The Saskatchewan Roughriders must find another gear or two to finish the season on a strong note.
The way the Riders lost to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the uncertainty with several key injured players, and a difficult closing stretch of the season has some pundits down on them for the stretch drive.
Just on the SportsCage alone, regular contributors Arash Madani expressed how the Riders aren’t among the CFL’s elite and Glen Suitor wondered whether getting a playoff spot through the East is the most likely outcome. It’s a glum outlook.
The Riders will likely need at least four wins, including beating Edmonton in the season finale, to catch the Elks for top spot in the West Division. They almost certainly require a winning record to even earn a home playoff game since Winnipeg and the B.C. Lions right behind them. The Bombers have the tiebreaker over the Riders, and the Lions could, too, if they win next Friday’s last head-to-head matchup.
The good news for the Riders, as quarterback Trevor Harris said after Saturday’s defeat in Winnipeg, is that they’re still in a position where they control their own destiny after their bye week.
They’re bound to secure a postseason game in Regina if they improve on four key areas that have been trouble spots this season.
Make more big plays
Harris is 40 years old and he’s not a gunslinger. We get it. He’s a top quarterback because he’s proficient with his passes and he usually manages the field expertly.
But it would sure help if the Riders had a more diversified offence that allowed them zip the ball down the field more often.
Harris has completed 23 passes of at least 30 yards, third in the CFL behind Montreal’s Davis Alexander and Toronto’s Kelly. However, Calgary’s Vernon Adams Jr. and B.C.’s Nathan Rourke are just behind him despite starting one and two fewer games, respectively.
There’s some optimism for Harris and the Riders.
Kian Schaffer-Baker started practicing last week in a limited capacity after missing the last six games with a knee injury. He’s the team’s biggest playmaker and could change the complexion of the offence.
Until Schaffer-Baker returns, however, the Riders must find a way connect on longer shots.
The Riders are seventh in the CFL with 32 big plays – which are categorized by the CFL as a 20-yard rush, a 30-yard pass, a 30-yard punt return, a 40-yard kickoff return, and a 30-yard field-goal miss.
Improve the turnover ratio
The Riders are now in the red when it comes to turnovers gained compared to lost.
They’re at minus-4, sixth in the CFL and trailed by only B.C., Hamilton, and lowly Ottawa. Even the Toronto Argonauts are ahead of them, and they employ Chad Kelly – the ultimate risk-reward quarterback with a league-high 20 interceptions.
This isn’t on Harris, who’s throwing two touchdowns for every interception and has been picked off 12 times this season. The offence isn’t without fault – the Riders have lost seven fumbles, including two last week – but the defence should take more of the blame here.
The Riders are near the bottom of the league in interceptions (eight), forced fumbles (six), and recovered fumbles (five). They’re not taking away the ball enough.
The defence has largely been solid, and the Riders are second with 25.1 points allowed per game to opponents’ offences. It’s just that forcing turnovers and getting the ball back to the offence could give the team a massive spark.
It’s imperative that the Riders win the turnover battle over their last five games and in the playoffs.
Don’t abandon the run game
The Riders are tied with the Elks with 271 rushing attempts this season. It’s not like they don’t run the ball.
It’s just that they tend to stick to the aerial attack as soon as they start trailing or have the slightest issues with the ground game. That was evident in Winnipeg.
Having a useful running attack is paramount to the Riders’ success. They’re 6-0 when they rush for at least 100 yards in a game and 2-5 when they don’t.
The Riders are seventh in the CFL in rushing with 1,211 yards, so it’s not hard to figure why offensive coordinator Marc Mueller has moved away from Harris handing off the ball at times. Having No. 1 running back A.J. Ouellette in the lineup for just four of 13 games hasn’t helped, either. The Riders have even had to use depth guy Star’Corius Thomas as top option this season.
Ouellette was supposedly close to playing against the Bombers last Saturday, so having him back in action next Friday against the Lions seems like a distinct possibility for the Riders. Provided he’s healthy, there could be a boost coming to the carrying power.
Make more kicks
Of course, this must be on the list.
It’s no secret the kicking hasn’t been anywhere near good enough for the Riders this season. Their kickers have made 76.5 percent of their field-goal tries, which puts them ahead of only Toronto in the CFL rankings.
Most of the issues fall on the right leg and foot of Alex Hale.
The Australian rookie made 75 percent of his three-pointers and was good on only half of the 12 boots he tried from 40 yards or more through the first dozen games. Those numbers, to say nothing of Riders fans booing him after a second miss in the Labour Day Classic, resulted in him losing his job to Dawson Hodge for last Saturday’s contest.
At least Hodge is off to a good start. He nailed both his kicks in Winnipeg – from 33 and then 27 yards – to score Saskatchewan’s only points of the game.
The Riders need more of that, and they’ll have to make sure they can trust Hodge to hit from long range before the playoffs begin.
