QB ROTATION LIMITS RIDERS’ OFFENCE
At a time when the Saskatchewan Roughriders pass to set up the punt, it may seem like a reach to assert that the Stephen McAdoo-choreographed offence does, in fact, work.
But there is ample evidence to suggest that the scheme, despite the offence’s current imperfections, can be successful.
Last season, for example, Saskatchewan led the CFL in touchdown passes (35). Kevin Glenn, now of the Edmonton Eskimos, led the way with 25. Brandon Bridge added 10.
Also consider the 2015 season, which was punctuated by the Eskimos’ most-recent Grey Cup victory. Edmonton quarterback Mike Reilly enjoyed a banner year while collaborating with McAdoo, the offensive co-ordinator.
Reilly, as well as anyone, understands what it takes to prosper within McAdoo’s system. Always cordial and quotable, Reilly was a guest with Jamie Nye on CJME’s Green Zone on Thursday, when one of the questions pertained to the scheme.
“If you learn it, and you learn how to operate within it, it can be a very successful offence,” Reilly told Nye. “But it is structured.
“It’s not like some offences where you can just kind of go out there and wing it and freelance and get away with it. That’s not what this offence is designed and built around. It’s structured with rules of where your eyes need to be and how your footwork needs to be, and the ball has to come out on time based on what the defence is doing.
“Once you learn it and you get comfortable with it, it’s the best thing you can have as a quarterback, because you’re never going to be out there questioning what’s going on.
“You’re going to have an answer for everything and there’s going to be something built in to take care of every coverage that they have.”
However, the offence’s intricacies are not easily mastered.
“It’s not something that you learn overnight,” Reilly continued during his Green Zone chat. “It’s something that takes a lot of work and takes a lot of time. There’s going to be growing pains within that.”
Those pains have been excruciating for the Roughriders, due in part to matters beyond their control.
Zach Collaros, Saskatchewan’s No. 1 quarterback, is concussed and on the six-game injured list.
Bridge has yet to rep rise his 2017 form, prompting Roughriders boss Chris Jones — who coached Reilly and the Eskimos to the 2015 title — to give David Watford considerably more playing time than anticipated.
On June 30 against the Montreal Alouettes, Bridge was unimpressive in the first half before being replaced by Watford. The offence was marginally better with Watford behind centre, but the Riders nonetheless lost 23-17.
Bridge started again July 5 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, but the quarterbacking situation quickly became confused as Watford repeatedly entered the game as part of a rotation. The Roughriders won 18-13 despite eking out 12 first downs, including a mere four through the air.
How can the Roughriders hope to improve?
Barring a quick recovery by Collaros, the best option is to stick with one quarterback — recalling Reilly’s description of McAdoo’s system as “not something that you learn overnight.”
So why force-feed it to two people in the same game?
Give Bridge the repetitions he requires.
And put an end to a rotation that is enough to make one’s head spin.