ROUGHRIDERS NEED A WIN IN MONTREAL
The Saskatchewan Roughriders and Montreal Alouettes are to meet for the first time this CFL season on Friday, fresh off the Riders’ first win, at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium (5 p.m., TSN, CKRM). Murray McCormick has compiled five things the Riders ne
GALE CAN’T FAIL
Mitchell Gale is to make his second consecutive start for the Roughriders with marquee quarterback Darian Durant nursing a sprained left ankle. Gale was effective in his first-ever CFL start while leading the Riders to their win over the Redblacks.
Gale is calm in the pocket and exhibited a strong arm while throwing for 354 yards and a touchdown in the win over Ottawa. Gale’s longest completion was an 89-yard pass-and-run touchdown connection with Naaman Roosevelt.
The 26-year-old quarterback showed his poise under pressure while completing 21 of 36 pass attempts.
He overthrew some receivers and some other passes bounced off the turf. Those types of mistakes are to be expected from a young quarterback. He needs to clean those up versus a Montreal defence that is traditionally one of the league’s strongest.
Gale can improve based on his level of preparation and nearly seven quarters of experience behind centre as a CFL starter. He studies video and will have an idea of what to expect from the Alouettes. Preparation is a key to Gale feeling comfortable.
SNAPS MUST BE A SNAP
The Roughriders defeated the Redblacks despite four botched exchanges between centre Andrew Jones and Gale.
Jones was responsible for three bad snaps — two went over Gale’s head and another was shorthopped to the quarterback. Gale simply dropped another snap that hit him in the hands.
The centre position remains in flux because starter Dan Clark is to miss his third consecutive game with an ankle injury. Jones is listed as the starter on the depth chart. Regina product Aaron Picton practised with the first-team offence on Wednesday, which is usually an indication of an impending start.
The Riders may be cautious with Picton because it would be asking a lot of him to make all of the offensive line calls against one of the league’s top defensive fronts in his first CFL start. That’s likely why Jones is listed as the starter.
Regardless of who plays the position, the Riders need to execute one of football’s most fundamental plays.
ESTABLISH THE RUN
The sad state of the Riders’ ground game is reflected by the fact that Gale is second on the team in rushing yards (with 32) and third in carries (eight) in slightly less than seven quarters of action. He has been the Riders’ leading rusher in each of the past two games.
Tailback Curtis Steele has been effective when utilized, averaging 5.0 yards per carry while leading the Riders with 133 yards on 24 carries. He was sidelined by an undisclosed injury in the second quarter against the Redblacks and didn’t return. It’s unlikely that Steele will play on Friday.
Michael Dyer and Matt Walter are listed first and second, respectively, on the depth chart. Dyer has the size to power through holes and is also speedy enough to break away from would-be tacklers.
Walter also has the size and speed to blast through holes on the offensive line, and can catch the ball out of the backfield.
The Riders are looking for their first rushing touchdown this season. They are the only CFL team without a rushing TD. The Riders are last in total rushing yards (226) and carries (54).
KEEP UP THE PRESSURE
The Riders’ defensive line enjoyed one of its best games of the young season against the Redblacks. Ottawa was without the services of quarterback Trevor Harris for much of the game after he suffered a leg injury in the first quarter.
Saskatchewan recorded a season-high four sacks while pressuring Brock Jensen, who entered the game after Harris was hurt.
Defensive end Justin Capicciotti recorded his first two sacks as a member of the Roughriders and added four defensive tackles. His second sack, on third-and-14 in the final minute, ended Ottawa’s chances of a comeback.
Capicciotti likes to get after quarterbacks. It has been an adjustment for him in a Riders defence that also calls for defensive ends to fill multiple roles, including dropping into coverage. He showed against his former team that he is more effective when the Riders play to his strengths.
That will be important with the Riders expected to face quarterback Kevin Glenn. They need to pressure Glenn into making mistakes, to which he has been prone throughout his long career.
LINE MUST BE FINE
The Riders are dealing with more than injuries at centre.
Left guard Brendon LaBatte (head) and left tackle Xavier Fulton (shoulder) are both out of Friday’s game. Right guard Chris Best has yet to play this season due to an undisclosed injury and Clark is on the sideline.
On Thursday, LaBatte, Fulton and Clark were all placed to the six-game injured list. That means four of the five Riders’ starters along the offensive line are on that list. Right tackle Thaddeus Coleman is the only member of the offensive line to start all four games this season.
The Riders are expected to start rookies at left tackle (Marcus Hall), left guard (Josiah St. John) and right guard (Kennedy Estelle). Jones or Picton will start at centre and Coleman will play right tackle.
All these changes come with Gale making just his second start.
It would be asking a lot of an experienced offensive line to handle Montreal’s defensive line. A strong performance by the Riders’ offensive line, despite the injury issues, is crucial to the team’s success.