Riders vs. Elks: Round 2

Saturday the winless Elks come to town hoping Tre Ford can ignite what little life is left in the team. The Riders will be looking to bounce back after a second half collapse in Montreal last week. It also happens to be Buffalo Days (yes I’ve reach “refused to acknowledge change” old), so on your way out you can get conned in a game, overpay for ridiculous food try not to bear sprayed on the way out.

I’m usually not big on comparisons to historical events that have no actual connection but the collapse in Montreal made me think a lot about 2007. Kent Austin’s team choked away a lead to Edmonton and the team dropped to 2-2. It had people really questioning him as a coach and this team. They rallied and ripped off 5 straight wins. Strikes me that Montreal could be just like that, a down game that is going to happen with a new coach but is just a blip on a radar not a sign of things to come. 

On the surface there should be no reason to worry about this game. We are 5-2 and have only lost to the best teams in the CFL (though I’m watching BC play Winnipeg as I write this and am questioning that label). The Elks are winless, hapless and Jones-less. But there is a number of reasons that my confidence is waning. Obviously there is the Ford factor. But we are also piling up injuries. Now we down Lanier (our best DL) and Brammer (meaning we are on our 3^rd string tackle). Lastly, I think we are quick to forget that were it not for an insane 4^th quarter we could have easily lost to the Elks in Game 1 with all our starters. So this is far from a sure thing… much like the odds of the carnies all having full sets of teeth. 

I am not going to do what many are doing and read too much into what Tre Ford was able to do in garbage time against a Hamilton team that was milking a massive lead. But he did breathe some energy into that offense. And that is an offense that should be much better. They have Geno Lewis, Dilon Mitchell, Kurleigh Gittens and Kevin Brown. That is fire power. Now it does call into question Jarious Jackson’s ability as an OC. He has failed in previous stints as OC (i.e. BC) and the bar in Edmonton was only that he had to be better than Steve McAdoo. That’s a bar that I think most people who have never heard of football could achieve. The key is up front. Easier said than done but priority 1 is contain Ford. D-Line needs to pretty much ignore going for sacks and just focus on keeping Ford in the pocket. Last year Ford’s insertion also opened up Brown in the ground game so we need to keep being stout against the run. Remember that after a furious start last year, Ford lost his final 4 games. 

What gives me the most hope in this game is that while Tre Ford may liven the offense, he does not play defense and can’t fix that. They have allowed the most yards and the second most points. For all the talk of MBT vs. Ford, it’s the defense that has been killing them. I don’t think they have the horses. For all his criticisms as a GM (and there are as many of them as black shirts in his closet) Chris Jones is a good defensive mind. He could not get this unit to not suck. So this is where we attack. Start with a heavy dose of Hickson. Edmonton has better run D than Montreal (somehow) so I expect lower numbers from him but he should still be involved early and often. Quick passes to Bane and Emilus (who if we follow the alternating good Emilus bad Emilus pattern should be due for a good game) will keep the pressure off Council and Patterson. I also think this would be a good game to lean on the size and physicality of Ajou. If we are physical it will wear down a visiting. Above all else we need to continue to protect the football. Mistakes are how bad teams like Edmonton stick around in games. Limit them and force Edmonton to outplay us.

We had a chance to beat a very good Montreal team on the road on a very short week. This week with the benefit of an extended rest and the hometown crowd I once again expect our defense to be flying. Last year, Corey Mace’s Argo Defense held Ford to 12 points and got 2 picks off him. Our offense tends to do “just enough” but they have the benefit of facing a not great defense so “just enough” will be ok. In the first quarter they were slicing through a very good Montreal D… and comparing Edmonton’s D to Montreal’s is like comparing the structural safety of a midway ride to that of an actual building. 

I expect Ford to do Ford things and score on the first drive and the our D will shut him down for the rest of the game.  Offense won’t look pretty but will get the job done. Closer than it should be but…

Riders by a Patterson rushing TD.