To the surprise of many in Rider Nation, the sun did indeed rise this Tuesday after the long weekend. After back-to-back losses and multiple chances to take the outright lead in the Western Division, Rider Nation has encountered the first set of unsettled waters in Coach Mace’s tenure. Two weeks ago, on the road and on a short week, the Roughriders failed to hold on to a 13-point first-half lead, allowing a comeback to a third-string Alouettes QB, Davis Alexander, in his first extended CFL action. Given Montreal's historical difficulty as a place to play, let’s give them a pass on that one. Then came Saturday evening, at home, in front of a big crowd, against the winless Elks. To be frank, after the opening kickoff, the green and white laid a big fat egg. It was a poor performance. The defense, which had carried the Riders through much of the opening third of the season, faltered, and the offense under Shea Patterson sputtered and was plagued by untimely drops from veteran receivers. The result was back-to-back missed opportunities to take first in the West. The B.C. Lions stumbled but it didn’t matter because the Riders couldn’t capitalize on two very winnable games. Corey Mace took accountability for the loss, and his players also acknowledged their lack of preparation and execution. Next up, is another trip out East on yet another short week. Here are some things to look ahead to for success this week:
**Let Shea Cook for One More Week** Trevor Harris is back at practice this week for the Riders, but with a banged-up offensive line on a short week, it would be wise to let Harris heal for one more week (and as of Tuesday, Harris has been ruled out for Thursday).. The losses have hardly been Shea Patterson’s fault, as he has led the team to a 2-3 record – which could have been better with some help – in Harris’s absence. Additionally, Harris has one more week of his six-week IR stint remaining, and for salary cap reasons, it would be prudent not to pull him off the list early. Patterson will need more support from his receivers in Ottawa this week and will once again be behind a new five-man unit on the O-line when the game kicks off on Thursday. Shea, being the more mobile of the two QBs, should get the extra 10 days rest heading into Labour Day and the rest of the CFL season for Trevor Harris.
**Frankie Says Relax**
One player on the Riders’ offense that has stepped up in recent weeks is running back Frankie Hickson, with 29 carries for 212 yards and a touchdown. He managed that impressive 7.3 yards per carry behind a very banged-up O-line and has looked shifty and quick through the holes. Moving forward, it will be challenging for the Riders to keep Hickson, Ouellette, and ‘Superback’ Clint Ratkovich all on the gameday roster, but Hickson has proven to be a breath of fresh air for this offense and run game. Hopefully, this can continue because a two-headed backfield of Ouellette and Hickson would present a significant challenge for opposing defenses, given their vastly different running styles.
**Next Man Up in the Trenches** -
Along the O-line, staying healthy has been a clear challenge for the Roughriders. With Jermarcus Hardrick and Philip Blake already lost long-term, it seems after Week 9, we can add Ryan Sceviour to that list. On top of that, Week 9 Right Tackle Brandon Council has retired again, leaving the team to start their fourth RT in four consecutive weeks. Up to the challenge on Thursday appears to be rookie American Nick Jones, who was signed only back on July 16th. Sliding in for Sceviour will likely be Canadian Zack Fry making his first CFL start. Fry looked okay in limited action on Saturday but will need to lean on his fellow veterans Peter Godber and Logan Ferland for support on the interior against an improved REDBLACKs defense. - On defense, one week without Anthony Lanier II was too much, and it appears his absence may continue. After being so impressive against the run for the first seven games, last week did not go well. Without Lanier, the pressure is on his replacements to plug those rushing lanes and eat up blockers for a Middle Linebacker not named Jameer Thurman this week (Whose been ruled out for Thursday’s matchup). Additionally, the D-line needs to generate more pressure on the QB. The Riders' DBs have been opportunistic with interceptions this season, but they need pressure from the men up front to make their job easier. Thus far, there has been limited pressure created from DEs Bryan Cox Jr. and Malik Carney. Here’s hoping they step up to pressure Ottawa QB Dru Brown on Thursday night.
