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| September 18/11 |
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Miller Time! It's been said that one man does not make the difference between winning and losing. Coach Miller is proving that statement wrong for some people, but he is simply the catalyst that gets this team going. What has changed under Miller? He has brought a positive atmosphere and energy to the Roughriders. Coach Miller does not micromanage players or coaches. Players are allowed to play and coaches are allowed to coach. The approach breeds a belief in the system, confidence in each other, and accountability. Think about how many missed tackles or dropped passes you have seen in the last three games... Not many. Think about how well the defense has been playing and how few times the offense has seemed out of sync... Very few. Think about the way the team does not give up when in a hole. This team has started to turn its season around and they are now in control of their own destiny. With two games left against the BC Lions and 6 of their last 7 against western opponents, the Riders have the opportunity to salvage their playoff hopes. The team needs to continue being resilient battling through adversity. They need to continue to be accountable and they need to continue to believe in themselves. When we see that, us fans begin to believe too. Ken Miller has brought back a culture of winning to the green and white. It's back to the way things should be. Go Green, Bert |
August 22/11 |
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You tweet, the Riders listen! @lhedp: @rdrprider Berry he lost us the game. Time on the clock need 10 yards u don't throw to the end zone @TexasRyder: @rdrprider get rid of berry @kjzaba: Bring back Tillman. Of course not going to happen tho. @Bryce_Gillespie: @rdrprider fire Marshall @TexasRyder: Too soon? "@Bryce_Gillespie: @rdrprider fire Marshall"- if you wait a minute longer it will be too LATE @Bryce_Gillespie: @rdrprider can't wait anymore... He had half a season to prove it... If we wait longer, we will lose more good players and be back where we were in bad years... @pamlich: @rdrprider put durant in as running back!!! Hell of a runner, QB not so much! Note: I completely disagree with this post Dressler, freeman, shologan, durant all heart. Anyone else? @MandaLynnSK: @rdrprider West, Hill @Piffles1910: @rdrprider Stu Foord? Neal Hughes? @KNOXTOX: @rdrprider George tonight , Simpson as well. I agree with @MandaLynnSK West and Hill @Piffles1910: @rdrprider And probably Clermont if he got to play his position. @misuzb: @rdrprider Neil Hughes! @C_RORRIS: @KNOXTOX @rdrprider @MandaLynnSK Robinson? By getting into endzone he saved us 20 seconds for the comeback And no chance of timecount lol @leeyanbrinklow: James Patrick! @tdundas10: @rdrprider Hill, Stu, Patrick!!! Hughes!!!
Then on Monday, the Riders listened. They cut loose offensive coordinator Doug Berry and, in a somewhat surprising move, dismissed head coach Greg Marshall. With Berry gone, the hope is that the offense will start rolling. I would like to see Durant have more say in the playcalling. Hopefully we see more no-huddle offense early in the game for the green and white. With the Marshall firing, you have to think that he just did not have the respect of the players on the team. Coach Marshall was continually blaming others for the team's struggles. This was perhaps most evident in his final press conference where he blamed the organizational structure of the Riders and took no ownership of the 1-7 record that he orchestrated. I'm tired of hearing people saying, don't blame the coaches, it's the players fault. Every member of the team(including coaching staff) has played a role in this season's struggles. However, when the team routinely comes out flat, mental errors are epidemic, and the team is undisciplined, the buck stops at the coach. The Riders realized that they made a mistake in hiring Greg Marshall and I for one am happy to see that the team does not put up with mediocrity. This team will impove this year. We still have a chance. The season doesn't start until Labour Day. Right? Go Green, Bert |
August 12/11 |
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Rapid Fire Thoughts 1)The team is lacking mental focus. They are not prepared to start the game and when something goes wrong you can see it affect the players in a negative way. The Riders need to be more tempered and focussed. 2)Fundamentals. Players need to look after their own responsibilities first before helping out teammates. The team needs to tackle better, catch more balls, make more blocks, and do it at high speeds. 3)Who's missing? With Fantuz, Bagg, Koch, Cates, etc out of the lineup, somebody has to step up. Efrem Hill and Hugh Charles started to fill the void, but the Roughriders need more consistent performances from every player on the roster. 4)Play-calling. Offensive and defensive play-calling has been too vanilla for the green and white. If everyone does their job the system works, but when the team is struggling sometimes you have to change things up. I would like to see a little risk reward defense and some imagination on offense. I little more use of the run game wouldn't hurt either. Berry tries to fit players into his offense instead of altering the offense to his players. Guys can only do what their built to do. 5)Run DD, Run! Everyone knows that when Durant runs, the Riders win. Sounds simple right? The problem is with shotgun offense it's easy to put a linebacker to spy the Sask pivot. I don't think Durant needs to take-off 6 times a game, but I do feel he is a more accurate passer after his legs are in the game. So call some roll outs, bootlegs, or line him up behind centre. If you do this, Darian's legs are already moving and he's not standing still in the pocket forcing balls to receivers. 6)Pressure! Sask's defense is getting lit up when they don't get pressure on the QB. Solution... send more men than the opponents can block. Remember risk, reward is better than being picked apart. 7)42 players, 60 minutes. The guys in green have yet to put together a full 60 minute game from all three facets. This team needs to find a way to get motivated, start strong, and stay focussed for the entire length of the game. It's been offense, defense, or special teams at any given moment this year. We need to see offense, defense, AND special teams. 8)Bright spots: Brandon West, Hugh Charles, Jerrell Freeman, Chris Butler, Tristan Jackson, the O-line. The Riders are 1-6, yet I feel that they are turning the corner. They are well within reach of the playoffs if they can turn this around. And once you reach the post-season, anything can happen. Keep the faith Ridernation! Go Green, Bert |
July 26/11 |
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A Step in the Right Direction More than anything, it started with a new attitude and sense of urgency, resulting in a renewed focus for the Roughriders. The players had their heads in the game and were ready to play from the get go. In recent years the Riders have been known to have a never-ending supply of fight and effort. That effort returned to the green and white when their backs were against the wall in Montreal. All three facets came to play in this one and that's what it takes to win in this league. Offensively, Saskatchewan figured out what many(this blogger included) were saying all along. Darian Durant plays his best when his legs are moving. The Rider offense was utilizing roll-outs, bootlegs, and the run game to take it to the Als. Doug Berry adjusted the schemes to suit his assets' strengths. Cates, Charles and Durant are all weapons out of the backfield and all give the defense a different look. This focus on the run in turn opened up the play action and receivers in the passing game. Granted Durant only threw for 177 yards, but the big numbers were a 70% completion rating, 71 yards of rushing and 0 turnovers. The Riders even attempted a few gadget plays. Even though they didn't work, it's nice to see some creativity from Berry and Co. As an observer and a fan, it's easy to see that this is the type of offense suited to the team's personnel. Defensively the Roughies were a completely different team in Montreal. Coordinator Ritchie Hall found a way to balance timely blitz packages with solid coverage schemes. The result of his gameplan was consistent pressure on the Alouette QB's from every member of the defensive line as well as some linebackers. The pressure is what Saskatchewan has been missing this season so hopefully they can keep it up. It forced the Als into poor decisions, creating turnovers. And if the Riders can do it against one of the top o-lines and the top QB (at least in the first half) in the league, they can get pressure on anyone. I would be neglectful if I didn't mention how outstanding Jerrell Freeman has been. This guy is an all out beast. He is quickly rounding into form after a injury hindered him in training camp and through the first couple weeks. He will be an All-star this season. Freeman is fast as hell and covers more ground than UPS. Did you see him slap out Whitaker's legs on that sweep in the final quarter? Jerrell, you are a monster! Saskatchewan's special teams also played a major role in the victory. Hugh Charles and Tristan Jackson did a good job giving the Riders decent field position all game while Eddie Johnson proved that he has the leg to do all three jobs well in the kicking department. Johnson has silenced the critics with his place-kicking going 4 for 5 on the weekend while also improving his punt placement. The Roughriders have also been better on coverage this season and much of the credit has to go to new Special Teams Coordinator Craig Dickensen. Now I know the Riders took some bad penalties and nearly blew it in the end, but the reality is that they never gave up. There were dropped passes, missed assignments, and a few brain farts. Yet Saskatchewan always came back and battled on the next play. It was this response to adversity that leaves me with a sense of optimism for the team this season. There's still work to do, but at least it's a step in the right direction. Notes: - Congrats to Greg Marshall on his first regular season win as head coach. There's many more on the horizon. Go Green, Bert |
July 9/11 |
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Throwback I dug this one out of the archives and made a few [edits]. I think it rings true in 2011. We will see who are true fans and who were just pretending. Memo to those negative Rider fans out there - 2005/08/06 I have had it with those fans who always find something wrong with the Riders... [They sit on the bandwagon until it hits a bump in the road and then pounce on players, coaches, and members of the front office.] As for all you who rag on players day in and day out, let me tell you this. These players are human. They make mistakes. You're probably saying, "but their paid to do the job." I bet those of you who beak players and coaches all game have never made mistakes on the job and if you have, you were probably fired for it, right? Furthermore, these players are under tremendous pressure to get the job done. Every move they make is scrutinized by the public. Another thing that I think most of you are forgetting is that the Riders are a much better team now than they were for pretty much all of the 90's... [This is also the first time the team is under .500 since the Barrett Shivers era.] Finally, for those of you who go to Rider games and complain the whole time about the play call or the players, why not try cheering for a change. It ruins the game for those fans who have to listen to you whine for 60 minutes. There is absolutely no way you can change a play call, so might as well support them. I know that the negative fans are a minority, but something needed to be said. I know over the last few years this team has raised expectations in the province and rightfully so. The Riders should be expected to make the playoffs every year and compete for the Grey Cup. However, there has not been much consistency in coaches and personnel recently. An organization can only take so many hits before it takes a step back. It takes time for a defense to adjust from the mad scientist mentality of Gary Etcheverry to the fundamental approach of Richie Hall. Some of you will be saying, "That's not true. Look at how well Edmonton is doing." To you I say that it's a marathon not a sprint, and come season's end the Riders will once again raise your expectations. I expect them to. Go Green, Bert |
Jun 27/11 |
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2011 Season Preview
Offence Last season the green and white had one of best passing attacks in the league, but the loss of several key members in the off-season have left a dent in a very talented squad. The departure of Fantuz to the NFL, Bagg to injury and O'Day to retirement means Saskatchewan will have some kinks to work out at the beginning of the season. GM Brendan Taman has done his best to fill those shoes with new-comers Terrence Nunn and Ernie Wheelwright, while Canadians Marc Parenteau and Jordan Sisco will try to up their game. These players will do well for Darian Durant, who will benefit from a 2nd season under the same offensive coordinator. With the loss of half of the Canadian air force, I suspect there will be more of a balanced pass/rush relationship for the Riders this year. That means more action for Cates, Charles, and co. Prediction: It's hard to predict whether the Riders did enough this offseason to take them to the promise land. Other teams in the west look to be getting better, amping up the pressure on Saskatchewan to perform from the get-go in 2011. However, I think the beginning of the season will be hard on the green and white as they adjust to new faces on offense and a new philosophy on defense. Having one of the best QB's in the league will help temper early disappointments for the Roughriders. Durant will continue his rise to the top creating new stars in the receiving core. The running game will get alot better with a combonation of Cates/Charles/West. The defense will take a few weeks to fully buy into Richie Halls philosophy, but their emphasis on stopping the run will serve them well come the post-season. Those two units will be complemented by a vastly improved special teams, led by new coach Craig Dickenson. It will result in another winning season in Saskatchewan, with the Riders tallying 11 wins. In the always competitive West Division, that total can place the Roughriders anywhere from 1st to 3rd. No matter where they finish, it will probably be the last we see of perennial allstar Gene Makowsky as he seems to be ready to hang'em up at season's end. Will the Riders be the best team in the league this season? It remains to be seen. But if they can adapt to change and respond positively to adversity, this team will be right in the thick of it come November in Vancouver. |
Apr 27/11 |
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2011 Draft Speculation and Assumptions
Last year Taman made a big splash in his first year as Riders GM by trading up to get the 1st overall pick and using it to select Shomari Williams in the draft. With the 7th and 15th overall selections this year, it's safe to assume that there will be a little less excitement in the Saskatchewan camp come draft day. Taman has been on the record as saying that there's not alot of difference in the players ranked 4-15 in this year's draft, so if he were to trade up it would have to be for a pick in the the first three slots and with that the price goes up. Teams would likely require some established Canadian talent in return for such a pick and I don't think that is a price the Riders would like to pay for an unproven prospect. So what do the Riders do with their picks in the 2011 draft. There are two common strategies in a draft. One is that you choose the best player available, but because of the balance of talent in this year's draft you can expect the Riders to use the second strategy, drafting by positional need. Saskatchewan has a wealth of Canadian talent(Getzlaf, Bagg, Sisco, Clermont) in the receiving corps and depth on the defensive side of the ball with McCullough, Mullinder and Williams. The offensive line is one area that will need shoring up in the next couple of years with veteran Jeremy O'Day retiring and stalwarts Makowsky and Gautier nearing the end of their careers. Sure the Riders have some young Canadians(Neufeld, Hutchins, Boudreau) waiting in the wings, but it's hard to predict how well a OL will make the jump to the pros, so it's never a bad idea to have some depth at that position. You can expect Saskatchewan to try and restock an aging offensive line early in this year's draft and then pick some players from local universities in the later rounds. With all that being said, here are my predictions for the Riders' picks in the 2011 Canadian Draft: 1st RD - 7th Overall - OL Moe Petrus |