Another statement game looms for Riders

In light of recent events, a quick reminder: It is inadvisable to look directly at a solar eclipse or a Saskatchewan Roughriders road game.

The Roughriders, however, would like to change the optics.

Saskatchewan’s CFL team has an opportunity to snap a 15-game road losing streak against West Division opponents when it faces the Edmonton Eskimos on Friday.

It is the latest statement game for Chris Jones and associates, who squelched one storyline by actually defeating a divisional rival when the B.C. Lions fell 41-8 at Mosaic Stadium on Aug. 13.

Forty-one points also represents the Roughriders’ (ahem) production over their three away games — all losses — this season.

At home, by contrast, Saskatchewan has compiled a 3-1 record while showing several signs of improvement in 2016. The next challenge is to address the pronounced home-away contrast.

To illustrate the extremes, we present Kevin Glenn’s disparate quarterback-efficiency ratings: 117.8 (home) and 79.9 (away).

Thirteen of Glenn’s 14 touchdown passes have been thrown over four home games.

In terms of points per game in regulation time, there is a considerable gulf between 38.3 (home) and 13.7 (away).

Net offence, you ask? Home: 416.3 yards per game. Away: 316.3.

Saskatchewan has registered six of its seven interceptions at home, where five of those picks (including four by Ed Gainey) were made on Aug. 13.

Sacks? Same story. Fourteen at home, one away.

Suppose that the Roughriders can, at long last, flip the script on Friday.

A victory over the 7-1 Eskimos, an injury riddled unit, would put the Roughriders at 4-4 — an unspectacular slate until you consider the degree to which the franchise’s fortunes have fallen since September 2014. Over that time, the fans’ demeanour has reflected the team’s performance.

“The mood of the province goes the way this football team goes,” Weyburn-born centre Brendon LaBatte said. “You’re literally making people’s lives better just by winning when you go to work.

“It’s just a crazy effect that this place can begin to fester up when you play the game the right way and you get wins, but it’s also the opposite if it isn’t good. It’s probably better than it should be when you’re winning and it’s probably a little worse than it should be when you’re losing.

“It’s a tough place to play, but it’s long overdue to get it turned around and start stringing wins together here.”

It’s just a crazy effect that this place can begin to fester up when you play the game the right way and you get wins, but it’s also the opposite ...