Glen Suitor started his analysis of the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ loss in the Western Semi-Final to the B.C. Lions by couching his criticism of the offence.
It’s not like they blew opportunity after opportunity in the red zone, he said, though the Riders were 1-for-3 in that department.
They got two 55-yard field goals from Brett Lauther and put points on the board after takeaways. The Riders had an 11-0 advantage there, for what it’s worth.
But when it came down to it, Suitor, in his Tuesday appearance on the SportsCage, couldn’t mince words about Saskatchewan’s offensive performance.
“Missing some killer instinct,” the TSN colour commentator said.
And then he turned his focus to the defence, the bigger problem.
“Yes, the offence didn’t produce touchdowns – just the one,” Suitor said. “But I also look at this defence for the last month and a half, and they’ve given up a lot of big plays. The scramble drill to (Stanley) Berryhill (for a 69-yard touchdown), that was just magic from (quarterback) Nathan Rourke to buy that much time and be running toward the line of scrimmage.
“I don’t remember in the last 10 years doing this that a guy was that wide open, especially not in a playoff game. So, someone fell asleep on the backside.”
While much of the attention and scorn has been directed at the secondary for leaving Berryhill uncovered, Suitor noted another problem occurred earlier in the play when James Vaughters and Josh Woods couldn’t bring down Rourke.
The inability to do so led to the first of two big downs for the Lions, something the Riders vowed in the days before the game wouldn’t happen.
Jevon Cottoy’s 70-yard score after halftime didn’t help matters, but it was Rourke’s elusiveness and big arm on the Berryhill touchdown in the second quarter that really hurt the Riders.
“That’s what I’ve seen in the five years that Nathan Rourke has been in the league,” Suitor said. “He will find a moment in the game when he feels like it’s slipping away and you see another level.
“He made a predetermined decision on this scramble play. This was the play of the game. It’s 17-3 Riders here. This is not only a massive touchdown to close the score to one possession, but it’s one of those gut-punching ones.”
Later in the segment, Suitor spoke about Lauther’s on-side kick attempt and how he liked coach Corey Mace’s decision to kick a field goal to pull the Riders within a touchdown late in the game.
He also gave his opinions on each of the quarterbacks mentioned in this story as possible replacements for Trevor Harris. The 40-year-old with Canadian Football Hall of Fame credentials is a pending free agent and is considering retirement.
Suitor’s main takeaway is the Riders don’t want to lose Harris yet.
“Let’s not take for granted excellence,” Suitor said. “He has been fantastic.”
Watch Suitor’s full appearance below.
