PICTURESQUE PASS PORTENDS POST-PANDEMIC PROSPERITY
Cody Fajardo was in a zone — as was the Saskatchewan Roughriders' defence.
The coverage presented a challenge, albeit one that Fajardo and receiver Shaq Evans embraced during Friday's training-camp session.
Evans — like Fajardo, a CFL all-star in 2019 — was able to get behind the secondary down the right sideline at Mosaic Stadium before snaring a picturesque pass for a long gain.
“I know exactly what play you're talking about,” the always-affable Fajardo told this scribbler during a Zoom call with reporters, referencing a play that has recently been installed by offensive co-ordinator Jason Maas.
“I had never repped it before. That was the first time I'd repped it. It was almost like a double move. Shaq had never run that route.”
Regardless, the execution was unerring.
“It's easy to throw one-onones or throw against air, but when you get a defence out there running a zone coverage and you have to feather the ball in a perfect spot at the perfect time or else they're going to make a play on it, that's something that makes you feel good and something that I feel that I've done well during this training camp — finding throws in zones, which is something I was really nervous about,” Fajardo continued.
“Man coverage is one thing, and our defence does a great job at man coverage, but if the receiver beats him, you just kind of throw it out there and let your guy go. When they give you a zone coverage, you've got to anticipate and throw the ball on time. Your receiver has to be at the right yardage at the right time.
“We literally had one walkthrough rep of that and then we were going against the defence with it, and it looked as clean as it did.
“That was probably one of my favourite plays of the training camp so far, so I don't think you're making too big of a deal out of that play.
“It was pretty nice.”
It was only one play, of course, but it did provide a brief reminder of what Fajardo and Evans were able to accomplish during their mutual breakout season of 2019.
It also whetted the appetite for a resumption of play in August, following the Covid-induced cancellation of the 2020 season.
“The plays in the zone coverages where you have to make tight-window throws are something that you can't simulate in the off-season,” Fajardo said.
“You can't simulate tight-window throws against a zone because I don't have enough bodies to go 12-on-12. Usually I get a couple of receivers and maybe a DB who they can go one-on-one against.
“To get 12 guys out there and to feel the rush and to move in the pocket and to throw a ball into the zone, honestly, it's one of those feelings where, `OK, we're back. This is CFL football.'
“Those are the throws I'm going to have to make this year if we have the expectations on our team of going to the Grey Cup, so getting those reps early on in camp and getting as comfortable as I can is going to pay dividends.”
That was probably one of my favourite plays of the training camp so far, so I don't think you're making too big of a deal out of that play.