Mike Abou-Mechrek
Riderville.com
In last week’s blockbuster installment of Now You Know I talked about how all the stars need to align for the Grey Cup to find its way home.
I started with such stars as Kory Sheets, Xavier Fulton, Brendan LaBatte, Dominic Picard, Chris Best, Ben Heenan and Patrick Neufeld- the o-line (in my bias opinion) the most important position on any football team. I say position, instead of positions, because although as good as these men are individually, when they shine together they are great.
But Kory and the big boys up front can’t take all the credit for the success they’ve had thus far in 2013. They can only shine as bright as the plays that are called and the decisions that are made around them. Let me explain, but first I must warn you that I’m not sure if I have a bigger ‘man crush’ on Brendan LaBatte or offensive coordinator George Cortez. The way he calls and manages a game is a thing of beauty and makes it (relatively) easy to play. He calls the right play at the right time.
It is a pleasure to run block on 2nd and 10, or pass block on 2nd and 2 when the defender is obviously playing the ‘wrong’ pass/run. It’s easier to ‘bulldoze’ a d-lineman when he’s over playing a passing down, or pass blocking the same defender when he’s hunkered in for a short yardage run. Some of the best football comedy comes from o-linemen ‘dummying’ a poor defender who is over playing the ‘wrong’ run/pass play.
Coach Cortez takes the ups and downs of a football game out of the equation and sticks to the game plan; something that every coach preaches this but few can keep their emotions in check for an entire game and simply take what the defense is giving you instead of fighting an uphill battle. We have Picard, Best, and DA to handle the emotional ‘stuff.’
Managing a game should be simple (and from what I’ve learned in life means that it’s extremely hard). Manage the clock, play to your players strengths, don’t turn over the ball, and did I mention take what the other team gives you? Seven games into the season I’d say that Coach Cortez has covered it all. I would have loved to play under Cortez. Where were you 10 years ago when I was in my prime?…oh ya, he was in Calgary winning Grey Cups. Never mind.
Our QB, Darian Durant, is one of the most ordinary, boring, and best QBS I`ve ever played with. Boring in the sense that all he does is find and throw to the open receiver- and he is outstanding at this; what else can you ask for from your quarterback….other than leadership (and DD oozes leadership).
By QB standards Darian’s arm strength is “okay”…but that doesn’t stop him from throwing that trademarked deep corner route to Getzlaf, or Dressler. His speed isn’t as good as he may boast in the locker room…but that doesn’t stop him from giving a linebacker the old “shake-n-bake” to get to the first down marker. He throws well on the run but he`s more of a pocket passer…ok, I’m losing focus here- he throws to the right guy. Earlier in his career this sometimes meant throwing a 5 yard curl on 2nd and 10 (not too useful) but he`s gotten over that and he`s gotten even better at reading when a (covered) receiver is going to be open, and at throwing to an open receiver.
I was never comfortable with Darian in the `long“ offense that Doug Berry used (similar to the one I played in with DB in Winnipeg). Darian did what the playbook told him to do but he has never been a QB that threw interceptions…and that’s what you get when the team plays to its players strengths`, takes what the other team gives you, and throws to the open man.
George Cortez and Darian Durant pulling the strings of this Rider offense is a match made in heaven- when the strings have our o-line, running backs and receivers attached to them things are that much better…but what`s better than heaven.
(I value your feedback at Mike.Abou-Mechrek@InvestorsGroup.com)
