The next two weeks will tell what kind of team the Riders have

The addition of Brendon LaBatte was welcomed to the offensive line and the Riders seem to have the running ability other teams, like say Hamilton, haven’t yet shown. With the weather getting colder and more emphasis placed on the running game, the Riders will be well positioned for a decent run in the playoffs that they now qualify for.

Beating who they should beat is one trait of championship teams. The next two weeks the Riders face the challenge of seeing how their team stacks up against the two teams they are likely to face in the playoffs.

The Riders still have players coming off the injury list and they also have Jordan Williams-Lambert, their outstanding rookie last season who is getting into CFL shape and will force the Riders to make some interesting choices on offense when he returns.

The Riders also have offensive lineman Philip Blake and receiver Patrick Lavoie due to come off the six game injury list. That will give the Riders some options on the offensive line and will likely key the Riders for their stretch drive.

It was an interesting weekend in the CFL, starting on Friday when Hamilton went to Winnipeg to complete a three-week western swing. Hamilton could have and should have won in Calgary if not for a blocked field goal at the last minute; went to Edmonton and beat the Eskimos like a gong, and was going to Winnipeg to face a team that had gassed a 24-point lead to Montreal the week before.

Many observers including yours truly thought the Bombers would have rebounded with a vengeance following that loss. The outcome though wasn’t in doubt as Hamilton QB Dane Evans proved to be more than a capable game manager.

The 33-13 win by Hamilton showed complete domination by a Hamilton team that wasn’t afraid to attack the Winnipeg defense and stacked the line of scrimmage to prevent QB Chris Streveler and RB Andrew Harris from running wild. Streveler may be a good running quarterback, but Hamilton showed if you know how to defend against the run and force Streveler to try to make more than one read, he is pretty useless.

For Winnipeg fans that thud Friday night was the first firm indication their Bombers may be going 29 years without a Grey Cup title. With Matt Nichols out for the season following shoulder surgery, the Bombers should be looking now for someone who offers more than scrambling on first, second or third down.

Hamilton did this to Winnipeg without a running game, which may come back to bite Hamilton in the ass, especially in Calgary at the end of November for Grey Cup. But that doesn’t change the fact that facing what was essentially a one dimensional offense was something that was beyond Winnipeg’s ability to handle.

So what conclusions can be drawn from this game? Hamilton is right now the best team in the CFL, but could be beaten when it gets colder and they are unable to run effectively.

Winnipeg is in danger of slipping to third and if they lose to Saskatchewan on Saturday, will likely kiss their hopes of finishing first goodbye. By a quirk in scheduling, Winnipeg has a home and home series with Calgary to finish off the season. Before that, they play the Riders and then Montreal at home.

In one of the more painful games to watch, Edmonton halted a four game losing streak by beating Ottawa 21-16, aided by a questionable touchdown reception that might not have been have a reception. It was interesting before the game to read Ottawa GM Marcel Desjardins admit the team may have overestimated the talent level of say, Dominique Davis at QB, never mind Jon Jennings.

Ottawa blew this season before it started by mishandling contract negotiations with a number of their free agents on offense, including quarterback Trevor Harris and receiver Greg Ellingson. They also held back offensive coordinator Jamie Elizondo from interviewing for the Saskatchewan head coach vacancy and then Elizondo stuck it to Ottawa by heading south just before the start of the season.

Ottawa is not quite eliminated in the CFL playoff race, but considering the offensive record of the Redblacks, it is just a matter of time. Ottawa should be auditioning players for next season and will likely move on from Davis and Jennings at QB next year, although Davis may be back because at least compared to Jennings, he does move the ball, although sporadically.

Edmonton for its part might have managed to get to 500, but suddenly they have the BC Lions hanging onto hope with a three game winning streak. Edmonton QB Trevor Harris is on the six game injury list and might be back for the playoffs, but he also could be like Matt Nichols and out for the season.

Edmonton plays Hamilton, then BC, then wraps the season with a home and home series with the Riders. It’s not an easy road for Edmonton, but they have a trip to Montreal in the eastern semi-final awaiting them. Logan (I’m No Wolverine) Kilgore seems to be a bit more of a game manager than say, Streveler, but Edmonton is also cursed with a team that takes stupid penalties and blames them on everyone else but themselves.

Montreal went to BC and prior to that game, I thought this would be a good statement game for Montreal considering quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. was serving a one game suspension for swinging a helmet at Winnipeg linebacker Adam Bighill in Montreal’s epic comeback against Winnipeg last week.

Mathew Shiltz started in place of Adams and did better than expected. The game came out to the last minute in the fourth with Montreal driving and having a third down on the Lions one-yard line. Shiltz was replaced by Antonio Pipkin, who was Montreal’s starting quarterback before losing the job to injury and Adams; and who managed to fumble the ball on the snap, even though Montreal recovered and was stopped just short of the goal line.

Montreal fell to 7-6 for the season, falling further behind at Hamilton with an 11-3 record. Montreal does not have it easy this week with Calgary coming to visit, but for Montreal, the return of Adams maybe getting Montreal back on the right foot.

On Friday the Eskimos are heading to Hamilton and this is an interesting contrast between the two teams. With Hamilton losing quarterback Jeremiah Masoli relatively early in the schedule, Dane Evans has stepped into the role of starter, likely making Masoli a free agent at the end of the season.

For Edmonton, their impressive reload after losing Mike Reilly gained them Trevor Harris at quarterback, Greg Ellingson at receiver and Sir Vincent Rogers at offensive line. However, that get by Edmonton is balanced by the fact that Harris is a streaky quarterback who has a Grey Cup ring as a back up; Rogers is on the six game injury list and Ellingson has been pretty non-descript with Kilgore throwing to him.

Edmonton is now facing a bit of a run from BC and fourth place is not guaranteed. Edmonton is at 7-7 so a run for first is not out of the question, only very unlikely.

Hamilton with its demolition of Winnipeg in Dollarama Field served notice they intend to be the Eastern representatives and can hold their own against the west, even with a back-up quarterback now running the show. The interesting thing with Hamilton to watch is if they can truly mount a ground game because with colder weather coming, having a running game can offset problems when it comes to difficulty in trying the passing game in the snow, sleet and dark of night.

With Edmonton, it’s trying to convince themselves they are worthy of being considered of being Grey Cup contenders. With Harris gone, maybe back for the playoffs, there is the possibility that Edmonton could tread water until the playoffs and hope to catch Harris on a good streak.

The Eskimos actually have a pretty impressive Canadian defensive line in the making, but the problem with Edmonton is the same problem that has plagued it since Jason Maas became head coach – a lack of discipline. Edmonton might make this interesting, but the bottom line is Hamilton is more a complete team, although they do have Simoni Lawrence who despite setting a CFL record for tackles in the game, has assumed Kyries Hebert’s status as the dirtiest player in the CFL.

So considering the inherent discipline problems of both teams, Hamilton wins this one 26-22.

Calgary goes to Montreal and this one is interesting as both teams have something to prove. Bo Levi Mitchell is back in the saddle as Calgary’s starting QB, and the team has demonstrated an admirable plug and play system with losing Ka’Deem Carey for the season, are able to plug in Terry Williams.

I would have thought Calgary’s defense would be weaker as they transitioned from former defensive coordinator DeVone Claybrooks who took the top job in BC. However they have done very well under Brent Monson and Tre Roberson has emerged as a legitimate defensive player of the year candidate as the Stampeder defensive backfield has become a Bermuda Triangle where opposing receivers disappear.

Calgary is now tied for first with Saskatchewan and face a Montreal team that against Winnipeg won a game they should have lost and against BC, lost a game they should have won. That inconsistency for Montreal is probably why it will be doomed in the eastern final or Grey Cup, and it will be interesting to see how Montreal does against Calgary.

If Montreal wins, they will also have made a statement that they can stand toe-to-toe with western teams. However, even with Adams Jr. back in the lineup, Calgary’s defense is up for the challenge and they will win 26-24 to move to 10 wins and setting up next week’s game against the Riders.

Winnipeg comes to Saskatchewan in a battle between two teams with nine wins apiece, but the Riders holding a half game advantage in the standings due to one less win. The news that Nichols is out for the season may have had more of an impact on the Bombers than they imagined with a performance against Hamilton that was perfectly awful.

If the Bombers failed to rebound from their choke against Montreal in their home game against Hamilton, how will they respond to a first place battle against the hated Riders?

One wonders if psychologically the Bombers are throwing in the towel for the season, seeing first hand that while Streveler may be a fine third down quarterback, he is unable to read defenses and runs if his first read is not open. What might work for the Bombers is playing the Riders, but these are teams on two different trajectories. The Riders will edge the Bombers 28-27 to put a bullet into their hopes of finishing first and continuing the slide to #1990.

Oh, expect Winnipeg to trade for James Franklin or anyone else who has the ability to throw the ball to where it is supposed to go before the trade deadline of October 9.

Finally, we have Toronto at BC where Toronto actually is still alive in the playoff while BC is on a three game winning streak and looking forward to trying to catch Edmonton for fourth spot and a potential crossover. If you are having trouble sleeping, please consider watching this game or perhaps taping it to play the next time you have insomnia. BC makes it four in a row with a 28-23 win.

by Greg Urbanoski

The next two weeks will tell what kind of team the Riders have

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