Are the Elk going to get hot?

The next step was how the Riders would react in game situations.

The Riders went into Edmonton for the season opener against a team desperate for a win and came out with a fourth quarter rally. Then they swept Hamilton, showing a defense that is primed to get turnovers. Of course, the toothless ones to the province beside Riderville said the Riders hadn’t beaten anyone with a winning record and the Riders went out and beat Toronto with their starting quarterback on the six-game injury list.

The Riders last year briefly rallied before imploding and fans were sitting back to see if the team was going to revert to past form under Dickenson.

The Riders went into BC and the defense kept them in the game but the offense under Shea Patterson again underperformed. Patterson has had only two passing touchdowns, but I think he is being graded on how he manages the game and avoiding making turnovers. The Riders then bounced back with a statement win against an aging and battered Blue Bomber team. Injuries and free agency have caused a few holes in the Bomber offense and while TSN loves to hype the line the Bombers are back, the Riders held them to three field goals.

The Riders went into Montreal and had a 16-3 half time lead, but Montreal changed quarterbacks and suddenly the Rider defense was back pedaling and for the first time this season seemed unsure of their responsibilities. The Riders lost 20-16, but other than failing to hold the lead, the fans seem to feel the Riders are on the right road and are not the same team they were last year. Injuries have piled up including a probably season ending injury to Jemarcus Hardrick who has been the emotional leader the Riders seemed to have needed on offense.

Running back AJ Ouellette was out with a hip injury and Frankie Hickson filled in admirably with a 117 yards rushing although the Riders did get away from using him in the second half. So far, the Riders have beaten the teams they are supposed to and have been competitive for the most part with the contending teams, this year being BC and Montreal. This week they face the winless Edmonton Elk, who have jettisoned Chris Jones but last week saw their defense fold like a cheap suit to Hamilton in a 44-28 loss.

What was interesting in that game was after McLeod Bethel Thompson was replaced, Canadian quarterback Tre Ford came into the game and got three touchdowns in about 10 minutes and used his legs to stretch out the Hamilton garbage time defense. No one is surprised Ford was named as the starter for Saturday’s game against the Riders and the plan is use Ford along with running back Kevin Brown to try to stretch the Riders run defense, statistically ranked best in the league at this point.

There is some concern in Riderville about whether Ford will run through the Riders like he did last year, but that overlooks two factors that will probably decide the game on Saturday. Ford came in when the game was essentially decided.

Whether he would have made a difference if he came in earlier is academic because football is a team game and Edmonton as a team has been as consistent as Danielle Smith in a chinook. Jarious Jackson did not get good reviews as an offensive coordinator in BC, and he has shown some growing pains as a head coach in being able to read the game and knowing when to switch out quarterbacks. Edmonton can try to establish a run and Ford will scramble to try to extend plays, but if the Rider defense shows discipline in following their assignments and containing Ford and Brown, their defensive secondary should be able to add to their league leading interception total.

I would expect the Riders to dress extra defensive linemen and rotate them to have fresh legs putting pressure on Ford. The other factor is that Edmonton’s defense is not very good. Patterson has not been getting many passing touchdowns, but he should be able to move the ball against the Elk and depending on how the Riders construct their roster, if they pair Hickson and Ouellette, the Riders will have their own running game to give the Elk a hard time.

The Elk are due for a win, they are not that bad, but they do not have the feel of a team like the Riders do. If there was ever a trap game for the Riders, it is this one, but the Riders responded after their first loss with a win against Winnipeg. This should be an interesting ground game, probably very entertaining, but the Riders should win 30-24.

Montreal left no doubt they are the class of the league, at least after last week, and this week they brought back Cody Fajardo from the six-game injury list as they lurched into Hamilton for a match against the suddenly resurgent Tiger-Cats. Davis Alexander served notice for Montreal he has some skills, but again, like most quarterbacks who start off impressively, the trick is what happens when opposing defenses get film on them and figure out how to defend against them. Fajardo has been a pretty good game manager for Montreal, who like Saskatchewan seem content to let their defense handle things until the offense gets on track, so bringing him against Hamilton is an idea that Montreal sees this as a crucial game against a division foe.

I am sure TSN will again be hawking the story of the return of Bo Levi Mitchell, but let’s be honest, there is roadkill in Manitoba that put up a better defense than the Elk did so Hamilton better divest themselves of delusions of grandeur. However, there is also a real thing called momentum and with Hamilton on a two- game winning streak, they want to position themselves for a possible cross-over in the event the Ottawa Redblacks and Toronto Argonauts manage to stay ahead of them in the standings.

Hamilton may be rounding into some kind of mid-season form as they look to stay alive in the playoff race, but this game could be a statement game for two games. For Montreal, it is an opportunity to face an opponent with a belief in themselves and crush their spirit, drive them from the stadium, and hear the lamentations of their women.

Montreal would want to crush their eastern rivals and clinch first place as soon as possible so they can start doing some rotational work with their players and give their vets a rest before the playoffs. For Hamilton, a win would give credence to their winning streak and create the narrative that their season is turning around. Beating a Grey Cup Champion like Montreal would show their fans their team may well be for real, especially after their efforts to win the Grey Cup at home amounted to little more than a hill of magic beans and a warehouse full of Grey Cup memorabilia, but no Grey Cup. Expect to see Noel Thorpe dial up unique ways of putting pressure on Hamilton.

Mitchell will have seen all kinds of different blitzes, but the difference this time is Hamilton’s offensive line is not that sturdy so just manhandling the offensive line en route to hitting Mitchell should be enough to throw off his momentum which is crucial for Mitchell because he is a rhythm passer. The game is in Hamilton so the score should be closer because the Hamilton fans will be out on weekend passes but Montreal will beat Hamilton 28-20.

The toothless wonders of the place where dreams go to die (Winnipeg) have had another week of angst following their inability to perform against the Toronto Argonauts in a 16-14 overtime loss. Winnipeg thoroughly dominated Toronto on the stats sheet but like an old man with erectile dysfunction, they were unable to finish the job. Winnipeg has problems with the offensive line and their receiving corps, so the return of Lucky Whitehead in an effort to stretch the Lions defensive secondary may work, but if Zach Collaros is rounded up by the BC defense like the whiney diva he is, then Whitehead will be of no use unless he blocks.

It’s not a bad move bringing in Whitehead because Nic Demski, who is the closest to a deep threat the Bombers have in their receiving corps, is trying to do too much and his ball security has been abysmal. The BC Lions have a situation that is emerging though that may have profound implications for not just themselves, but the rest of the CFL. Quarterback Nathan Rourke was released by the New York Giants this week and while he is working out for the Atlanta Falcons, it is highly unlikely he will stick in their quarterback room. Rourke was formerly with the Lions and if he decides after Labor Day (and the start of the NFL season) to return to the Lions, there are questions that must be addressed.

The Lions currently have Vernon Adams Jr, who is probably the leading candidate for the most outstanding player in the CFL, and who finally has a chance to lead a team to a title. The addition of a Canadian quarterback would probably be a marketing dream, but the Lions must gauge the effect this might have on Adams who has heard throughout his career that he is too short to be a quarterback. While Rourke may have gone to a Lions game and expressed his appreciation for the Lions giving him a shot, Rourke is going to have to face the fact he has not played in the CFL for roughly two seasons and the perception is he would probably bug out for the NFL if he got another opportunity.

Team chemistry is a very fragile concoction and while Rourke would be welcomed back in the locker room, what happens if Adams does so well, Rourke does not have an opportunity to play or start? The Lions may be facing in a month or two a Sophies Choice scenario with their quarterbacks in deciding who to go with. Rourke would help strengthen the Lions quarterbacking heading into the playoffs by giving the team two proven starters, but the cost may be an alienated and disaffected Adams who has done a good job so far with the Lions offense. Adams may want to make a statement of his own about his future by being on fire and making the Lions decision as difficult as possible.

There are teams like Toronto, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, Edmonton, and Calgary who would love either Rourke or Adams and be willing to pay for them. So, if Adams goes into Princess Auto Stadium to face the toothless minions of Winnipeg and destroys them, in a hard place for visitors to win, Adams will send a strong message to the Lions and if they are going to continue to pursue Rourke, then Adams will show the rest of the CFL he is moving into a new level and has a lot to offer. Winnipeg may have a chip on their shoulder with the 2-6 record, but old men with chips on their shoulder usually fall over. Adams has something to prove and perhaps wants to use this as an audition tape for future potential employers. I will go with the guy who is auditioning for his job by showing he can beat the team that gives him the most trouble in their own stadium. BC wins this one 28-16.

Finally, we have Toronto go to Calgary in what should be a strange but interesting game. Calgary was thumped by Ottawa in Ottawa 33-6 and completely made their win over BC completely meaningless with the loss. Toronto as mentioned edged Winnipeg, but the question remains if the bloom has gone off the Cameron Dukes rose? Dukes struck me as competent with a chance to become better under Ryan Dinwiddie, but Dukes has had his problems and Nick Arbuckle has come in because of his familiarity with the type of offense Dinwiddie operates but he has also been blah as a passer. I’ve mentioned Calgary is a team who will drive oddsmakers crazy because of their inconsistency.

Based on last week’s games it would be fair to project a defensive struggle with two offenses struggling to find some consistency. If Dukes and Arbuckle continue to struggle, one can easily see Toronto going back to Chad Kelly if he passes his gender violence training.

The problem is Kelly came apart against Montreal in the eastern final in turning the ball over which speaks to either Kelly’s relative lack of experience in big games or his inability to rise to the occasion. Considering the degree of familiarity the teams have with each other, from coaches to players, it should be an evenly matched affair and Calgary is undefeated at home.

Calgary has beaten Hamilton, Winnipeg and BC at home, and I think about the rule of going with the home team in east west showdowns. So as much as I hate to say it, Calgary should win this one because Toronto has not yet shown it is ready to move on with either Dukes or Arbuckle by 21-16 score.

by Greg Urbanoski

Are the Elk going to get hot?

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