PLAYING CATCH-UP
Riders resolve to make amends following 2016’s Farewell Season
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are hoping that the 2017 season makes up for a forgettable 2016 campaign.
The Riders are to kick off the 2017 regular season Thursday against Darian Durant and the host Montreal Alouettes. On July 1, the Riders will play host to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the first CFL regular-season game at the $278-million Mosaic Stadium. It replaces Taylor Field, which had been the Riders’ full-time home since 1936.
The Riders didn’t fare well in what was dubbed the “The Farewell Season.” The 2016 Roughriders lost 10 of their first 11 regularseason games en route to finishing with a 5-13 record and missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
“There are always lessons to be learned from a winning season or a losing season,’’ said Riders receiver Rob Bagg. “You don’t want to completely forget last season because there were reasons why we only won five games. You want to acknowledge those so you don’t repeat them. At the same time, it’s a fresh start and we’re excited about that.’’
Last season was Chris Jones’ first as the Riders’ head coach, general manager and vice-president of football operations. He was introduced to the Rider Nation on Dec. 7, 2015, eight days after coaching the Edmonton Eskimos to a Grey Cup championship.
Shortly after the introductory media conference, Jones announced that all but one member of the Eskimos’ Cup-winning coaching staff was following him to Regina. While Jones and Co. were inheriting a team that won only three games in 2015, it was felt they could turn around the Riders.
However, there wasn’t any quick turnaround as the 2016 season marked the first time that Jones had missed the playoffs since making his CFL debut in 2002.
It was also a remarkable fall for a coaching staff that went 26-10 over its two seasons with the Eskimos.
“It gets me grey hairs and I lose sleep,’’ offensive co-ordinator and assistant head coach Stephen McAdoo said of the rare losing season. “It makes everyone in the offseason hungrier and they all want to work harder. They are trying to learn more and working on their craft more.
“As coaches, we’re trying to find every play or anything that we can do to make our guys better.
“We critique everything right down to the release of a route to the drop of a quarterback to the steps of a lineman to anything it may be as we try to hit every nook and cranny.’’
Craig Dickenson, the Riders’ special-teams co-ordinator, was left with mixed emotions after the 2016 season.
“For me, it was humbling because I thought we would be better,’’ he said. “It was also very motivating because it’s no fun going home in November. You want to keep playing and then you see guys playing on Sundays in the West Division final and the Grey Cup.
“It was a humbling experience but it wasn’t the first time because I have been on some teams that have struggled. For myself, it’s motivating because you want to do as well as you can.’’
Last year was a lost season for many reasons. Injuries were an issue from the opening day of training camp, especially along the offensive line. The 2016 Riders reportedly lost 249 man-games to injuries.
Jones and the Riders’ football-operations staff had scouted hundreds of players leading up to the 2016 season. Many of the players who survived the free-agent camps and earned contracts weren’t able to come together in a timely manner.
The Riders also had to deal with distractions. In August they were fined a total of $75,000 and had $26,000 deducted from the salary cap for ratio and roster violations that included having unsigned prospects practising against players who were under contract.
Later, the CFL team was fined $5,000 for standing on the Calgary Stampeders’ logo for too long before a game at McMahon Stadium.
The Riders put the distractions behind them and got healthier in the second half of the season. Things also began to click at key positions like the offensive line and in the secondary.
There were still issues, but the Riders closed out the season by winning four of their final six games.
The ending provided the Riders with optimism that things might change in 2017.
“We have a new identity this year,’’ said cornerback Kacy Rodgers. “It started in training camp with the conditioning, the physicality and the mental toughness. We had it last year, but we were inconsistent. We would have a couple of good weeks and we might have taken a couple of plays off and that ended up in losses for us. We can’t do that this year.’’
There is pressure on the Riders to avoid another season like 2016, especially considering the new stadium.
“There is pressure every year because it’s pro football and there is pressure to win the first football game,’’ Jones said. “If you let whatever pressure there is get to you, then you will never be successful. I know what’s at stake and everybody on our football team knows what’s at stake. We just have to do our jobs.’’
The new stadium looms over multiple aspects of the Riders’ 2017 season and beyond.
“It’s a beautiful place and it’s certainly something that our province and our fans should be proud of,’’ Jones said. “Our players love it. I’ve tried to warn them that it’s only as good as the players we put in it. They need to do the things they have always done, regardless of if we’re playing in an empty parking lot or a brand-new stadium.’’
The keys to a successful inaugural season for the Riders are simple. They need to stay healthy. They will also require solid quarterbacking and appear to have that with veteran Kevin Glenn as the starting pivot.
The offensive line has to be more cohesive and that should take place with the addition of veterans like Derek Dennis and Peter Dyakowski and the return of Brendon LaBatte. The defence also has to be better, with the secondary improving its ability to cover.
“We have to have a little luck in sports,’’ Dickenson said. “You have to stay healthy and have the right guys in the right spots. We feel that we have good leadership on this team and there is a different vibe in the locker-room and you can already feel it.”
If you let whatever pressure there is get to you, then you will never be successful. I know what’s at stake and everybody on our football team knows what’s at stake. We just have to do our jobs. CHRIS JONES