ROUGHRIDERS VS. ESKIMOS FIVE TO WATCH
The Saskatchewan Roughriders and Edmonton Eskimos conclude their portion of the CFL preseason today (7 p.m., Mosaic Stadium). The Riders defeated the Ottawa Redblacks 21-17 on June 14, one day after the Eskimos were beaten 14-11 by the B.C. Lions. Here are five players to watch in today’s game, according to Murray McCormick, the Leader-Post’s beat writer, and Chris O’Leary, who covers the Eskimos for the Edmonton Journal:
ROUGHRIDERS
QB Tino Sunseri:
The second-year quarterback doesn’t get many opportunities to play and today’s game provides a chance to evaluate his progress as the backup to Darian Durant.
RB Anthony Allen:
He looked strong in his preseason debut (eight carries for 42 yards) against the Redblacks, but lost a fumble while fighting for extra yards after a screen pass.
DE/LB Mortty Ivy:
He needs to follow up on a monster game against the Redblacks in which he had two defensive tackles, a sack and two special-teams tackles.
SB Chaz Schilens:
The import receiver has to show that he’s finally becoming more comfortable with the nuances of CFL game, including the waggle.
DB Greg McCoy:
McCoy could use a strong game to separate himself from a talented group of defensive backs vying for backup roles.
EDMONTON QB Jonathan Crompton:
Crompton and Matt Nichols are in a battle for the backup role behind starter Mike Reilly.
RB John White:
Rookie Tyler Thomas has made a name for himself during White’s injury-induced absence last week in camp. White needs a strong performance to get back on good ground with his coaches.
K/P Zack Medeiros:
There’s a spot to be had on the Eskimos’ roster for the rookie kicker, but he’ll have to recover from a worstcase-scenario debut against the Lions. He missed a pair of field goals in a threepoint loss.
LB Dexter McCoil:
The rookie linebacker needs to show some consistency after blowing a tackle against the Lions in the first half and recording an interception in the second half.
WR A.J. Guyton:
There’s a battle for returner between Guyton and second-year specialist Jamal Miles.