PLACE ROUGHRIDERS’ UGLY LOSS SQUARELY ON JONES’S SHOULDERS
Saskatchewan’s man of many hats keeps making very bizarre personnel decisions
Chris Jones, invariably resplendent in black, is principally culpable for a humiliating loss that is a black mark on his moderately successful reign with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Reputedly a football genius — and someone who is lavishly compensated to be precisely that — Jones’ strategic and personnel-related blunders have transformed a supposed powerhouse into an occupant of the CFL’S outhouse.
That ignominious distinction had belonged to the Montreal Alouettes, who unfathomably snapped a 13-game losing streak Saturday by defeating Jones’ directionless crew 23-17 on Saturday night at Mosaic Stadium.
The laugher of a loss evoked memories of what the incomparable Bob Hughes lastingly labelled The Reign Of Error — a protracted period in which the Roughriders missed the playoffs for 11 seasons in succession (beginning in 1977).
“I feel like I did in 1983,” one testy texter grumbled Saturday night. “Good thing I am old. The senses are dulled, too.”
In that case, he might want to apply for a position on the Roughriders’ coaching staff. He might be overqualified. Yes, the game is decided on the field, but it cannot be argued with any credibility that Jones is putting all his players in the best position to succeed.
Isn’t that a basic pigskin precept?
Jones — the Roughriders’ head coach, defensive co-ordinator, general manager and vice-president of football operations — has ingeniously converted one of the CFL’S elite receivers, Duron Carter, into a cornerback. Oh.
The punt-oriented offence has erupted for one touchdown in each of Saskatchewan’s first three regular-season games. Sustained success, this is not. Yet, Jones has obstinately, indefensibly stuck with Carter on the corner.
Rival receivers such as Montreal’s Chris Williams — who was seen sprinting past Carter on Saturday — must be salivating at the sight of No. 89.
By the time Jones finally moved Carter to offence, where his dynamism was evident last season, it was late in the fourth quarter and the Roughriders were trailing 23-15. This against an alleged professional football team that had lost 56-10 to the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers eight days earlier.
On Saturday, Jones started Brandon Bridge at quarterback in place of the concussed Zach Collaros, who is on the six-game injured list.
Bridge looked so out of his element that he may have surfaced at lost and found. (So, naturally, he will continue to start — the Roughriders being that barren of options. Kevin Glenn, you are dearly missed.)
For the second half, Jones opted to give David Watford his first regular-season snaps at quarterback.
Watford was responsible for whatever life that the Roughriders’ offence demonstrated on Saturday. However, he served up two interceptions, matching Bridge’s total.
The offence, we assure you, is consistent.
The Roughriders were able to spread the ball around, throwing an interception to four different players.
It didn’t help, of course, that Saskatchewan’s offensive line is substandard on a good day.
Jones signed Travis Bond, a CFL all-star guard in 2016, as a free agent during the off-season. Bond, who was surprisingly cashiered in late June, had been ticketed to play right guard.
A bulk order of Right Guard is in order after Saturday’s stinker.
Oh, and there’s more — or less, perhaps.
Jones, remember, drafted offensive lineman Josiah St. John first overall in 2016. He has turned into a monumental bust, the whiff being particularly costly when the sieve-like state of the Roughriders’ pass protection is bemoaned.
Consider, too, that Saskatchewan selected offensive lineman Dakoda Shepley fifth overall in the 2018 draft, even though he had signed with the NFL’S New York Jets.
Darius Ciraco, chosen right after Shepley, has quickly become a starter with the Hamilton Tiger-cats. Good to know.
With some daft draft gaffes influencing matters, Saskatchewan’s run blocking is so robust that tailbacks Marcus Thigpen and Tre Mason erupted for a collective 35 yards against Montreal. The average per carry: 2.91 yards.
Watching it all from the sideline was a perennial 1,000-yard rusher named Jerome Messam, a Canadian bruiser who effectively bumped the spectator count to 33,309.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Messam is capable of wearing down a defence, as was evident in a season-opening, 27-19 victory over the visiting Toronto Argonauts.
But now, the 1-2 Roughriders are wearing down their fans.
Someone explain Jones’ roster management, or lack thereof.
He dressed three tailbacks, but used only two — opting to mothball a capable Canadian, someone who made a vital contribution to the Roughriders’ only victory of the season, in the process.
Meanwhile, Jones left himself woefully shy of reinforcements on the offensive line (Eddie Steele, the next man up, is most accomplished at defensive tackle) and sadly understaffed in the secondary. All of this while playing Carter out of position. OK ...
The playbook, composed by Stephen Mcadoo, is more like a pamphlet. His options are further restricted by the baffling misuse of Carter.
Ideally, Carter should be scoring on 79-yard receptions instead of helplessly watching Williams race to pay dirt over that distance.
“Too many big plays,” Jones said of Carter’s performance. “Too many penalties.”
Jones is penalizing the entire team, not to mention frantic factions of its fervent fan base, by intractably, illogically using Carter on defence — the failed formula apparently remaining in effect for Thursday’s home date with Hamilton.
It doesn’t help matters that the Roughriders are already without their No. 1 quarterback. Collaros, whose fragility was a concern when he was acquired from Hamilton in January, didn’t even last six quarters before being concussed.
Bridge made it to halftime on Saturday, putting up a quarterback-deficiency rating of 18.5. After that, Jones was disinclined to ride a Bridge too far.
In fairness, Bridge’s first pass was a perfectly placed bomb that landed in the hands of Thigpen — who was returning to the lineup after serving a two-game suspension for violating the CFL’S drug policy.
Although Thigpen was back on the field, his hands remain under suspension. CLANK!
So much for a 76-yard touchdown.
It was that kind of night. “We’ve taken a little downturn right now,” Jones told CKRM after the Messam-less mess. “We’ve just got to believe in each other, keep working, and keep choppin’ wood.”
But enough about Thigpen’s hands.
And enough of this utter foolishness.
The offence, sans Carter for the better (?) part of two games, is such that all plays should be punctuated by canned laughter.
Saskatchewan had gone 88 minutes 34 seconds without a touchdown before Watford found Naaman Roosevelt for a five-yard scoring strike at 3:02 of Saturday’s fourth quarter.
A few minutes earlier, during the welcome respite between the third and fourth quarters, “The Last Saskatchewan Pirate” had been audible over Mosaic Stadium’s sound system.
They should have played “The Last Saskatchewan Touchdown.”
Yes, dear reader, it has come to this.
The Roughriders are once again a punch line — just three games into a once-promising season that reached a nadir on Saturday, with a dismal defeat that Jones must wear like his signature black shirt.