The Riders final two games really do matter this year
On Saturday, the visiting Montreal Alouettes outlasted the Saskatchewan Roughriders 19-14 in one of the wettest, most boring, and least memorable games in Mosaic Stadium history.
Riders offensive co-ordinator Stephen McAdoo often went to the short passing game rather than hand a wet football to a running back (Joe McKnight) who has had fumble issues in the past.
When the Alouettes had the ball, it looked like rookie quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., thought he was trying out as a punt returner — throw the ball.
No matter who possessed the slippery pigskin, it was broken play after (yawn) broken play, with turnovers often killing any semblance of momentum either team managed to establish.
But the effort was there, and the final few games do matter, even though some Rider Priders seem to suggest otherwise.
The first reason it matters is because the B.C. Lions are coming to town for Game 1 of a homeand-home set against the Riders to finish up the regular season. The teams are to play on each of the next two Saturdays, beginning with the final CFL game at Mosaic Stadium.
The Lions are in prime playoff form and they will likely need a sweep of the two games to have a shot at playing the West Division semifinal at home.
Lions boss Wally Buono will have his squad focused on finishing second in the West and spoiling the final chapter at Mosaic Stadium for the Rider Nation.
However, Buono and the Lions had best beware the upcoming game, because the stadium is going to be rocking.
I expect the atmosphere on Saturday to rival that of a Grey Cup as we say goodbye to Taylor Field and the old Mosaic Stadium.
It is a place that matters to Saskatchewan, where at every game kids get to sit in the same seats that were once occupied by their great-grandparents.
Winning matters, and not just as a punctuation mark after the team’s long history at the old stadium.
It wasn’t too many weeks ago when we were writing that the Riders had forgotten how to win. The team then won four games in a row before the streak was snapped on Saturday.
The winning could not be attributed solely to players playing better, or gelling.
A significant number of newer players on the Riders’ roster missed much of the early-season losing streak and are most familiar with winning games in Rider colours.
Head coach, general manager and vice-president of football operations Chris Jones is chiefly responsible for ensuring that this winning mindset continues into the off-season and becomes the Roughriders’ new culture.
These games matter most to Jones.
He left a potential Grey Cup dynasty with the Edmonton Eskimos and was given the keys to the new Roughrider kingdom to build a team in his own vision.
He has taken a lot of heat for his tactics but never wavered or apologized, and now even the biggest skeptic can see that the Riders have something special brewing.
Back-to-back victories to conclude the regular season would reinforce that point — along with my contention that the final two games do, in fact, matter.