PRIMED FOR ACTION
Saskatchewan QB Kevin Glenn practises in Ottawa on Friday ahead of Sunday’s big game in Toronto where the Riders play the Argos in the East Division final.
OTTAWA The third time could be the charm for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
A third win of the season over the Toronto Argonauts in Sunday’s East Division final would propel the Riders into the 105th Grey Cup game, slated for Nov. 26 in Ottawa.
The Riders swept the regularseason series with the Argonauts — winning 38-27 at Mosaic Stadium on July 29 and 27-24 at BMO Field on Oct. 7. Both teams are different from the ones that last met, adding more intrigue to the matchup.
With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of the Roughriders and Argonauts:
HEAD COACHES
Chris Jones has taken the Riders from a 2-4-0 regular-season start to the division final after Sunday’s 31-20 win over the Ottawa Redblacks. He has the Riders’ defence playing at a high level and isn’t afraid to pull the trigger if a quarterback change is deemed necessary.
Toronto’s Marc Trestman is a two-time Grey Cup champion and knows how to prepare his teams for big games. So does Jones. Trestman gets the edge in a looming chess match, only because he has had an extra week to prepare for Sunday’s final.
Advantage: Toronto
QUARTERBACKS
Kevin Glenn started 17 of 18 regular-season games but, if he struggles or can’t handle the pressure, Jones has shown that he is not averse to using Brandon Bridge at quarterback. On Oct. 7, for example, Glenn was yanked in the second quarter and Bridge led the Riders to the win in Toronto. Glenn and Bridge combined to give Saskatchewan a league-high 35 touchdown passes.
Toronto’s Ricky Ray has played his best football down the stretch. He’s a three-time Grey Cup champion, while Glenn and Bridge haven’t won any titles. With Trestman, Ray posted career highs in pass attempts (668) and completions (474). Ray’s proficiency in big games is a plus.
Advantage: Toronto
RECEIVERS
Saskatchewan’s offence features Duron Carter, Naaman Roosevelt and Bakari Grant, all of whom surpassed 1,000 receiving yards. Veterans Chad Owens and Rob Bagg add to the depth of a potent group of receivers who can produce regardless of who is at quarterback.
The Argonauts boast S.J. Green, Armanti Edwards and DeVier Posey, each of whom is capable of breaking a game open. James Wilder Jr. is a weapon as a receiver out of the backfield.
The Riders have a narrow advantage over the Argonauts due to the one-two punch of Carter and Roosevelt.
Advantage: Saskatchewan
RUNNING BACKS
Marcus Thigpen ignited the Riders’ ground game against Ottawa with 15 carries for 169 yards, including a 75-yard TD sprint. It remains to be seen if he can follow up with another big game.
Wilder has been the CFL’s top offensive player in the final six regular-season contests, averaging 190 yards from scrimmage per game. Fullback Declan Cross is another threat as runner and receiver. Wilder gives the Argonauts the edge.
Advantage: Toronto
OFFENSIVE LINE
Against Ottawa, Saskatchewan’s offensive linemen provided Glenn with time to find open receivers and also created holes for Thigpen. That transpired with their best offensive lineman — Brendon LaBatte — on the sideline with a lower leg injury. The injury means LaBatte will miss his second consecutive playoff game. Derek Dennis will start in LaBatte’s absence.
Toronto’s offensive-line improvement coincided with the hiring of Jonathan Himebauch as offensive line coach and the emergence of Wilder. Ray was sacked a league-high 38 times, but still threw for 5,546 yards and 28 touchdowns. Despite the sacks, Toronto’s line improved under Himebauch and gives the Argonauts the upper hand in this category. Advantage: Toronto
DEFENSIVE LINE
Defensive end Willie Jefferson remains the strongest player on Saskatchewan’s defensive line and, at six-foot-six, he can disrupt any quarterback’s timing. The defensive tackles have to mind their gaps if they are going to limit Wilder.
Toronto’s defensive line boasts three East Division all-stars — defensive end Victor Butler and defensive tackles Dylan Wing and Cleyon Laing. Butler led Toronto with 10 sacks and fellow defensive end Shawn Lemon, who is now healthy, had eight. The depth of Toronto’s defensive line tips the scales. Advantage: Toronto
LINEBACKERS
Henoc Muamba anchors the middle of the Riders’ linebacking corps. Weak-side linebacker Samuel Eguavoen had one of his best games of the season against Ottawa, intercepting a pass. Derrick Moncrief has been solid as the strong-side linebacker.
In the last meeting with the Riders, middle linebacker Bear Woods and weak-side linebacker Marcus Ball were sidelined with injuries. They are both healthy and that changes the picture for Toronto at linebacker. Ball is a game-changer on the weak side. Toronto’s experience is the key.
Advantage: Toronto
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Ed Gainey is a ball hawk, but none of his league-leading 10 interceptions came against the Argonauts. Kacy Rodgers II and Jovon Johnson can be shutdown corners and Crezdon Butler is unheralded at defensive halfback. Jeff Hecht and Mike Edem have shared the safety duties.
Toronto defensive co-ordinator Corey Chamblin — the Riders’ head coach for 31/2 years, beginning in 2012 — loves to shuffle his defensive backs to different positions. He can also count on Mitchell White as a shutdown corner. Saskatchewan has the advantage due to experience, not to mention Gainey’s presence.
Advantage: Saskatchewan
SPECIAL TEAMS
Saskatchewan’s Tyler Crapigna connected on 85.7 per cent of his field-goal attempts and all 43 converts during the regular season. Punter Josh Bartel is among the league’s best at pinning returners to the sideline. Christion Jones returned two punts for touchdowns, but also lost a fumble on Sunday.
Toronto’s Martese Jackson also returned two punts for touchdowns, but fumbled six times (losing three) during the regular season. Lirim Hajrullahu had an 81-per-cent success rate on field goals and averaged 44 yards per punt. Crapigna and Bartel give the Riders a superior kicking game. Advantage: Saskatchewan
INTANGIBLES
The Riders are bidding to become the first West Division team to reach the Grey Cup game via the crossover route and have rallied around that goal.
The Argonauts want to avoid being the first East Division team not to reach the Grey Cup game since the crossover was introduced in 1996. The challenge is that Toronto was 3-7-0 against West Division teams. The Riders were 6-2-0 against East Division foes. The numbers do not lie. Advantage: Saskatchewan