Backup QB shines at Roughriders’ camp
Quarterback’s play stands out during scrimmage, while Collaros struggles
The performances of quarterbacks Zach Collaros and Cody Fajardo were as different as green and white during the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Green and White scrimmage.
Collaros, the Riders’ No. 1 quarterback, unofficially completed only one of 10 passes for 15 yards and was intercepted once during Saturday’s controlled scrimmage at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.
Fajardo, who is competing with David Watford, Isaac Harker and Ty Gangi for second on the CFL team’s quarterback depth chart, completed nine of 13 passes for 129 yards with one touchdown and an interception.
“You take something from every practice, every rep and every game,” Collaros said after Sunday’s rundown at Griffiths Stadium. “We came out (Sunday) and we made corrections on offence and defence. We’ll watch some film and move forward.”
Fajardo was pleased with his showing, but also realized it was only a scrimmage.
“It was just playing football,” Fajardo said. “The receivers made a lot of good plays for me. My whole goal out there was don’t turn the ball over and try to move the football. I felt good doing that, but I made a handful of mistakes, which you expect.
“Obviously, no decisions are made off a mock game. You have to perform, particularly in practice and, more importantly, in the pre-season games.”
Collaros’ showing was unexpected considering how well the 30-year-old quarterback has performed in his second training camp with the Riders.
Compared to the 2018 season, when he had nine touchdown passes against 13 interceptions, Collaros looked relaxed and comfortable within the offensive system.
On Saturday, he looked comfortable exiting the huddle and approaching the line of scrimmage. He even looked fine while dropping back to pass, but then his passes were overthrown, underthrown or even behind some receivers.
“We would have liked to have had (Collaros) complete more,” said Riders head coach Craig Dickenson. “We felt his decision-making was pretty good. His timing with receivers isn’t great right now and he was a little high on some throws. We’re hoping with another week that we’ll correct that and get better as we go along.”
The lone completion for Collaros was a 15-yard dart to Cory Watson. Collaros’s 13-play day ended after cornerback Nick Marshall intercepted him.
Fajardo’s best series was a nineplay, 100-yard drive that culminated in a 20-yard touchdown pass to Max Zimmermann. The 27-yearold quarterback used short and intermediate passes and the run to move the Riders down the field.
“It’s one of those things where you want to stay on the field because the longer you stay on the field, the more reps you get in a mock game,” Fajardo said. “My goal was to get a 70-yard drive so I could get more reps.”
The other quarterbacks had mixed results. Watford completed five of 10 passes for 96 yards and rushed for a one-yard touchdown. Harker was good on three of seven attempts with an interception. Gangi completed four of five passes for 10 yards.
Based on the aforementioned statistics, Fajardo did a great deal to help his bid to be Collaros’s backup.
“When I got here, I treated it like I was on the bottom of the depth chart,” Fajardo said. “I just want to continue to work.
“The offensive line helped me feel really comfortable even though I wasn’t getting hit. I felt really comfortable in the pocket and I was able to deliver really good balls. The receivers made a lot of good plays for me.”
Fajardo has primarily been a short-yardage quarterback during his three CFL seasons, spent with the Toronto Argonauts and B.C. Lions. That experience may give him an edge over Watford (who is in his second CFL season) and rookies Harker and Gangi.
“My real inexperience is just not starting a game,” Fajardo said. “I’ve played a lot of football in the CFL while coming in late in games or when guys have gotten injured.
“I feel really comfortable with the offence and the system fits me really well. I’m just excited to go against (the host Calgary Stampeders) on Friday.”