I think so. The Bombers have most of last year's Rider coaching staff and shut down the Sask. "Air Farce" for 2 straight games.
It was only because the Bombers played a gimpy Buck Pierce last week that the Riders managed to squeak out a win on Labour Day; a game they usually dominate. I say they'll be lucky to win 4 more games this season.
What do you think?
Fri Sep 17 Calgary @ Saskatchewan 07:00 PM
Sat Sep 25 Saskatchewan @ Hamilton 04:30 PM
Sat Oct 02 Saskatchewan @ Toronto 01:00 PM
Sat Oct 09 Toronto @ Saskatchewan 03:00 PM
Sun Oct 17 Calgary @ Saskatchewan 02:00 PM
Sat Oct 23 Saskatchewan @ Edmonton 05:00 PM
Sun Oct 31 Saskatchewan @ BC 03:00 PM
Sat Nov 06 Edmonton @ Saskatchewan 05:00 PM
Well considering the riders flat out didn't show up and haven't played well at all as of late, it may have more to do with them, than who they're playing.
Etcheverry's defenses never have staying power. Eventually, opposing OCs pick up on the weird stunting up front, O-lines start to make their blocks, and suddenly Qbs can pick apart holes in the zones.
That being said, I don't think anyone has figured out how to 'shut down' Sask. They're still a good team, just a team with a young starter going through a slump.
Our receviers aren't able to get open. Durant has nobody to throw to all day. The play calling is terrible. I'm not saying it's Doug Berry's fault, but it is definately coming down to the coaching at some level.
We need to get the Air Farce open, so they can become the Air Force once again.
I will say that LaPo & co. have made it clear that the key to controlling Saskatchewan's defense is to make a sustained but creative commitment to the run. Eventually, the back will catch a lineman out of his gap because he's stunting around the edge and there will be a hole you could drive a truck through.
Durant is not making the correct reads and is constantly throwing the ball to the guy in double coverage. he’s got his eyes fixed on the receiver and totally gives it away.
he had a number of passes today where the receiver he should have passed to was open and the one he through to was covered!
I expect a better defensive effort from the Riders next week, but I also expect, as you note, that Dave Dickenson will run Reynolds and Cornish down Saskatchewan’s throat. Calgary also has topnotch run-blocking (the best in the league in terms of game-to-game consistency), which will help them have success on the ground.
…LaPolice found a nice chink in the rider d…The green guys were over-committing on the run leaving the middle wide-open…Davis just tucked himself into that vacated area and had some nice easy catches, one going for a td…I believe one of the rider linebackers smelt it out late but the damage was already done…LaPolice knows the stunts that the riders set-up in and he just waited for them to commit…sends the info to his qb. and presto…Riders are left scrambling…The Bomber intensity in this game was unreal on both sides of the ball…sasks. …not so much
Their Offensive line is dreadful, you can see why Hamilton ditched Goodspeed. The Riders should have kept Belton Johnson who was solid for 5 games with the Ticats.
I don’t think the Riders offense is as good as it was early in the season, and I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as it’s looked the past few games. There’s a middle ground they will (hopefully) find as the season goes along. I don’t think Winnipeg did anything really out of the ordinary defensively to shut the Riders down, it’s just an offense struggling right now.
