Sky’s the limit for Fajardo-maas duo
The Saskatchewan Roughriders hope that Jason Maas, who has been known to attack a Gatorade container, can supply a little more punch.
The offence was just fine under co- ordinator Stephen Mcadoo in 2019, as evidenced by the fact that Cody Fajardo was named the CFL’S all- star quarterback and the West Division’s most outstanding player.
But that wasn’t enough to satisfy head coach Craig Dickenson, who has installed Maas as the offensive co- ordinator after notifying Mcadoo that his contract would not be renewed.
“We just felt like we could get a little bit better in what we’re doing,” Dickenson, who coached the 2019 Roughriders to a 13-5 record and first place in the West, said Friday at Mosaic Stadium. “Cody did have a great year, but I feel like that’s expected when you have a good team.
“It’s a result of Cody stepping up his game, but it’s also a result of the other 12 guys, and the other 35 guys doing their jobs as well. We had decided as a staff to go in a different direction after the season. Then it was just a matter of seeing who was available.”
Hello there, Jason Maas. Maas arrives in Saskatchewan with a well-established reputation as a premier offensive strategist, albeit one whose emotions can lead to the smashing of a headset or a tantrum directed at a Gatorade jug.
Combustibility aside, are there concerns? Well, the Eskimos settled for too many chip-shot field goals last year — Maas’s fourth season as Edmonton’s head coach and offensive co-ordinator — and the Roughriders also experienced some letdowns in the red zone.
But when you consider Maas’s overall body of work, the case can be made that Fajardo stands to gain from his collaboration with the newly appointed offensive co-ordinator.
Maas, a f ormer CFL quarterback, is a proponent of an aggressive passing game. With that in mind, Fajardo should continue to evolve.
Fajardo did lead the CFL in passing yards, with 4,302, last season. However, that was the lowest total for a passing- yardage pacesetter since 1988, when the Toronto Argonauts’ Gilbert Renfroe put up 4,113.
Eighteen touch down passes is also an uncommonly modest total for a CFL all-star quarterback.
Now that Maas is handling the play- calling, could Fajardo enjoy a significant statistical ascent?
“I don’t necessarily look at those numbers,” Maas said.
“I just assume that if you understand the offence, if you play 18 games straight, if you make great decisions, those numbers will take care of themselves.
“It’s more about learning the offence and getting that under your belt. That’s what we’re going to do this off- season with him and try to get him as comfortable as possible so he can go out there and play football as good as he can.”
Keep in mind that Fajardo’s repertoire extends far beyond aerial football. He is also a weapon along the ground, having rushed for 611 yards and 10 majors last season.
“He’s talented,” Maas said. “He can run the ball. He can throw the ball. He’s tough as hell. He has that moxie and that savviness to him that you appreciate. I’m looking forward to working with him.
“I realize this: He’s young. He hasn’t played a lot. To play one year ( as a starter) and to be able to do what he did in one year is outstanding, and now it’s about putting that together and continuing to progress.
“I think there’s room for improvement, but watching him play, it’s exciting to want to work with a guy like that.”
Especially when you consider that Fajardo, at 27, has barely scratched the surface. With a little help from his friends, who knows what could materialize?
It would help matters, of course, for the Roughriders to re- sign Shaq Evans — who amassed 1,334 receiving yards last season — before he can become a free agent in February.
Maas could work wonders with Evans and Kyran Moore, the latter of whom is coming off a 996-yard season.
And if Maas, unlike McAdoo, deploys the talented Jordan Williams- Lambert at slotback instead of wide receiver, the possibilities are intriguing.
Add it all together and the Roughriders could boast quite an attack — and not just on the nearest Gatorade container.