, but WHO WANTS IT MORE! B.C isn’t going to lay down for the Riders, so the defense has to protect home field and carry this team to another round. Second home playoff game in as many years… LETS GO RIDERS!

Bleeding Green,
Matt

Protect This House - 27/10/2008

In Saskatchewan’s final regular season home game of the season, the Roughriders defense had their most dominating performance to date. The defense not only forced 7 turnovers, not only picked up three sacks, but also scored two touchdowns! The Riders defense just wanted this game more. The Riders let everyone know they were ready to play early in the first quarter when their best player, Mo Lloyd, delivered a bone crushing hit on Eskimo quarterback Ricky Ray. The hit forced a fumble and Kitwana Jones picked up the ball and followed a convoy of Rider defenders into the end zone. The other defensive touchdown came early in the second quarter, when Renauld Williams continued his stellar play as he grabbed a ball tipped by Lance Frazier and took it to the house for a pick six.

Ritchie Hall called an excellent game and used many confusing packages with four and five linebacker packages. Ritchie solved the dilemma of what to do with four all-star caliber linebackers as Renauld Williams got to see lots of playing time without taking time from the usual starter Anton McKenzie. It was definitely good to see John Chick back and healthy as he provided a much needed pass rush recording a sack and a forced fumble in his return to the line-up. One last thing player wise, as big of a fan of James Johnson as I am, Hall and Miller have made a good decision in sitting him down for the past two games and giving Tad Kornegay the wide-side half back position. Johnson was struggling late in the season getting beat deep often, but Kornegay has been playing consistent in on the wide-side and really solidified the talented Rider secondary.

Last game of the regular season is an important one for the Riders. A win gives Saskatchewan a chance to host the West semi-final. Toronto has struggled this season, but Kerry Joseph will be motivated to at least win this last game against his former team. Toronto does not have a strong running game unless Joseph breaks the pocket. The challenge for the defense will be to keep Joseph contained. He is best when he is running and must be forced into being a pocket passer by the Rider defense. Toronto has struggled pass blocking this year and the defensive line needs to take advantage of that weakness. John Chick and Kitwana Jones have the difficult task of creating pressure, while keeping contain on Joseph in the pocket. Watch for Mo Lloyd to continue to lead his defense as the Riders look to keep their home playoff hopes alive. LET’S GO RIDERS!

Bleeding Green,
Matt

Time For A 3-4? - 20/10/2008

As I was watching the game against Hamilton I couldn’t help but be impressed by the play of Renauld Williams. He is in for injured weak side linebacker Anton Mckenzie, who himself is having a great year. Williams lead the Riders with 11 tackles in the game, while Mckenzie lead the Riders in tackles this season before he got injured. So with Mckenzie probable to return this week, who can you sit? The Riders have four very good linebackers and defensive line has provided little to no pressure all season. Sounds to me like four linebackers would make sense. For the Riders to have any pressure it seems they have to blitz a linebacker or defensive back. The benefit of a 3-4 defensive is that 90 percent of the plays a linebacker is blitz to make up for the loss of a d-lineman on the field. So instead of the offense always knowing where four guys are coming from every play, but in a 3-4, the fourth blitzer can come from any of the four linebackers and cause mis-matches at the line of scrimmage. Lloyd and Williams are really good pass rushers from the linebacking position and could really be used well in this system.

The downside of the 3-4 is that the defense may be faster, but give up a lot of size to the offensive line. The Riders are already undersized with KJ and Stevie Baggs at defensive end positions and even Scott Schultz might be a little small for a defensive tackle. So a 3-4 would cost a lot of size for the Riders defense. The other problem with bringing in a 3-4, it’s too late in the season. With only two games to play in the season, changing the whole defense would be a very risky move. Richie Hall already uses a lot of different formations in passing situations that also contains variations of a 3-4 defense. So to answer the question, “Is it time for a 3-4?”, probably not this season, but it is definitely something to be considered for next season.

As for Edmonton, this is a huge game in determining where the Riders finish this season in the standings. Basically, the loser of this game goes to the East, but if the Riders win, they still have a legitimate shot at a home playoff game. With quarterback questions for the offense, the defense has to take their game to another level. Ricky Ray is the most accurate quarterback in the league and loves to hit receivers over the middle with short crossing routes. The secondary has not played well of late and will need to get their game back this week if they hope to be successful. The secondary’s biggest problem is that opposing quarterbacks have had zero pressure on them without the Riders blitzing. The defensive line must get some pressure to help out the defensive backs. Last, the linebackers have to contain A.J Harris early so that Ray is forced into a lot of second and long situations where he has had problems in the past. The defense will be ready to play in this one as it is basically a playoff game. LET’S GO RIDERS!

Bleeding Green,
Matt

Not Ready To Give Up - 15/10/2008

So maybe the Riders defense has allowed 113 points in the last three games. So maybe the Riders have lost four of their last five games. I’m still not convinced that this team is as bad as they have played in the last month. The defense may not be playing their best football of the season, but they will come to play when it matters most. You can bet that the leaders of the Riders defense will guide the rest of the team through the rough spell. Players like Eddie Davis, Maurice Lloyd and Scott Schultz will take this defense under their wings and renew their early season swagger. Richie Hall will get his men on defense re-focused on their jobs and remind them of how good they can be when they play as a team. Richie will be a calming leader who will help the defense right the ship and play as great as everyone knows they can.

This next week, the Riders have to start to create some momentum for the post season and make a push for a home playoff game. Hamilton is a dangerous team because their players are playing for a job next season. The Ti-cats have a very strong running game and Kenton Keith will be playing hard in his return to Saskatchewan. The Riders need to stop the run at all cost and take advantage of weak Ti-cat pass block. Over-looking this game could end any shot the Riders have at a home playoff game. The defense has to reestablish themselves as a power house in this league. There is no better time than the present to get back on the winning track. The Riders are going to be tough team to beat from here on out. The defense is going to step it up on Sunday and remind the CFL that Rider Pride is much more than just a phrase! LETS GO RIDERS!

Bleeding Green,
Matt

Making Plays - 06/10/2008

The Riders defense didn't have the greatest game of the season points against wise, but they made big plays and made them count. First play of the third quarter, another newcomer, Stevie Baggs, blew by his would be blocker and smoked Henry Burris. The hit caused the ball to go flying backwards and Kitwana Jones was first to it, scooped it up and took it to pay dirt for six. If that wasn't enough help for the offense, with the game tied midway through the fourth quarter, James Johnson jumped a Henry Burris short pass to set the Rider offense up on the Calgary 18 yard line. The Riders later scored a touchdown on the drive. The defense ended up allowing an unimpressive 34 points, but also directly contributed to 14 for the Green Team.

Richie Hall did a great job of blitzing Burris, but also containing Joffrey Reynolds. Reynolds was basically useless in this game with only 43 total yards from scrimmage. The defensive line for the Riders stepped it up a notch and took advantage of a weak Stampeders offensive line. Stevie Baggs and Kitwana Jones were consistent threats at defensive end as both registered a sack and were the two main players involved in the defensive touchdown.

Baggs is also awarded with the Riderprider.com defensive player of the game for his efforts on Friday. The linebackers played as great as they always do. Lloyd once again set the tone for the game with his physical play, but the superior play of Sean Lucas continues to impress me. Lucas did a great job covering star recievers like Nik Lewis and Jermaine Copeland, while making big tackles on running plays. The secondary did a pretty good job of covering one of the best recieving corps in the league. The secondary blew only two coverages all game and Burris exploited them for touchdowns, but other than those two plays, the secondary covered well. Omar Morgan was tested all day with his match-up with Ken-yon Rambo, but Omar tackled well and kept Rambo from having some big plays.

Next week is the same thing for the Riders... Calgary. This time, the game is on the road, sort of. The Rider Priders will be out in full force at McMahon Stadium to support our Roughriders. The defense will have to play their heart out to win this one. Calgary will put more effort this week into getting the ball to Reynolds early and often. The challenge for the Riders defense will be to stop Reynolds off-tackle runs early in the game. If Reynolds gets a few big runs early, its going to be tough to slow the offensive juggernault in Calgary. Calgary's offensive line is going to start three rookies and should be taken advantage of by the Riders defensive line in the passing game. The Riders should be getting some help as Anton Mckenzie is expected to be back and John Chick could also be inserted back in the line-up off the nine game injured list. This game will go a long way in deciding the winner of the CFL West and you can bet that the Riders defense will do their part to win this game. Richie Hall is going to have Burris pressured and confused all day in his best effort to move the Riders to 10-5! LETS GO RIDERS!

Bleeding Green,
Matt

Picking Up The Pieces - 30/09/2008

All that’s left for the Riders to do right now is to pick up the pieces and move on. After three straight loses, everyone in that dressing room is looking at themselves in the mirror and trying to figure out how to better the team. The defense didn’t have much help on Sunday, but they still got dominated. I hope Anthony Calvillo retires after this year because he’s been shredding our defense ever since he’s been a starter in Montreal. The defense just needs to regroup, refocus and get ready for Calgary. Richie Hall takes it personal when his defense doesn’t perform and he will be hard at work all week making the adjustments necessary for this defense to be successful.

Calgary will be a huge game for the Riders and the defense has to dominate for Saskatchewan to get back in the win column. Reynolds is one of the best running backs in the league and is the key to the Stampeders offense. If Reynolds gets going early, then it will be a long day for the Riders defense. If the Riders can neutralize Reynolds, then they will force Burris into a lot of second and longs. Burris is known for his gunslinger mentality which is a high risk high reward type of style. Take away the big plays and Burris will have to make short throws to extend drives. The more Burris throws, the more risks he will take and Saskatchewan will have to take full advantage of those mistakes. Expect the secondary to step up and make some plays on Friday as they will be challenged all day by a very good receiving core. Here’s is hoping Richie gets his boys back on track and helps lead this team to a first place tie in the west at 9-5. John Madden said it best when he coached the Oakland Raiders, “Just Win Baby!”. LET’S GO RIDERS!

Bleeding Green,
Matt

All Heart, No Win - 22/09/2008

The Defense may have put forth one of the most gutsy efforts I’ve ever seen, but to no avail. With offense and special teams turning the ball over 8 times, the defense still gave the Riders a legitimate chance to win the game. The defense was put into some very tough situations, but they showed their heart and pride throughout and did their best to keep the Riders within striking distance. It’s too bad the defense couldn’t stop B.C one more time at the end of the game to give the ball back to the offense, but, I guess, you can’t win them all.

I can’t say enough about the play of the Rider linebackers. I’ve been saying it all season, these three guys are the best in the league. Sean Lucas, Maurice Lloyd, and Anton Mckenzie have held this defense together and play every play at full speed. All three players are near the top of the league in tackles and constantly make opponents think twice about crossing the middle of the field. With the defensive line battling through injuries, it will be up to the linebackers to find a way to provide pressure when asked to blitz. The secondary is one of the best cores in the league and can handle lots of man on man coverage when the linebackers blitz. If Lucas, Lloyd and Mckenzie continue to play like they are, you can expect this defense to carry the Riders a long way.

This weekend the Riders face a really tough defensive challenge. Montreal is the leagues highest scoring offense and are playing some of their best football of the year to date. Calvillo will sit back and pick the secondary apart if he has time in the pocket. The defensive line will have to step up and make some plays. If Coburne plays, then we really find out just how good our linebackers are. Coburne can run and catch with the best of them and tests any linebacker that matches up with him. Expect Calvillo to try some deep balls and the secondary will be asked to make some big plays. I’m predicting that the defense takes their game to another level and carries the team to a much needed win as the Riders aim for 9-4! LET’S GO RIDERS!

Bleeding Green,
Matt

Good, But Not Good Enough - 15/09/2008

The Defense played alright against B.C, but the bottom line is… the team lost, which means, they didn’t play good enough. The defense allowed 413 yards from scrimmage and 336 of those yards were through the air. Not acceptable for a defense that prides themselves on allowing the fewest yards in the league. What’s even worse is that the Riders allowed the big plays. B.C lives and dies with the big play and Saskatchewan allowed that to happen on Saturday. The biggest play of the game was when Buck Pierce connected with Geroy Simon for a 76 yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter that virtually put the game out of reach. On that play, both Omar Morgan and Scott Gordon blew their coverage on Simon. When the Riders played B.C earlier in the year, they stopped the big plays and won… On Saturday, they did not, and lost. A coincidence? I think not.

The Riders did make some plays on defense, but not enough. The d-line did an all right job containing the run, but did not get enough consistent pressure to interrupt Buck Pierce’s rhythm. More is expected out of our front four. The linebackers also tackled well, but didn’t cover to the best of their abilities. The secondary really didn’t have a good game. Eddie Davis was the only contributing in the tackle department, while B.C exploited some holes in the passing game. The secondary bounced back after Montreal tore them apart earlier in the season and I expect them to respond again in the rematch with B.C. On a positive note, Maurice Lloyd once again played a great game. Lloyd was the defensive player of the month in August and is on a mission again in September. Lloyd had four tackles and a sack as he has carried this defense on his back all season.

This weekend the Riders get their shot at revenge on B.C. The Lions enter Riderville in a very important Western showdown. The winner of this one takes the season series between these two teams. With a win, the Riders can deliver a huge blow to the Lions hopes of a home playoff game and gives the Riders the edge in the event of a tie in the standings between these two teams. Richie Hall will not be happy with his team’s performance from last week and will have his players ready to go. Expect the defense to play their most inspired game to date this season. Eliminate the big plays, and we will win. Here’s hoping we end week 13 at 9-3! LET’S GO RIDERS!

Bleeding Green,
Matt

When It Matters Most - 09/09/2008

The defense didn’t play their best game of the season allowing 31 points, but when the team needed them to perform late in the game to get the ball back to the offense quickly, the boys on defense played some of their best football all year. Early in the game players were missing tackles, blowing coverages and allowing Winnipeg to run the ball at will. In the fourth quarter, that all changed. The Bombers didn’t even score one point in the fourth and were held to only a few first downs. The sign of a great defense is one that can make plays when it matters most and the Riders defense did just that on Sunday. The defense leads the league in fewest yards allowed and fewest passing yards allowed per game for a reason.

The Riders continue to impress and battle through injuries. John Chick made his return after missing five games with a knee injury only to have a compound fracture on one of his fingers, which will cause him to miss another 4-6 weeks. All these injuries are really starting to get old all ready! With Chick out, the rest of the defense stepped it up. The defensive line didn’t provide sacks like they did on Labour Day, but they did do their part stopping the run and making Kevin Glenn uncomfortable in the pocket. Kitwana Jones and Shante Williams are playing very well at the DE positions and are the glue that holds that defensive line together. The linebackers didn’t all play their best, but again, played well in the fourth quarter. Lucas missed a few tackles early and Anton McKenzie wasn’t flying around as much as he usually does, but, in all fairness, it’s not going to be your best game every outing. Mo Lloyd, however, once again was the best player on the defense. Lloyd came up with 9 tackles and another forced fumble. Lloyd has put this defense on his back and is making the plays whenever somebody needs to step up. The secondary did their job again, doing a decent job covering a struggling, but still very talented Bomber receiving squad. It was nice to see that the defense kept Milt Stegall from breaking the all-time receiving yards record.

Another home and home is about to get underway, but this time, the games are more important as they are against a western opponent. The Riders travel to B.C Place Stadium to battle the improving Lions. Buck Pierce has that offense rolling through the air, while Stephan Logan is a hand full to stop on the ground. Richie Hall has played B.C enough times to know what works and what doesn’t on stopping their offense, but can not get complacent. The defensive line will have to play their best game of the season as they will be asked to provide lots of pressure on Pierce, while containing Logan and newly acquired Charles Roberts in the running game. The secondary will be challenged against what could be the league’s best receiving core. Simon has to be eliminating from the deep game, while Clermont needs to be tackled quickly before he turns a 5 yard pass into a 15 yard gain. The x-factor for the Lion offence is underrated receiver Paris Jackson. If Jackson is held under 60 yards receiving, the Rider defense should have a successful day. The defense will be ready to do their part in helping the Riders attempt to go to 9-2! LET’S GO RIDERS!

Bleeding Green,
Matt

We Got Your Back! - 02/09/2008

With the offense struggling, the defense basically willed the Riders to victory. The defense forced four turnovers and had a team season high four sacks in the game. Richie Hall read the Bomber offense like a book calling great play after great play. Kevin Glenn is not a talented enough QB to call his own plays and Hall took advantage of that. The defense confused Glenn all day with different and confusing coverages, while providing pressure all day with stunts on the line and complex blitz packages. Winnipeg wasn’t allowed to establish any sort of a running game and the Riders secondary stepped up to stop the short outs and receiver screens that Glenn likes to run to slowly move the ball down the field.

Everyone on the defense stepped up and did their job to help carry the Riders to another win. The defensive line controlled the line of scrimmage all game by creating pressure and stopping the run up the middle. Shante Williams had another good game at rush end and is forcing the coaches to keep him in the line-up. The linebackers did what they do best, control the game. Anton Mckenzie and Sean Lucas are tied for most tackles in the league as they continue to perform game in and game out. The best player on the defense tho, was the middle linebacker Maurice Lloyd. Lloyd took over the game with six tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble. Great game Mo! Last, but not least, the secondary played they’re best game of the season. Not only did the DB’s eliminate the Bomber passing threat and intercept two passes, they also contributed with twenty one tackles. Edmonton and Calgary took advantage of outside runs on the Riders and the DB’s were not making any plays to stop them. Omar Morgan contributed with ten tackles himself and all the defensive backs made it known that they can tackle just as good as any linebacker.

The defense can not let their guard down in the rematch with Winnipeg. The Bombers are a dangerous team because they have nothing to lose. A team that’s backed into a corner is going to come out swinging. The Riders now have to prepare for a completely different running back. With Roberts out of the picture, the Riders have to worry about last years rushing leader and powerhouse Joe Smith. Stopping the run first is always priority in the CFL, but the Riders have to make sure Glenn doesn’t get comfortable. Glenn is still a very talented QB and if he gets into a grove, he can put up some points. Glenn will call his own plays again and will be looking at lots of receiver screens and short ins and outs. The Rider secondary needs to play tight to the line and eliminate easy throws for Glenn. The Rider offense continues to battle through injuries and Bishop is still learning the playbook, so the defense will be relied on heavily again. Richie will have his boys ready for anything Winnipeg can throw at him. Here’s hoping for the Labour Day sweep by the Riders and an 8-2 start. Let’s Go Riders!

Bleeding Green,
Matt

Nothing To Be Worried About - 24/08/2008

The defense is struggling of late. They’ve been run all over the last two games. Last week it was Reynolds and this week it was Harris. The defense has played a lot of minutes in recent games and their results are lacking because of it. The offense has had a lot of two and outs, but even without help from the offense, you expect a better effort from your defense. Great defenses find ways to perform no matter what their offense does. The Argoes defense in the past basically won a Grey Cup with no offense. In the NFL, teams like the Bears and Ravens have won Superbowls without good offenses and I think the Riders defense can be that type of defense. I believe the offense will get back on track and the defense won’t have to carry the team every game, but, that being said, the D is going to have to win some games for us by themselves down the stretch. Richie Hall knows better than most how to handle controversy, game situations and his players. All the players on defense have a lot of pride and heart and will take these last two loses personal. You don’t have to worry about our boys in Green because they’ll be ready to play come labour day and the rest of the season. Everyone can be sure that the play of these last two games is not a reflection of how this defensive unit and the right changes will be made going forward to reassure the success of the team. As for the big Bombers game next week, Richie will have his boys ready. Hall has coached enough games against Charles Roberts and Milt Stegall to know how to contain them. The key to stopping the Bomber offense is to hold Roberts to minimal gains on his carries and eliminate the big play. Kevin Glenn is now calling his own plays and thus far, he’s been very predictable. He obviously likes to give Roberts the ball a lot and he throws a lot of receiver screens. Glenn is just trying to put the ball in the hands of his playmakers the easiest way possible on high percentage passes. The Riders have to make sure they wrap up and tackle. Lots of players to the ball carrier and gang tackle. I predict that this defense will be ready to play and carry the Riders to their seventh victory of the season. LETS GO RIDERS!!!

Bleeding Green,
Matt

Run Over by The Stamps - 10/08/2008

The defense did not come out to play at the start of the game and got dominated for the whole first half. Calgary came out with a great game plan that established Reynolds on first down and gave Burris easy, high percentage passes to complete on second down. The defense was in trouble right off the bat when Calgary established themselves with the running game off tackle and pitches. Because of Calgary’s ability to get seven or eight yards on first downs, the Rider defense wasn’t able to get any pass rush on Burris. Calgary had play action working all day and the defensive line just could not contain Burris in the pocket. The whole defense tightened up in the second half and held Calgary to seven points, but could not come through in the final two minutes when the Riders needed one more stop to get the ball back to the offense for a chance to tie the game. The Stamps ran out the clock with two second and long conversions that put the nail in the coffin on the Riders. The defense didn’t play great, but can’t shoulder all the blame as the offense didn’t give them much help as the defense played just over 35 minutes of the game.

Calgary found a weakness in the Riders defense and exposed it all day. Play after play, the Stamps ran sweeps to the strong side of the field where the undersized Lucas at linebacker and backup cornerback Tad Kornegay were playing. Calgary stayed away from tackle machines Anton McKenzie and Kitwana Jones. The defensive line didn’t provide much penetration all game and were neither a factor in stopping the run or pressuring the passer. The only time Burris seemed to be rushed was when at least two linebackers blitzed. The linebackers didn’t perform up to the level we’ve come to expect of them. They played descent against the pass with both McKenzie and Lucas each coming up with interceptions, but were non factors in stopping the run. The secondary played alright, but couldn’t come through with the game on the line. Calgary passed the ball for two big first downs late to wide open receivers. Even though he got singled out by the Stamps offense, Sean Lucas was the best Rider defender on the field by leading the team in tackles and also adding one interception. The major point is, this was only the first game of seven that the defense looked out of tune. Richie Hall’s defense doesn’t get dominated often and you can bet the boys will be ready next game.

The Riders are now going into a much needed bye week and should get at least a few players back in time for Edmonton. In the secondary, Johnson will most likely be back in his role of shutdown corner on the strong side of the field. The first game after the bye week is Ricky Ray and the Edmonton Eskimos. Richie Hall will have to come up with a great game plan to stop this high powered offense. Ray likes to dump the ball underneath on crossing routes and make high percentage throws. He only goes deep when he has lots of time to throw the ball. The Eskimos still lack a running game and the d-line needs to take full advantage of that. The Riders need to pin their ears back all game and go after Ricky Ray no holds bar. Bend, but don’t break defense is the key to stopping the Eskimos offense. Ray might get a lot of passing yards, but as long as they are held to field goals in the red zone, Saskatchewan will win. The Riders defense should be matched really well against the Eskimos and will have a good chance to go to 7-1! Let’s Go Riders!

Bleeding Green,
Matt

Dominating Calgary - 5/08/2008

Richie Hall and the Saskatchewan Roughriders defense took on the best offense in the league and won. Not only did they handle the Stampeder offense they made them look mediocor all game. Richie brought pressure all day and all though the Riders only had one sack, they made Burris uncomfortable in the pocket and caused many incompletions. Everyone on the defense did their job and took care of business. The biggest play of the game occured late in the game when the Riders held on to a slim two point lead. Calgary had a third and one inside Saskatchewan territory and decided to hand the ball off to Joffrey Reynolds. The d-line and linebackers benetraded throough the offensive line and stopped Reynolds in the backfield. If it weren't for this stop, the Riders would have been in tough to pull out a win in this tightly fought game. The knock on the Riders defense in the past was that they could not produce when the game was on the line. Now, the Riders defense is at their best in the games biggest situations. Credit is due to the players for realizing the importance of the situation and rising to the moment. Also, Richie Hall deserves the most credit for putting the defense in position to succeed and having his players mentaly ready when it counts the most.

Once again, the entire defense contributed to this impressive performance. The defensive line came up big stopping the run and pressuring Burris. Joffrey Reynolds was held to under 40 yards on the ground and Burris was hurried all day. The linebackers were the heart and sole of the defense again, just like they've been all year. This was most evident when Maurice Lloyd and Renauld Williams made the big stop late in the game on third and one. Mckenzie, like he has all year, lead the Riders in tackles. That's all Mckenzie does is make tackles and he is good at it. Lucas also did a good covering Calgary's very talented slotbacks. The secondary stepped up in the absense of their shut down corner. With James Johnson out, both James Patrick and Denatay Heard split time and the secondary didn't miss a beat. As long as Eddie Davis is back their coaching his teammates, it seems they are ready for any play that the offense can throw at them. Denatay Heard is a backup who ended up being the defensive star of the game. With six tackles and one interception, Heard is making a case to be a starter in this league.

The defense will be relied on heavily to carry the team in the back half of a home and home with the Stamps. The offense is struggling with crippling injuries to the recieving core and may not be able to produce enough points to keep up in a shoot out style game. The Riders have to continue to eliminate the deep ball. Calgary relies on big plays and are incapable of continually converting short passing plays to create long touchdown drives. The defense must continue to contain Burris to keep him in the pocket. The easiest way to contain Burris is to make the Stamps one dimensional by shutting down Reynolds on first down. As Joffrey Reynolds goes, so does the Stampeders offense. Richie Hall with have a great game plan ready and expect his defense to perform at a very high level. Playing at Mosaic Stadium gives the Riders a great chance to go 7-0 heading into a much needed bye week. LET'S GO RIDERS!!!

Bleeding Green,
Matt

Containing Kerry - 29/07/2008

The defense took care of business on Sunday by making sure Kerry Joseph would have to beat them with his arm and not his legs. Well, Joseph played a mistake free game, but couldn't find many open recievers as the secondary covered exceptionally well. When the game was on the line the defense stepped up. Toronto had a chance to drive down the field with a minute left in the game for a touchdown that would have won it all, but the Riders would have none of that. Richie Hall made some great play calls to stop that last drive mixing up some blitzing from the defensive backs with some great coverages. Hall's play calling had Kerry Joseph mixed up for most of the game, including the entire second half where the defense only allowed only four points. Hall stratigically blitzed linebackers and half backs on the outsides to contain Joseph in the pocket where Joseph has never been comfortable. Ron Lancaster once said "On defense their something about the number 24. If you can keep your opponent under 24 points, your going to win most of those games." The defense has kept three out of five opponents under 24 points and obviously the Riders have won all three of those games, plus the offense helped out to contribute enough to win the other two games.

Everyone on the defense is buying into the system and everyone is doing their part to win. When the d-line isn't provinding enough pressure, the secondary is covering well enough to force incomplete passes. When someone is left wide open, then the pressure throws off the quarterbacks accuracy. It's a complete team effort. Everyone does their job and the results are evident. The d-line had a pretty good game, with Kitwana Jones playing like an all-star. Jones was the best defensive player on the field playing at the end position. He had a big sack to knock Toronto out of field goal range and helped contain Joseph all day to make him a pocket passer where his legs couldn't beat the defense. The linebackers are the best in the league. Sean Lucas, Maurice Lloyd, and Anton Mckenzie are the best three at stopping the run and are able to cover any slot back in the league. Arland Bruce got open a few times with one on one coverage with Lucas, but Bruce is a CFL all-star slot-back that not many DB's can cover let alone a linebacker. If I had to pick three players to build a defense around it would be the Riders three linebackers. They are young, talented, and only going to get better. The secondary played a very good game by eliminating every threat Joseph could throw to leaving him no choice but to throw to Bruce all day. I called out Scott Gordon last week and I have to admit he played much better this week by eliminating the deep threat and providing pressure when asked to blitz. The Argoes had no running game and Joseph couldn't pass to anyone except Bruce, which really hurt his production in the second half of the game.

The defense will have their toughest test of the year when they travel to Calgary this week. Henry Burris has been playing very well this season and will be hard to stop. He's been throwing very accurate deep passes and scrambling for first downs when nobody is open. But the key to the Calgary offense is Jofferey Reynolds. If the Riders stop him, the defense will have success. The Riders have to focus in on the run early to make Henry Burris beat them with his arm. The secondary will be in tough trying to cover Copeland, Lewis, and Rambo. The focal point for the safeties will be to not let anyone get behind them. Calgary lives for the deep ball and will not be able to sustain drives without the big play. Lucas and Mckenzie will be asked to cover Nik Lewis from time to time and will have to be at their best. Richie Hall will have his boys ready and will give the Riders a good chance to move a remarkable 6-0. LET'S GO RIDERS!!!

Bleeding Green,
Matt

Showing Up In Time For The Als - 22/07/2008

The defense did not play their best ball of the season, but showed up when it mattered most. After being pushed around for much of the game, the defense dominated the fourth quarter. Montreal scored one touchdown in the final frame, but the Riders forced two turnovers on defense and one on special teams. When there was two and half minutes to play, the Riders were down by two points. It was second and three for the Als inside their own twenty when the whole game changed. Calvillo tried a quarterback draw, but was picked up on by rookie defensive tackle Jimmy Verdon. Calvillo was forced to try an erratic pass that was tipped by Verdon and subsequently intercepted by Lance Frazier, which set up the game winning touchdown.

The defense still has some problems with providing consistent pressure and it won't get much easier with the loss of star defensive John Chick for four to six weeks. Luc Mullinder will be asked to fill his spot. However the front seven did play well as they forced Montreal to be one dimensional as they allowed only thirteen yards rushing all game. The lack of a running game by Montreal was instrumental in the Riders being able to stop the Als offense late in the game. The linebackers played well considering they had to defend the pass all night and were a factor pressuring Calvillo when asked to blitz. The secondary had their worst game of the season allowing their first four passing touchdowns of the year, but this was probably do to the fact that defensive co-ordinator Richie Hall was forced to sacrifice coverage by blitzing linebackers and half backs to provide pressure. Scott Gordon has played well defending the deep ball all year, but had an off night on Saturday as he didn't provide the type of coverage Rider fans expect from him. Don't worry about Scott though, he is a professional and will come back with a great game against Toronto. The best player on the Rider defense was Anton Mckenzie who led the team with five tackles, one interception, one forced fumble and one sack. Mckenzie is the weak side linebacker who quickly made people in Saskatchewan forget all about Reggie Hunt. Mckenzie is the most consistent player on the Rider defense and is one of the best linebackers in the league at this point in the season.

The defense will have to play their best against Toronto if they hope to keep the Riders undefeated. The Riders number one priority on defense will be to contain Kerry Joseph. Pressure isn't a big deal against the Argoes because Kerry Joseph sitting in the pocket all day will not pick apart a defense. The defense line and linebackers will have to keep Kerry Joseph from running all over them. Richie Hall will probably diploy one of the linebackers as a quarterback spy on most plays to make Kerry Joseph beat them with his arm. I don't think Joseph can beat the Riders defense with his arm unless Dominque Dorsey has a big game running, but I don't think that will happen either. The front seven need to make the Argo offense one dimensional and rely on the pass so that the secondary can work on Toronto's receivers. Toronto will start four rookie receivers and that should be a great day for Saskatchewan's veteran secondary. Press coverage with safety help over the top from Scott Gordon should be enough to keep the Toronto receivers from making any game breaking plays. If the defense dominates like they should, Rider fans can expect the first 5-0 start since 1934!

Bleeding Green,
Matt