Dan Plaster
“There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.”
– Frank Herbert
And that sums up the Riders 2015 campaign. There will be no end to what has happened, both good and bad, this story will pick up and continue on for years to come.
There is really not much more to say about this season that hasn’t already been said. This will quite possibly be the worst season in the franchise’s history. The game in Montreal Sunday afternoon, will put a big bow on a season everyone would like to forget. When the clock strikes zero on the 2015 season the machine that is professional sports will keep on churning: jobs will be lost, a new football regime will be named, players will move, and fans will lose fan-favourites. That is the tough side to the business of sports.
***A personal side note: in my 20 years of working for and covering teams, I have seen some great teams (1996 Lethbridge Hurricanes, 2001 Red Deer Rebels and of course the 2013 Riders), and some real bad (The 2004-05 Moose Jaw Warriors and Regina Pats who were a combined 26-97-14-8). This Rider team is as close of a group as any of those good teams and in no way resemble the mess some locker rooms become when things get bad. The coaches are the same too, no one could blame them if they pulled out the tent pegs, but to a man, the whole group of them are working just as hard now as they did on day one of Training Camp 2015. They all deserved a better season.***
The good part of the story to build on is the potential that youth brings. In 2013 and 2014, there were only a handful of Rider rookies to build on for the future, this season has the potential to be completely different. Let’s go through the list of dynamic players that we can add to the core group of Weston Dressler, Darian Durant, John Chick, Brendon LaBatte and a small handful of others:
1. Jeff Knox Jr. (Cal U Penn). The first Rider in history to garner the teams top Rookie, Defensive player and MOP. He has one more contract year with the Riders and can be the foundation for future Rider defences and as he said earlier this week, he’s only just getting started.
2. Nic Demski (Manitoba). The Riders first round pick will be a ratio buster. He just needs to collect offensive reps and become that Canadian slot that can change games for the Riders.
3. Naaman Roosevelt (Buffalo). The NFL vet was the best receiver in Florida, at training camp and throughout the whole season. He was a casualty of the import ratio, but the Riders need to find space for this dynamic receiver.
4. Ray Early (Furman). A free agent camp find, and not a natural punter, but will be second in the CFL in punt average and net average. A key part of the top cover team in the CFL.
5. Andre Monroe (Maryland). He was one of the top defensive linemen in the ACC and Big 10, but his size doesn’t fit up the middle in the NFL. He proved early and often that he can be a big contributor to the Rider defensive line. A great off-season in the gym will put him over the top in 2016.
6. Keith Price (Washington)/Brett Smith (Wyoming). One, or even better, both will need to take a huge second step in the off-season to be 100% ready to lead a CFL team in 2016. Darian Durant will be ready to go, but to have these two game ready will be crucial.
Also add: Jake Doughty (Utah State), Tyree Hollins (Grambling), Tyler Crapigna (McMaster) and Alex Carrol (Queen’s) and second year players Ryan Smith (North Dakota State), Matt Webster (Queen’s) and Anthony Allen (Georgia Tech), there are some solid building blocks for this team’s future.
So Rider Nation this isn’t the end, just the beginning of what could be a great story.
But there is still one left to go, so let’s get to Sunday’s game:
– Only 10 players will have dressed in all 18 games this season: Chris Best, Brendon LaBatte, Rob Bagg, John Chick, Jeff Knox Jr., Xavier Fulton, Ray Early, Jorgen Hus, Matt Webster and Brett Smith.
– Weston Dressler needs 72 yards for 1,000.
– The Riders are looking for their first road win since the Labour Day rematch last year in Winnipeg.
– Montreal know how to hold onto a lead, five of their 6 wins saw them leading going into the fourth quarter.
– Neither team are great when trailing going into the fourth, they are a combined 1-16. Montreal has the only come-from-behind win.
– The Alouettes have the best return game in the CFL with 13 returns of 30+ yards.
– The Rider roster tallies 28, first or second year players.
– The Riders are tops in the CFL in big plays with 50.
– On the other hand, the Riders Red Zone (20 yards and in) offence (45% TD scoring rate) and defence (allow TDs 63% of the time) are the worst in the CFL.
– Receiver Ryan Lankford is playing in his first CFL game.
– Keith Price is making his first CFL start as is the Als Brandon Bridge.
– Both the Riders and Als will have started a combined nine different QB’s this season, with Kevin Glenn featuring on both rosters (Mtl: Crompton, Cato, Marsh, Glenn, Bridge. Ssk: Durant, Glenn, Smith, Price).
Five to watch:
1. The Battle of Rookie Pivots. Both Keith Price and Brandon Bridge are making their first ever pro start. Both are under 25 and both will make mistakes and whoever makes fewer will probably win the game.
2. Race to 1,000. Weston Dressler needs 72 yards and Ryan Smith needs a miraculous 153 to reach the 1,000 yard plateau receiving. For the Als, S.J. Green has already surpassed the 1,000 yard receiving mark and Tyrrell Sutton needs 80 yards on the ground to get there.
3. Jeff Knox Jr. Let’s see where the record breaking year ends. He needs a miraculous game to tie the Rider record for total tackles. He currently sits at 107 defensive tackles and 10 special team tackles. George White holds the team record with 128 (104/24) tackles, so 11 for the tie, and 12 to break it.
4. Alouette return game. The Riders have the top cover team and the Alouettes have the best return team, who will blink first.
5. Ground and Pound. These are two of the top three running teams in the CFL, and with a pair of rookie quarterbacks, this game will be won and lost on the ground.
The Riders have you covered on and off the field. Keep checking with riderville.com, download the Rider app, or follow on any of the Riders social media platforms for all of your Green and White information.
There will be no Livestream of the 620 CKRM pre-game show this week, but make sure you tune into 620 CKRM and the entire Rider radio network as well as the Rider App to listen to Michael Ball and crew break down Sunday’s game. Michael will also have the post game show immediately following the game.
