Even Better than the Real Thing

The Riders may have scored big with Canadian receiver Ajou Ajou who has size and speed and a bit of a chip on his shoulder after being downgraded in the draft.

Ajou has all the skills needed, but the most important one is whether he can learn the playbook and rely on his football IQ as well as his physical gifts.

The next step for Mace was training camp and the initial first reports out of Saskatoon had people impressed with how Mace was operating the camp and using his time.

Someone on Riderfans.com had referred to last year’s team and practices as “The Walking Dead Go to Breakfast” because the practices would put you to sleep, and Dickenson was attempting to use team building exercises like bowling and breakfasts to build team cohesion.

Mace was having none of that. One hiring that may be the most important after Mace was Dan Farthing as the strength and conditioning coach. Farthing had been strength and condition for the Riders before the arrival of Chris Jones, who let him go and the Riders ran into a consistent number of injuries, some of which could be blamed on the turf at Mosaic Stadium, others from teams not being ready to get physical.

The Riders do about four sets of stretches during practice to keep the players fresh and avoid injuries. When Farthing was attempting to explain the stretches and what he was asking the players to do, some talked through it, as if it was last season.

Mace was having none of that, telling them in language they could understand that they will listen, and they will do the stretches. There was clearly a new voice in town and Mace made it clear he would not put up with the shenanigans of the previous two years. The Riders then played their exhibition games, beating Winnipeg without Zach Collaros or Brady Olivera in the lineup and then going to Edmonton and using special teams and turnovers to beat the Elk 28-27.

The cuts on Saturday surprised quite a few people. The Riders cut quarterbacks Mason Fine and Antonio Pipkin, leaving Shea Patterson as the number two quarterback and Jack Coan as the third string quarterback.

The Fine cut may have come as a surprise after the Riders let Jake Dolegala go and kept Fine, but Dolegala leaving may have had more to do with his agent and his inconsistency than anything else. The back up job was Fine’s to lose, and he lost it by playing not to lose, not necessarily to win.

Fine would not go deep on a consistent basis and seemed happy with seven-yard passes when 10 yards were needed. Fine did not make the mistakes that Dolegala did, but neither did he inspire the coaches with the ability to move the team when it had to be moved.

The fourth quarter of the Edmonton game saw Patterson enter the game and the Riders trailing by a couple of points. Fine faced the first-string Elk defense in the first half and managed to take advantage of sloppy special teams play to get a touchdown on a short field and a few field goals.

When Patterson got in, he moved the team down the field and even when he was stripped of the ball during one Elk rush, he hustled to recover the lost ball before the Elk defenders realized what had happened. Patterson earned his spot by playing to win, not to lose, and in the process won the respect of his teammates.

The Riders also cut Canadian receiver Brayden Lenius who is coming off an injury. Lenius, a draft pick of the Riders, has spent more time on the injured list than on the roster and the Riders in picking up some Canadian receivers in the draft, seemed ready to move on from him for someone who can contribute right away.

The Riders also released Canadian offensive lineman and draft pick Evan Floren, former NFL receiver Geronimo Allison (who likely refused a practice roster spot), American offensive lineman Jordan Tucker who was with the team last year, linebacker T.J. Brunson, defensive back C.J. Colden and linebacker Diego Fagot, who came to the Riders off the US Naval Academy team.

I played linebacker once upon a time and I watched Fagot, who played in the middle, where Jameer Thurman will be starting and while Fagot looked great in terms of communicating with the other linebackers and defensive lineman, I suspect he did not have the sort of range that would allow the Riders to move him also to the outside and perhaps even line up as an edge rusher.

Fagot would have great in the locker as a character guy who will not put up with wanna -be gangsters like the Riders former corner Nic Marshall who got busted in possession of guns south of the border and showed such little enthusiasm for catching guys who got past him last year.

Even though the cuts were Saturday, and the Riders play in Edmonton again this Saturday, does not mean the end of roster shuffling is at hand. The Riders may or may not look at other team’s cuts, but after seeing the Riders buck the system of giving veterans the benefit of the doubt last year, this year players will be expected to hustle and produce.

The Riders kept American fullback Clint Ratkovich who is known as super back because he catches as well as he runs, and he is a physical player who will punish the opposing team. With AJ Ouellette taking the lead as the guy to break down opposing teams, Ratkovich being retained is a good sign Mace will be looking to be a physical, nasty offense that will pound the other team into submission.

This physical approach with the addition of Jemarcus Hardrick at right tackle, and resigning Philip Blake, means the Riders offensive line will have an attitude other than impersonating traffic pylons the last two years. Trevor Reid, who won the left tackle job, is also a physical nasty guy who will irritate other teams to no end, perhaps resulting in them taking shots at Reid. The Riders then benefit from the penalties, in addition to pounding the other team.

What the Riders defense will be like was perhaps most evident in the Edmonton exhibition game. There will be games where the offense may find it hard to move, so a team that practices stripping the ball from the quarterback, running backs and receivers at every opportunity is going to create its own turnovers and be aggressive at every opportunity.

This may result in an increase in some types of penalties, but the Riders seem to have a structure in place that will work to curb those tendencies to go half cocked and emphasize dominating their opposition.

So, with all the changes, the winner of Grey Cup 111 will be the team that has the best depth, especially at quarterback, to last through 18 games and the playoffs.

So, after predicting Montreal winning the Grey Cup last year and Cody Fajardo winning Grey Cup MVP (something which ticked off my Winnipeg Blue Bomber fiend James Kennedy to no end) this is how Jersey Boy (with all the football jerseys I have, nothing else makes sense) sees the CFL unfolding this year.

Eastern Conference

1st – Toronto Argonauts: The Argos went 16-2 last season, a record they share with the 1989 Edmonton Eskimos, and both teams fell in their conference finals. You could have forgiven the Argos their blowing of the opportunity to defend their Grey Cup championship but Chad Kelly, who was the outstanding player last year, blew his reputation out of the water with allegations that he made and said inappropriate things to a female strength and conditioning coach. The CFL suspended Kelly for nine games, conditional on him undergoing sensitivity

Training.

Kelly may have gone in to fill in for McLeod Bethel-Thompson two years ago in the Grey Cup in the fourth quarter, but Kelly has a checkered history south of the border and while I hope he can get his act together, his choking in the eastern final makes me think that if you put Kelly in a high stakes game, he may fold under pressure.

I am picking Toronto for first because I think they still have an overall better team depth than Montreal and I think Argo Head Coach Ryan Dinwiddie will have half a season to work in a new quarterback who if he does well, could well take the team the rest of the way. Toronto has the advantage of unpredictability because no one knows what Cameron Dukes can do despite seeing him in some mop up last year. The Argos also signed Nick Arbuckle who Dinwiddie worked with in Calgary and even though Arbuckle was a flavor of the month that did not succeed on teams after he left Calgary, he does know Dinwiddie’s offense and will step in and game manage if needed.

2nd – Montreal Alouettes – Montreal had the advantage of flying low on the radar screen, beating teams they should beat and being somewhat competitive with others. That lasted until the playoffs when their defense turned in a fantastic performance against Toronto and then they took advantage of the fat and sassy Stony Mountain Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup who thought the Cody Fajardo they were used to treating like a pinata against Saskatchewan was the same guy in Montreal.

Fajardo played within himself and while he is probably a bit high maintenance, with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, if he executes what Als coach Jason Maas wants, Montreal will do well, carried quite a bit by their defense. While others are picking Montreal for first based on the Grey Cup win, Montreal can no longer sneak up on other teams and have lost the element of surprise. Toronto’s depth impressed me more than Montreal’s.

3rd Ottawa Redblacks – I would be curious if Dru Brown can lead Ottawa to the promised land, but at least he is in better physical shape than Jeremiah Masoli, the free agent quarterback with the glass jaw, or legs. Despite not having much in terms of talent, and losing Masoli at the start of last season, Dustin Crum came in and ran his way into the hearts of Ottawa fans.

I watched the interview Brown did after the Ottawa Hamilton exhibition game and it is clear Ottawa is not looking to be just a feel-good story about a bunch of plucky underdogs. Ottawa has some weapons for Brown and if their defense can continue to grow and mature, Ottawa has the chance to surprise a lot of people, especially…

4th – Hamilton Tiger-Cats – You must pity the Tiger-Cats, two Grey Cup hosting opportunities in three years and last year they were let down by Bo Levi Mitchell blowing one of his tires and forcing Hamilton to rely on the tender mercies of Charlie Taylor, who did not bad. Hamilton loaded up on vets to give them the experience they felt they needed to win the east and beat Winnipeg and instead they got their asses handed to them by Montreal.

Now without a Grey Cup hosting opportunity, the Cats turn to Scott Milanovich to try to coax one of amilton’s quarterbacks into delivering for Bob Young a Grey Cup title. The Cats are reloading and are a work in progress, but this rebuilding project should have started two years ago.

I would probably guess Mitchell lasts at most six games before something blows on him, either his legs or his shoulder. That might clear the decks for a younger quarterback to take over and maybe that is the plan in Hamilton, trying to get past the blind faith they put in Mitchell, who should be at the Shrine in Lourdes trying to recapture the lost pop in his arm or his ability to stand on two feet without falling over.

Hamilton will be competitive, but they are a team that whether they like it or not, just must stop doing what they have done and build a team more smartly than what they have shown. I’m not saying they can’t do it, I just don’t think they will do it this year.

Western Conference

1st BC Lions – This might be a trendy pick for BC to finish first the year they are hosting the Grey Cup, but there is a major caveat with this pick. If Vernon Adams Jr. goes down, the Lions will have to depend on Jake Dolegala who never met an interception he didn’t like.

BC tried to diversify their offense by picking up William Stanback who is coming off a Grey Cup win with Montreal last year. Stanback may be getting up there in years but is consistent and is the type of running back you want carrying the ball outdoors in November.

The health of Adams and the ability to run the ball will fall on the shoulders of the BC offensive line and that is not a sure thing. BC will likely try to do everything they can to take the pressure off Adams to carry the team by himself or push himself past what is safe in terms of running all over the field.

BC’s defense is also going to try to get over the loss of Matthieu Betts, the outstanding defensive player from last year who went to the Detroit Lions to chase glory there. Their receiving corps is cheaper but probably faster than last year and their secondary are pretty good tacklers.

But if BC cannot keep Adams healthy, then their season is over. That is the risk they are taking and while you cannot blame them for putting their faith in Adams, the depth BC has at quarterback is not enough to compensate for an injury of any duration to Adams.

2nd – Winnipeg Blue Bombers – Winnipeg has now claimed the record for losing the Grey Cup more than anyone else and there is a sense with the various departures and changes, Winnipeg may be closer than ever to losing their dominance in the west.

They still have Zach Collaros, but they have lost Jemarcus Hardrick and while Collaros has been fortunate enough to stay upright the last few seasons, there were times last year when he struggled including the Grey Cup. The Bombers still have Brady Olivera at running back and while I will never diss anyone who saves defenseless animals, the running game is what may keep Winnipeg competitive, it is only a matter of time before that team hits a string of injuries or perhaps inexperienced linemen missing a block and allowing a quarterback or running back to be lit up like the fourth of July.

The Bombers are hosting the Grey Cup next year and are hoping to keep their corps together to celebrate a Grey Cup win for their fans in front of their fans, but all the games the Bombers play with their salary cap will not disguise the fact the Bombers are on a two-year losing streak in the Grey Cup. I don’t think they will continue or break that streak in this year’s Grey Cup.

3rd – Saskatchewan Roughriders – The truth is no one knows what the Riders will be like, but they will be different from last year. The Riders have used free agency, the draft and recruiting to address the issues of lack of character and talent and with a new head coach and staff, the Riders will be an unknown factor to many teams until at least Labor Day.

Like the Lions and the Bombers, the Riders are a one hit away from being in next year’s country. The emphasis on a physical running game to take the pressure off the quarterback is a great idea which works if the offensive line can block.

The exhibition games did not give much idea one way or another, but the Riders again had problems with short yardage which may be resolved by starters on the offensive line playing together instead of the mix and matching seen in the exhibition season.

The Riders defense will be opportunistic and create turnovers which will help the offense. The special teams may need a tweak if Brent Lauther continues to hit 65 per cent of his field goal attempts.

The Riders have the element of surprise working in their favor because of a new coach and staff, but while they have increased their talent, their depth is still unknown so how they can weather injuries is a question they hope they don’t have to answer this year.

Hopefully, the Riders show enough passion the fans will forgive them for choking

against Hamilton in the game to honor the memory of George Reed.

4th – Edmonton Elks – As Edmonton looks for private ownership after squandering

money on Chris Jones and his endless training camp exercises the last few years, the clock is clearly ticking on Jones’ second term with the team. If Jones cannot get into the playoffs, the new owners may ask as a condition of sale to not be penalized for firing Jones and being unable to hire a new coach because his salary will count against the football operations cap.

Jones recognizes this and makes a few trades to try to liven up his offense, starting with signing quarterback McLeod Bethel Thompson. MBT with Tre Ford probably has the best quarterback combination in the league, but MBT has brain farts now and then as we saw in the exhibition game against Saskatchewan and Ford might be looking to move on elsewhere if nothing happens this year under Jones.

Edmonton’s defense against the run appears to be better, but people in Edmonton who checked out their practices have said the offense looks good if they don’t have to block. Jones has given up calling defensive coordinator signals, leaving that to Jason Shivers as he tries to be a more rounded coach than the guy who concentrated everything on defense and left the offense to fend for itself.

Maybe the Elk are starting to tune Jones out. If so, it will be another long season, and nothing could save Jones. The Elk will try to get out to a strong start because they need to give fans a reason for coming back to the field, but while they will be improved, they have too many mental lapses to date to make the playoffs, except as maybe a crossover team.

5th – Calgary Stampeders – Dave Dickenson will try to bring the Stampeders back from the dead as he did when they passed the Riders for third, but Calgary has too many question marks around their offense to give anyone any kind of confidence they can do better this year.

Jake Maier doesn’t really strike fear into anyone except Stampeder fans, but he seems the best of a bad option. Continuity with his receivers might help Maier and the Stampeders, but with the injuries they have suffered already in the receiving corps, continuity may be another problem for the Stampeders and this year it might finally catch up with them.

For the Grey Cup, look for a Toronto BC Grey Cup with Toronto winning. So, on Thursday we have Montreal go to Winnipeg in a repeat of last year’s Grey Cup. You can hear the dentures of Bomber fans clicking as far west as Balgonie as the Bomber fans firmly believe they are God’s Gift to the CFL.

Zach Collaros did not play in any of the exhibition games for Winnipeg which might not be a problem considering most of Winnipeg’s offense has stayed together, but the margin of error for the Bombers and Collaros has narrowed.

Montreal’s defense is pretty good and should give the Bombers a good test on their new offensive line, and the question is what kind of pressure can Winnipeg put on Cody Fajardo?

The Bombers may be motivated but they may be like those guys in the erectile dysfunction commercials placing their faith in their mail order supplements to get it up for one more season. Winnipeg under-estimated Montreal in the Grey Cup last year and while the oothless denizens of Princess Auto Stadium will be as loud as usual, it will not be as easy as they might think.

Winnipeg will win this rematch 31-23.

On Friday we have the return of Bo Levi Mitchell back to Calgary. Mitchell was cut loose from Calgary after having shoulder problems and while Mitchell has a healthy ego and will make a fine TSN panel member, the sheer force of will he is trying to apply to justify his Hamilton salary may have to face reality at some point.

Milanovich will try to be quarterback friendly to Mitchell, but that is dependent on Mitchell being able to perform physically. Hamilton have given up trying to win with Orlando Steinhauer, but it will take time for Hamilton to find their identity after having so many veterans step down or move on.

Calgary is facing losing two receivers and must be thinking about repeating last year’s revolving door of receivers for Maier. When you have that kind of turnover, it is hard to establish chemistry or continuity and Calgary might be thinking about whether Dave Dickenson has now reached his before date. John Hufnagel could pull off the coach and GM labels, Dave Dickenson has not really shown he is capable of that.

So with two teams with quarterbacks, they don’t really feel good about, the winner will likely be the team that can find its identity first. Calgary is going to try to work on their running game, that might be the one thing that helps them get their season off to the right start.

Calgary should win this one 27-23.

On Saturday the Riders return to Edmonton as Chris Jones attempts to salvage his legacy and reputation as a mastermind coach. Jones will unleash MBT and let him throw, and they have the receivers, but Edmonton with their first team offense could not beat Saskatchewan’s’ second and third string defense.

The Elk will unleash their defense, and cause the Riders some moments with their blitzing, but the Riders running game may be enough to tip the balance and get the Chris Jones farewell tour off to a flying start.

The Riders win this one 31-30, mostly because games between the two have been close the last few years and both teams have something to prove to themselves and their fans.

The difference is that Mace has the Riders attention. The Elk with bringing in Dakota Prukop are sending a message that no one can feel comfortable, even Tre Ford. When you are constantly under stress like the Elk players, the stress can lead to mental errors and the Elk certainly show themselves capable of all kinds of brain lapses.

On Sunday BC goes to Toronto and this should be an entertaining game. How will Cameron Dukes handle his moment in the sun? How will Argos cope with losing Ouellette and Mace?

Can Vernon Adams show he can be consistent through the season? Can BC’s offensive line provide enough run blocking and pass protection to make their offense click? Can BC’s defensive line put pressure on opposing teams like last year?

Toronto has the element of surprise in that no one is sure what to expect. BC is a veteran team trying to get past Winnipeg and get to the Grey Cup in their home stadium.

There are enough pieces in place for Toronto to make another run at a Grey Cup.

BC will be trying to see what Dukes can do, and consistency is the biggest problem

for BC.

Toronto wins this one 30-27

by Greg Urbanoski

Even Better than the Real Thing

What's Trending