AILING OFFENCE SCUTTLES ROUGHRIDERS’ SEASON
The Saskatchewan Roughriders attempted to play a game of Bridge without a full deck — or a full upper deck, for that matter.
Consequently, a victory wasn’t in the cards.
With Brandon Bridge starting at quarterback instead of the fragile Zach Collaros, the Roughriders’ poorly conceived, shoddily executed offence didn’t stand a snowball’s chance of enjoying sustained success in the CFL’S numbing non-sellout of a West Division semifinal — won 23-18 by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Sunday at Mosaic Stadium.
In many ways, the Roughriders’ effort was admirable. They hung in there against a strong Winnipeg team despite the absence of their starting pivot and made matters interesting until the waning seconds.
But there aren’t any consolation prizes in professional football, a wonderful game that is nonetheless cruel and unforgiving.
Ultimately, the Roughriders and their fans could only wonder what might have been.
Specifically, what if Collaros had been able to start?
Although the 30-year-old signal-caller was hardly stellar during a season in which his interceptions (13) outnumbered the touchdown passes (nine), he did operate the offence — such as it was — in competent fashion.
He was an experienced hand who guided Saskatchewan to victory in 10 of his 14 starts.
One of those wins was at the expense of the Calgary Stampeders, who fell 29-24 at Mcmahon Stadium in the Roughriders’ penultimate regular-season game.
Collaros threw for 352 yards as the Riders piled up 30 first downs and delivered an emphatic message — that they were, in fact, a bona fide Grey Cup contender.
At 12-6, Saskatchewan earned the right to stage a home playoff game for the first time since 2013. It was a progressive step in Year 3 of the Chris Jones regime.
Calgary (13-5) placed first, but has looked uncommonly vulnerable due to a spate of injuries. Many of the flaws were exposed by the Roughriders during their Oct. 20 visit to Calgary.
But now it is the Blue Bombers who are destined for Calgary and the division final, the Roughriders’ season having ended abruptly but predictably in light of the quarterbacking predicament.
At the very least, the Roughriders needed to avoid costly turnovers on Sunday. For the most part, they were successful. With Bridge at the controls, Saskatchewan relinquished the football only once — but that one miscue was a severe blow.
On second-and-four from the Blue Bombers’ 39-yard line, Bridge unfurled a quacker that was intercepted 23 yards downfield by Kevin Fogg.
Fogg returned the pick 51 yards. Four plays later, the Bombers scored on a 20-yard pass from Matt Nichols to Drew Wolitarsky.
Bridge was picked off when the Roughriders, who employ allstar kicker Brett Lauther, were in field-goal range. Instead, the Bombers ended up with prime field position and ultimately hit pay dirt with three minutes left before halftime.
It was an unaffordable 10-point swing from which the Roughriders, with their limited arsenal, could not recover.
Saskatchewan did have some opportunities on offence, only to repeatedly falter.
Bridge twice missed an open Naaman Roosevelt in the end zone. Collaros would have made at least one of those throws, don’t you think?
Late in the third quarter, however, Bridge was at the controls for an impressive march.
With the aid of a successful challenge by Jones, Bridge moved the team 69 yards in nine plays. His 10-yard scramble had given the Roughriders a firstand-10 situation on the 13-yard line. How novel.
So, naturally, Roughriders offensive co-ordinator Stephen Mcadoo messed with the offence when it was actually producing, replacing Bridge with David Watford for no justifiable reason. (How not to allow your quarterback to get on a roll. Ingenious!)
On first down, Marcus Thigpen was felled for a loss of two. Splat!
The Roughriders were then flagged for illegal procedure. Gong!
Facing a second-and-17 predicament, the Roughriders treated the shivering gallery of 30,609 (2,741 short of capacity) to a patented passing play — for a one-yard gain on second and long.
Lauther’s fourth field goal of the game pared Winnipeg ’s lead to 13-12, but there was the potential to assume the lead.
The head scratching resumed early in the fourth quarter. Oh, yes it did.
On second and three from their 49-yard line, the Roughriders eschewed a run or a ball-control pass. Bridge threw a deep nonspiral, which may have landed in the same postal code as Roosevelt, and a punt ensued.
There were, of course, other issues.
Jones correctly noted that the Roughriders “didn’t tackle very well,” as evidenced by the 153 rushing yards that Winnipeg ’s Andrew Harris amassed Sunday.
The Roughriders’ running backs, Thigpen and Cameron Marshall, gained a combined 29 yards on 12 carries — further evidence of the Bombers’ dominance on the line of scrimmage.
Winnipeg could concentrate on stopping the run with virtual impunity, knowing full well that Bridge (especially in collaboration with Mcadoo) was unlikely to carry the day through the air.
Bridge ended up passing for only 14 more yards (100) than he gained along the ground.
For all the gains the Roughriders made this season — winning 12 games, hosting a playoff game and fielding a formidable defence — the Green and White could not overcome the lack of a quarterback or a plan in a must-win game.
In the CFL, a team that is genuinely of championship calibre should be able to win when the opposition scores 23 points.
An essential ingredient, though, would be an offence that is at least — wait for it — moderately successful.