Neufeld fills O-line holes
Ex-huskie looking good with Riders
REGINA — If Patrick Neufeld played in the NBA, he’d be getting some consideration for the Sixth Man of the Year Award.
But Neufeld plays for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and his appearances as the CFL team’s sixth offensive lineman in each of its first two games of the 2012 regular season have indicated trouble for a starter.
During Saskatchewan’s 43-16 victory over the host Hamilton Tiger-Cats on June 29, Neufeld took over at right tackle early in the fourth quarter after starter Chris Patrick was ejected for rough play.
Then, during the Roughriders’ 17-1 triumph over the Edmonton Eskimos on Sunday at Mosaic Stadium, Neufeld moved in at left guard early in the second quarter after starter Brendon LaBatte injured his right shoulder.
So far, the reviews have been good.
In the days after the game in Hamilton, Roughriders head coach Corey Chamblin was asked if the coaching staff had the requisite faith in Neufeld to throw him into the fray.
“He wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have faith in him,” Chamblin replied. “This is not a free ride. He made the team and we think that he can do it.” He has thus far. Neufeld, a 23- year- old product of Regina, was selected by the Roughriders in the fifth round (33rd overall) of the 2010 CFL draft out of the University of Saskatchewan.
After attending the Roughriders’ training camp in 2010, the 6-foot-6, 296-pounder returned to the U of S for his final CIS sea- son with the Huskies. He made the Roughriders’ roster in 2011 and dressed for 17 games as a backup.
This season, Neufeld again won the roster spot as the Roughriders’ sixth lineman — but he has been more active than in the past.
“I had a little bit of jitters this game, but now I know what to expect,” Neufeld said after Sunday’s game, during which the offensive line at times struggled with Edmonton’s tenacious Dline. “I’m really comfortable getting in there and playing beside those guys.”
“He fits in just about seamlessly,” LaBatte noted. “Patty’s right there. He’s smart with the playbook and he knows how to position his body so that he doesn’t get into bad situations.
“He steps in and does a heckuva job no matter where we need him, whether it’s at tackle or guard. He’s always ready and he’s mentally sharp enough that he can handle playing anywhere.”
That could be a result of the Roughriders’ training camp.
LaBatte ( Achilles injury) and guard Chris Best (heat exhaustion, foot injury) missed a number of training-camp workouts, giving Neufeld and rookie Ben Heenan valuable repetitions.
Best has yet to even practise since the regular season began, allowing Heenan to start both games at right guard.
Neufeld’s exposure to the No. 1 defence during camp has also served to prepare him for the starters on the Hamilton and Edmonton defensive lines.
“Getting those reps during camp is the stuff that really translates over into the game, which helped me out (Sunday),” said Neufeld, who played tackle at the U of S.
“(The importance of the reps in camp) is all mental. It allows you to play fast and aggressive.”
That said, he admittedly found things “nerve-racking” during Sunday’s game, more so than when he replaced Patrick in Hamilton.
Neufeld admitted part of the issue may have been playing in his hometown — the novelty still hasn’t worn off — but he also pointed to the magnitude of the contest.
“The game was a little closer, so there was a little more pressure that way,” said Neufeld, who replaced LaBatte with the Roughriders leading 4-1. “
But I was confident in my abilities and in the system and in everyone around me, so it was good.”
LaBatte’s right shoulder wasn’t good Sunday. The veteran guard jammed the joint when he fell awkwardly to the turf during a Kory Sheets run.
After leaving the field, LaBatte remained on the Roughriders’ sideline for a few moments before heading to the dressing room.
He returned to the sideline after halftime and was moving his right arm around in an effort to loosen up his shoulder, but he never re-entered the game.
“I had hopes that maybe after getting some ice on it and getting it evaluated that it would be good to go, but it just didn’t have the strength,” LaBatte said.
“As soon as it got hit (during a drill with fellow O-lineman Alex KrausnickGroh to test the shoulder), it would pretty much just shut down and the whole arm would fall down.
“It’s just some swelling and inflammation in there that we’ve got to get rid of and hopefully I’ll be back next week.”
The Roughriders play host to the B.C. Lions on Saturday.