Davis: Saskatchewan Roughriders change styles to dominate B.C. Lions
Even while winning four of their first five CFL games this season the Roughriders had been slow starters who eschewed deep passes, rarely blitzed opposing quarterbacks, got caught being too enamoured with themselves and were heading to an unfriendly stadium to play the red-hot B.C. Lions.
So the Roughriders made some strategic changes and beat the Lions rather easily on Saturday, grabbing a 16-point lead and — despite some late-game foibles — cruising to a 33-27 victory inside B.C. Place Stadium, where Saskatchewan had lost its three previous contests. The Lions were also on a two-game streak, with victories in their last two road games, before falling to 3-4.
Instead of relying solely on their predictable short-passing attack, Riders quarterback Trevor Harris took advantage of decent protection by his offensive line to complete four long passes of 30-plus yards, which included 50- and 30-yarders that Dohnte Meyers caught for touchdowns.
Harris wasn't sacked and, despite Darius Washington making his first CFL start at left tackle against a strong defensive line, the Roughriders also got 72 rushing yards from A.J. Ouellette and 12 from Ka'Deem Carey, who left the game with a gruesome knee injury in the third quarter.
'We know we're an explosive offence,' said Meyers, who led all receivers with 132 yards on seven catches. 'That's what we want to do and continue to be explosive throughout the game.
'Just because you may start fast, we want to finish fast also. That was the goal this week.'
It didn't happen exactly like that.
Meyers' touchdowns came on Saskatchewan's opening possession of each half, so after his third-quarter major put the Roughriders ahead 30-11 they scored only one more field goal from Brett Lauther, whose 4-for-4 day outing improved his season success rate to 70 per cent (14-for-20).
While completing 23 of 30 passes for 395 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, Harris said during a halftime interview the Roughriders' offence needed to keep attacking its opponents. Instead the Roughriders became more conservative and subsequently replaced Harris with short-yardage quarterback Tommy Stevens in an ill-advised attempt to kill the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
That silly strategy actually set up Lions QB Nathan Rourke's third TD pass and ensuing two-point convert, which pulled the Lions within six points and a failed short kickoff away from somehow winning a game that shouldn't have been that close.
On defence the blitz-adverse Roughriders repeatedly blitzed Rourke, who sometimes escaped but often overthrew open receivers because of the pressure. With a penchant for playing zone defences, it was surprising to see the Roughriders blitzing different linebackers and defensive backs while sometimes deploying a three-man front.
Rourke was sacked once, completed 27 of 41 passes for 337 yards and was intercepted when Riders linebacker A.J. Allen, who led his team with six tackles, tipped a ball to teammate Marcus Sayles.
Everyone is calling it a 'bounce-back game,' a 'rebound' from the Roughriders' lacklustre performance one week earlier, when a match against the visiting Calgary Stampeders was rescheduled from Friday night to Saturday afternoon because of smoky air. The home team barely quivered while being eviscerated 24-10 in that contest.
'Do we have a glass jaw or not?' Riders head coach Corey Mace had wondered afterwards, using an old boxing analogy, following his team's first loss of the CFL season.
It turns out the Roughriders are more tough-to-knockout George Chuvalo than glass-jawed Gerry Cooney.
They were angry after the loss to Calgary. The offensive and defensive lines had been dominated in the trenches, a fact noted by Mace and validated by the players. They also thought they may have become too egotistical about their unbeaten record.
They began last week's workouts with a rare, pads-on practice that featured lots of popping. The players told reporters afterwards they had learned a lesson from the loss and they vowed to work harder, which allowed them to keep pace with the 5-1 Stampeders atop the West Division. They didn't mention the strategy changes, a little nip-and-tuck that lets the Roughriders look at themselves in the mirror again.
Related
Davis: Saskatchewan Roughriders offensive linemen are ticked off ... at themselves
10 Thoughts: Roughriders put together redeeming performance against Lions
The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark leaderpost.com and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hockey Canada sex assault defence lawyers respond to verdict: 'Public narrative was one-sided'
Five former Canadian world junior hockey players were found not guilty in a high-profile sexual assault trial related to a 2018 incident in London, Ont. The case had sparked a national reckoning over hockey culture, and what is and what isn't considered consent. Here's how the lawyers for Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote reacted to Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia's verdict, which was delivered in a London courtroom on Thursday. David Humphrey, lawyer for Michael McLeod Mr. McLeod will not be speaking to the media, and I understand the other players will not be speaking to the media. I will not be taking questions and other counsel who come to address you, they will not be taking any questions. Mr. McLeod had confidence in the Justice process, and he welcomes Justice Carrocia's decision, confirming that he and his co defendants are not guilty of sexual assault. Justice Carrocia's carefully reasoned decision represents a resounding vindication for Mr. McLeod and for his co defendants. Justice Carrocia's found that the complainant's testimony was incredible and was unreliable. For years, public perception was shaped by a one-sided narrative from a civil lawsuit that went unchallenged. In large part because hockey Canada settled the claim without first informing or consulting the players. The decision was made unilaterally, and the players were only told of the lawsuit and the settlement after the fact. Had they been consulted, they would have refused to settle, and they would have vigorously contested EM's allegations. That version of events dominated headlines and created a lasting and, a false, a false impression of guilt. It was only through this criminal trial that the allegations were fully and finally tested. The court compared the complainant's 2018 statements to the police, which rightly resulted in no charges with the later conflicting civil claim. Key elements of EM's story were contradicted by the evidence, exposing serious falsehood and leading to today's clear and just verdict of not guilty. Justice Carrocia rejected EM's claims of fear and her claims of non consent. That should be the takeaway from today's judgment. The damage to Mr. McLeod's reputation and his career has been significant. But today's decision begins to restore what was very unfairly taken away from him. Mr. McLeod is deeply grateful to his family, friends, his agent, and everybody who stood by him. Megan Savard, defence lawyer for Carter Hart It is both gratifying and unsurprising to hear an impartial and fully informed decision maker, except Mr. Hart's testimony about what happened on June 19, 2018, as unshaken, credible and truth. The public narrative of this event was, until this trial, one sided and untested. Now, the criminal process has shown it to be false. To anyone who is surprised or angered by today's outcome, it is the direct result of the media's ongoing failure to publicize the weaknesses in the prosecution's case as it unfolded. The office of the Crown attorney knew what today's verdict was likely to be. And the evidence at trial came as no surprise to them or anyone with full knowledge of the investigation. Almost every single feature of the evidence that Justice Carrocia identified today as fatal flaws for the Crown was known to prosecutors and to police from 2018. Today's outcome was not just predictable, it was predicted. The Crown attorney did not have to take this case to trial. Mr. Hart, in particular, was willing to engage in a restorative justice process. He was willing to be publicly named and prepared to use his public platform to teach other athletes about how to ensure that their sexual encounters are responsible and thoughtful. Instead of pursuing restorative justice, the Crown forced a distressing and unnecessary trial to the detriment of Mr. Hart, his co defendants, the complainant, and the Canadian public. Mr. Hart regrets that it took a criminal trial for the truth to come out, but he has learned from the experience, and he is committing to sharing what he has learned with others in his personal circle and in his professional life. He will be taking time today to process today's outcome, and is grateful to his family, his friends, and his supporters for standing by him during this profoundly challenging time. Thank you. Julianna Greenspan, lawyer for Cal Foote I promise I'm the last one. We are the last ones. Juliana Greenspan and this is Lauren Crawford, and we were counsel for Mr. Foote. Just have some brief comments that I want to say at this time. At the start of this trial, Cal Foote walked into this courthouse, an innocent man, and he walks out today exactly that. Cal never lost faith that justice would be done, despite the clamor of external pressures, and agendas, outside the courthouse doors. Criminal investigations and the trial process must always be free from these influences. On behalf of Cal and his family, we appreciate the court's careful and thorough consideration and for the just verdict delivered today. Seven years ago, Cal was 19. He is now 26. That is a significant part of a young man's life. He is still young. He has a wonderful future ahead of him, and he is eager to embark on his next chapter. Thank you. He's not answering any questions, but thank you. Daniel Brown, lawyer for Alex Formenton After what was meant to be a night of celebration with coaches and teammates. For the last seven years, he's lived under a dark cloud. The public now knows what Alex has always maintained, that he is completely innocent of this false allegation. But only after his case has erupted into a massively publicized social cause, Alex's face has appeared on millions of screens and newspaper pages, and there could be little doubt that an untold number of people out there believed he was guilty, simply because he was accused of a crime, long before any evidence was presented in court. This rush to judgment to believe the worst of people is one of the most regrettable of human traits. So, too, is our reluctance to change that opinion, even when it's proven wrong, after a full and fair trial. Notwithstanding Justice Carrocia's unequivocal exoneration of Alex today, there will inevitably be those who will still believe he committed a crime. Nobody in Room 209 that night has emerged unscarred from these events. The criminal court process is a bruising experience for everyone, but never more than when a case is high profile incorporates such high stakes. In Alex's case, he was condemned and felt banished from society. This experience for him has been crushing. Nonetheless, the impact of this case has changed Alex as a person, and he's matured well beyond his years. It is inevitable that some people will not forgive Alex for what he was accused of doing. Others, however, will understand that this tragic matter, rightly comes to an end today. Alex has never minimized his role in the sexual encounter or denied engaging in consensual sexual activity with the complainants. He fully cooperated with the police investigation and provided investigators with a complete account of his behaviour back in 2018. Alex's narrative isn't conjecture. His police statement was corroborated at trial by several crown witnesses, by video evidence, and was even supported in large measure by the complainant's evidence herself. Even Justice Carrocia said today that she accepted that Alex told the truth in that police statement. And while no police investigation is perfect, the London police got it right seven years ago when they decided it would be a mistake to charge Alex. The evidence always demonstrated that he didn't commit sexual assaults. However, political and media pressure brought this allegation back into the spotlight in 2022, and the Crown attorney knowingly forged ahead with a hopeless prosecution. Besides the human toll of everyone involved, this lengthy legal process exhausted valuable resources that could have been deployed elsewhere in the justice system, but were lost here. Alex, his family, and his defense team are grateful to Justice Carrocia for our careful consideration of all the evidence that was presented to this trial. She's reached a just and correct verdict that must be respected. Nobody disputes that sexual assault is a terrible societal plague, and Alex sincerely hopes that this prosecution doesn't stop the quest to combat sexual violence and to bring genuine offenders to justice. However, an accusation is just that, an accusation. This case stands to the fact that we must never lose sight of the fundamental right to be presumed innocent. Now, more than ever before, a fair response to sexual assault claims requires a balanced perspective and public trust and the decision making of the courts. Anything less, only harms the justice system and the cause of eliminating sexual violence. Thank you. Julie Santarossa, lawyer for Dillon Dubé For Mr. Dubé, this has been a long and difficult process. He is relieved by the outcome, and he is grateful that Justice Carrocia decided what she did and did so fairly and efficiently. Throughout this trial, Mr. Dube was impressed by the fairness and impartiality demonstrated by her honor. This decision comes as a result of careful deliberation by her honor. She engaged with the evidence in a thoughtful, methodical, and principled manner. Her reasons reflect not only a command of the legal principles at stake, but also a deep sense of responsibility in assessing the evidence, applying the law, and demonstrating a strong commitment to justice. Mr. Dubé has always maintained his innocence. He is thankful for all of the unwavering support from his friends and family who have also believed in him. For all of you that have been by his side throughout this period of time, you know who you are, we thank you. Mr. Dubé is hopeful that everyone can move forward from this in a positive manner. He is requesting privacy during this period of time. In view of the court's decision, Mr. Dubé will not be making any further statements at this time. Thank you. Read the full statement from the complainant's lawyer Gasps in court as all five players acquitted in Hockey Canada sexual assault trial Hockey Canada sex assault complainant 'very disappointed' with judge's assessment of her honesty, lawyer says Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
Washington Post
16 hours ago
- Washington Post
Arsenal completes signing of Spain U21 defender Cristhian Mosquera
LONDON — Cristhian Mosquera became Arsenal's fifth signing of the off season on Thursday after completing a move from Valencia. The Spain Under 21 defender cost a reported 13 million pounds ($17.5 million) and signed a five-year deal with the option of a further 12 months. 'We identified Cristhian as one of the strongest young defenders in European football, and he is an important signing for our future,' Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta said.
Washington Post
16 hours ago
- Washington Post
Commanders news and observations: Incoming vets begin forming connections
During the Commanders' first practice, Dan Quinn focused on their raft of veteran additions: Eddie Goldman, Von Miller, Deebo Samuel, Laremy Tunsil, Deatrich Wise Jr., etc. He was not so much evaluating their play as their demeanor. 'I wanted to see their connection with their teammates,' Quinn said. That's good insight into a significant theme of this training camp: How can the Commanders' new players blend with a tight-knit team?
