Riders clinch first but lots of playoffs to go!

The integrity the Argos showed in not rolling over made the Riders work harder and while the score was close, sitting at the game I can’t recall any moments where the Riders were in danger of letting the game slip away. The Riders lost receiver Keesean Johnson to an injury that did not initially look too serious but will allow the Riders an opportunity to rest Johnson and tee up their other receivers in the games remaining against Winnipeg and BC.

The Bombers are still in the race for the playoffs, likely a cross over despite losing to the Edmonton Elk but managing to keep the tie breaking formula in their favor with points scored and given up in games between the teams. Edmonton’s inability or inexperience in recognizing the point totals as crucial in determining potential playoff seeing will probably cost it a playoff spot but Edmonton has games against BC and Calgary, which will determine their playoff fates.

The good folks at Morning Big Blue, the Bomber fan page, like their odds somewhat in crossing over to the east, but if the current standings hold, the Bombers will have to face Montreal and that is probably asking too much. The Bombers have games against the Riders and Montreal, which is an interesting combination and whoever emerges from these last two weeks will have earned their way into the playoffs.

The Riders travel to play the Bombers on Friday night, and for the Riders this is somewhat of an exhibition game. One of the challenges for teams clinching first relatively early is how does a team handle player management for the next month before the next meaningful game?

The Riders will face off with Jake Maier against the Bombers, marking the second time Maier has started for the Riders this season. CFL rosters are small enough that it makes wholesale replacing of starters impossible, so the Riders will have to walk the line between resting veterans who will be needed for the playoffs and giving players on the practice roster a chance to show their stuff.

The Riders defensive secondary woes should be alleviated since I saw Tevaughn Campbell and Marcus Sayles out practicing on Monday and Tuesday. Jaxon Ford and Nelson Lokombo were also out on the practice field, but probably are a week away from coming back to the roster.

Joe Robustelli will be back with the receiving corps, and there looks to be a platoon situation with the running backs which will take the pressure off AJ Ouellette. While Jack Coan will be likely dressing for the Riders and Harris will probably be dressed as the third quarterback, the chances at quarterback give the Riders an opportunity to give some playing time to Maier, get him ready for game management and evaluate how he may fit in next season if this is Harris’ last season.

The Bomber fans seem to feel their offensive coordinator is the source of all evil on that team and they are flabbergasted why the Bombers do not run as much as their talent suggests they could. The Bombers playoff hopes are rooted in the arm of Zach Collaros who has alternated between very good and very bad on a team where it seems age has suddenly seemed to catch up.

This has added an element of uncertainty as the contracts of Coach Mike O’Shea and GM Kyle Walters are expiring at the end of the season. The Riders on Wednesday announced the renewal of the contract of Cory Mace and Jeremy O’Day as coach and GM respectively for another two years to send a message to potential free agents.

The Bombers though prefer to wait after the season, but if the Bombers fail to get a new offensive coordinator, the level of fan discontent will continue to grow. All of this is background to a role reversal game where it is usually the Riders who need to win against the Bombers in late season games to keep their playoff push alive.

While the level of Riders play will on paper drop with Maier starting in place of Harris, Harris has not enjoyed the smoothest of months leading the Rider offense which has been slow starting, although in the last two weeks they have done somewhat better but failed to sustain the initial oomph they showed on the field.

While it might be en vogue for fans to refer to Maier as Mayor McCheese, Maier was selected to replace Bo Levi Mitchell in Calgary before Calgary forgot how to recruit for other positions. I think Maier with a season of watching Harris and working under a familiar coach in Marc Mueller could have more to show fans that what he has so far.

Look to the Bombers to blitz as much as possible against Maier, hoping to rattle him. Expect Maier to respond with short passes, draws and other quirky play to get the Bombers back on their heels.

There will be a lot of players on the Rider roster looking to show their stuff either to stay on the roster or get an invite to next year. The Bombers will try their usual tactic of striking deep early, so if the Riders defensive secondary is somewhat back on track, this should work in the Riders favor since the Bomber running game scares only irresponsible dog owners when Brady Olivera bears down on them.

The Riders won’t make too many changes because the team will have balance rest with the values of continuity heading into the playoffs. Fortunately, the Riders have their final game against BC, which will likely be a preview of the western final and these two teams will want to send each other messages or not at that time and will see a greater number of starters back in the lineup.

The Riders have blown away one team this season and I am not thinking they will blow away the Bomber. They will beat them 26-25 which will drive Bombers fans crazy but this is what happens when you stick with the same lineup for six years and only get two Grey Cups out of it.

Edmonton is a fascinating team and against Winnipeg they should have practiced more awareness regarding the points for and against in determining a playoff spot. A mental hiccup allowed the point spread to remain the same and the Bombers lost but did not really slip out of a playoff spot.

Edmonton goes to BC and Calgary for their last two games, and they truly hold their playoff fates in their hands, but they will need a wee bit of help. BC is on a roll coming off a bye, and Edmonton has the running game to make life difficult for the BC defense which has improved but can still be had.

The question in this game is whether Edmonton has the weapons to keep up with BC in what is likely to be a scoring extravaganza as the Elk try to stay alive in the playoffs and the Lions try not to lose ground to Calgary. Edmonton has a great running game which is ideal for running time off the clock and keeping the opposing offense off the field, but if the Lions offense is productive the Elk will have to pass to keep up with the Lions and that may be too tall of an order.

The Elk cannot keep up with the Lions in an offensive game and the Elks defense has a Jekyll and Hyde quality to it that does not inspire confidence. The Lions will probably appreciate an opponent that will not roll over because those tend to toughen teams up for the playoffs.

The Lions win this one 29-26.

Montreal goes to Ottawa to continue their drive to first place in the east and Montreal can move into a tie for first with a win over Ottawa. On Thanksgiving Montreal beat Ottawa 30-10 giving Davis Alexander his 10th straight start as a starting quarterback in the CFL.

I don’t think that is any danger of being derailed against Ottawa as Montreal does need this game to set up the final week and the winner take all in the eastern conference title while the second-place team must face a western cross over.

The writing seems to be on the wall for Bob Dyce and you must contrast how the Ottawa team has reacted the last few weeks versus the Argos who even though they are eliminated, are still out to win games. Dyce is a nice guy, and he probably deserves better, but a lot of the decisions he made this year on the football field hurt his team and when you have a young rebuilding team, sowing seeds of doubt in your players minds about whether you have the smarts to guide them through a game is not a wise approach.

This is more of a hopeful forecast that Ottawa will rally around Dyce, but even if they do, in the end it probably won’t matter – Montreal 27-24.

Finally, we have Toronto at Calgary and Toronto showed a lot against the Riders in a game where many expected them to lay down and roll over. Calgary also showed a lot in a 37-20 win over Hamilton, but while many are pumping the Hamilton tires for the play of Bo Levi Mitchell, Hamilton’s defense was mauled by the Calgary running game.

Calgary had lost four games in a row and find themselves trying to hang on to a playoff spot in the west, which is amazing since in the first third of the season they looked like Grey Cup contenders. Now Calgary has a burst of confidence and needs to win to keep up with BC and more importantly stay ahead of Winnipeg.

Toronto apparently has not done well in Calgary over the years and depending on how Dinwiddie wants to evaluate his players, may not do well in this game. I suspect the pride the Argo players showed against the Riders will once again come up, and maybe I am giving Calgary’s running game too much credit, but as the late Ron Lancaster once said, If something works, keep doing it until they stop it.

Calgary runs to a 29-24 win.

by Greg Urbanoski

Riders clinch first but lots of playoffs to go!

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