Defence’s one-two punch looks to build off hot start

OTTAWA Charleston Hughes and Willie Jefferson may have only scratched the surface of what they might accomplish with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The dynamic defensive ends provided a glimpse of what could be ahead during Friday’s 27-19 CFL victory over the visiting Toronto Argonauts.

Hughes had three sacks, four defensive tackles, four quarterback pressures and a fumble recovery in his Riders debut.

Jefferson had two pressures as he opened his third season in Saskatchewan.

“We’re looking to add to Charleston’s total of sacks and put a couple on my list,” Jefferson said in advance of Thursday’s game against the host Ottawa Redblacks. “We want to get a couple of sacks for the rest of the defensive line and make it hard for whoever the quarterback is.”

Hughes and Jefferson bring different attributes to the table, including their dimensions. Hughes, 34, is six-foot-one and 246 pounds. Jefferson, 27, is six-foot-six and 245 pounds.

“We complement each other in ways that other teams can’t do,” Hughes said.

“Where other teams might see him, they might not see me. When they are looking for me, they forget about Willie because he’s so slender.”

Hughes and Jefferson have been working on their chemistry since training camp began May 20 in Saskatoon.

It’s also something that they work on every day in practice.

“You have to look to improve and get on the same page with each other,” Hughes said.

“Then when I look down the line of scrimmage, I just have to nod my head and he knows what I’m saying.”

Jefferson feels that Hughes has already made contributions to the defensive line in ways besides communication.

“There is a lot more knowledge on the defensive line going into the game,” Jefferson said. “Charleston brings a lot of tendencies into the meetings and he’s able to tell us things to look for when we are on the field.

“Also, on the field he gives us little tips on how to win in certain situations. We just take advantage of it of it and run with it during the game.”

There is more to Saskatchewan’s vaunted defensive line than the bookends of Hughes and Jefferson. Tobi Antigha also sees time as the Riders’ third defensive end.

The Riders also use a three-man rotation at defensive tackle, with Zack Evans, Makana Henry and Eddie Steele.

The six defensive linemen collectively boast 36 years of CFL experience, including Hughes’ 11.

“It’s good and a lot easier when you know you have guys that need to be double-teamed on every play,” Evans said.

“It’s fun because you get a couple of more one-on-ones. You take the double teams on runs, you just left them fly around. You get your opportunities and that quarterback in the pocket isn’t standing still for nothing.”

The hot start to the season has Hughes thinking big in terms of goals.

“Right now I’m on pace for 54 sacks,” he said with a laugh. “We’ll see if that happens.”

Duron Carter, meanwhile, is to make his second CFL start at cornerback with Nick Marshall sidelined by in an injured finger. Carter opened the season at wide receiver, registering three receptions for 36 yards on Friday.

While meeting with the media Wednesday, Carter didn’t sound too concerned about covering Ottawa’s receivers.

“I don’t think they bring any challenges, to tell you the truth,” he said. “They’re not better than the receivers we go up against in practice.”