ripe picking for the
Roughriders could capitalize on banged-up Eskimos
REGINA — Definition of a drought: Monday’s total solar eclipse will be the third such occurrence, globally, since the Saskatchewan Roughriders last won a CFL West Division road game.
Talk about a period of darkness!
Since defeating the host Winnipeg Blue Bombers 30-24 on Sept. 7, 2014, Saskatchewan has lost 15 consecutive away games against division rivals — a streak the Roughriders are hoping to snap Friday against newly acquired John Chick and the Edmonton Eskimos.
The Green and White cleared one hurdle Aug. 12 by defeating the visiting B.C. Lions 41-8. The Roughriders had lost 26 of their previous 29 games, home or away, against West opponents.
Having taken an important step against the Lions, the Roughriders now have an opportunity to make an emphatic statement by posting a victory in traditionally forbidding territory (Commonwealth Stadium) against an Edmonton team that sports a league-best 7-1 record.
The Eskimos were bounced from the ranks of the undefeated Thursday, when the host Blue Bombers prevailed 33-26. Leading up to that game, the strong suspicion here was that Winnipeg would win (you can look it up) because of the toll exacted by the Eskimos’ spate of injuries.
Give due credit to the Blue Bombers, who posted an impressive home-field victory, but an Eskimos loss was inevitable due to their scrolllike, star-studded injury list (see: J.C. Sherritt, Adarius Bowman, John White, Brandon Zylstra, Almondo Sewell, Marcus Howard).
Can the Roughriders also capitalize on the adversity the Eskimos are encountering?
If so, the tenor of the conversation throughout Rider Nation will soon change.
A victory would give Saskatchewan a .500 record (4-4) and establish, beyond any doubt, that there has been notable progress during Year 2 of the Chris Jones administration.
The Roughriders hired Jones, at considerable expense, with the hope that he would replicate his accomplishments in the Alberta capital.
He inherited an Edmonton team that went 4-14 in 2013 and immediately improved its record to 12-6. The next year, the Eskimos went 14-4 en route to winning the Grey Cup — whereupon Rough- riders president-CEO Craig Reynolds determinedly and successfully wooed the triumphant head coach.
Jones took over a 3-15 team and, in Year 1 as the Roughriders’ head coach, general manager and vicepresident of football operations, produced five victories. The 2017 edition started off at 0-2 — seemingly adhering to team policy — but has since gone 3-2.
This year’s team appears to be vastly improved, especially on offence.
Kevin Glenn, who has thrown 14 touchdown passes in seven games, has the pleasure of collaborating with a firstrate cast of playmakers.
The offensive and defensive lines both performed robustly in Saskatchewan’s most recent game, which was followed by a bye week.
The defence, as a whole, looked like it was heavily influenced by Jones. The pass rush, in its many forms, exerted consistent pressure. And there were even interceptions — five of them, in fact — with Ed Gainey registering four picks to eclipse (how timely) the franchise’s single-game record.
Now comes the next step — taking that show on the road.
“We’re going to keep grinding and keep doing the things that we know have worked for us in all the different places that we’ve been,” Jones, who won a Grey Cup with each of his previous four CFL teams, said the other day.
“We’re going to continue to be positive with our players, but we’re going to be hard on them. Our expectations are going to be high.”
Sort of like, you know, the eclipse.