Some notes from the Saskatchewan Roughrider win over the Ottawa Redblacks and fewer notes on the loss to the Montreal Alouettes.
After the winning kick against the Redblacks, Brent Lauther spoke about kicking including a comment on the previous 41-12 loss to the Argos.
Late in the July 29 Toronto Argonauts game, the Riders attempted an onside kick. Instead of the conventional onside kick high into the air about 15 yards downfield, Lauther started toward the ball then pivoted and sent a bouncing kick to the side where there was a single Rider going after the ball. Lauther stumbled as he pivoted and I thought it gave an Argo an extra step to tap the ball out of bounds. He said he hit it the way he wanted with a great bounce but was not sure the misstep was the reason it failed.
In an answer to Britton Gray of CJME, Lauther said he was not aware that he was now 10 of 10 on field goals in the last few minutes of games.
He added that he valued the chance to kick because he went almost four seasons without a chance to kick as he bounced around the CFL. He said it left him with a chip on his shoulder.
Lauther said that as soon as he hits the ball with his foot he knows from the feel, 95 times out of 100, if it is going through the uprights.
He continued that it is like hitting a golf ball flush. He says he loves golfing and there is a similar swing involved.
Going into the Ottawa game, there had been considerable discussion about the Riders using a linebacker to spy Dustin Crum, the Redblack quarterback, because he had run so successfully, especially against Winnipeg. Rider defensive tackle Micah Johnson proudly said they never spied Crum once during the game. He said defensive co-ordinator Jason Shivers told the defensive linemen earlier in the week they were not going to spy and he was putting it on the defensive line to keep Crum contained.
Rider linebacker Micah Teitz spoke about short yardage defence being about wanting to stop the quarterback and there was no technique. I asked if “wanting” could stop Calgary’s Tommy Stevens who is 6’5” and 257 pounds on short yardage. He predicted they would stop Stevens when they meet in October.
The Riders looked tired against the Alouettes from the opening kickoff to the final play of the game. In the postgame comments of Derrick Moncrief, Jake Dolegala and head coach Craig Dickenson, no one was using the short week as a reason for their problems. Moncrief would not agree with me that the Riders looked a step slow. Dickenson said the short week did not help. He added they were not playing with their usual juice. Dolegala would only say having one practice between games did not help them.
Dickenson said that Dolegala, after fumbling in consecutive games, has to take care of the ball. Dolegala said that the fumble against the Alouettes came when he was trying to make a play and did not have two hands on the ball though he knew the pass rush was closing on him. He said he has to have ball security.
Watching the game did not encourage me that Dolegala is ready to move up to starting quarterback. I doubt he is ready to be the backup quarterback. It was not a surprise when the Riders acquired Antonio Pipkin from the Hamilton Tiger Cats where he was their third string quarterback. I hope Mason Fine heals quickly.
Sunday, Aug. 20's prospects against the Lions are grim. While I am confident the defence will play well and the special teams will match the Lions I am pessimistic about the offence. Unless Lion quarterback Vernon Adams reverts to his form from the six interception game against the Argonauts it is going to be a long night in Regina. I feel like I am channelling “so you’re telling me there’s a chance” from the movie Dumb and Dumber.
Bill Selnes, who’s based in Melfort, has written about the Saskatchewan Roughriders since the late 1970s. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, Football Reporters of Canada wing on Nov. 24, 2013.
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