Anyone expecting the Riders to take the Ti-Cats too lightly on Saturday?
I don't think the Riders take anything for granted. It will not be a walk in the park on sat. but we will win. This team has so much depth, the will to win, and the work ethic to keep going! Besides after Ham. beat down, they won't come out that flat in their own barn. The Riders have their work cut out for them! Should be another great game!! Man what a season so far!! :rockin:
I think that the Riders will win, but it'll be close. I recall the back to backs against Winnipeg last year; 52-0 blowout at home, and a sneaky 24-23 (or something like that) win on the road on the last play of the game.
This league is whacky that way.
Not this Rider fan. I doubt Sask is taking any club too lightly this year. If Andy is back in Ham’s line-up on Sat, the Cats may stand a chance of getting points on the board - Grant tried his best but he needed the rest of the team to help out.
The league is whacky, SS but this 2013 Rider team bears little resemblance to last years team. In every dept the Riders have improved over what we saw last year. Even special teams are making their mark - last year they could hardly hold their heads up. Ricky Foley and Chick-man have brought veteran experience and continue to show they can get the job done. All Superman has to do is catch one ball like the 32-yarder to the 20 and he has earned his pay in my books especially now that Rob is flying on all cylinders. Our receiving core is packed and when the superstars are covered we can now call on Danny boy to catch another ball.
The biggest and one of the best additions to the team was the hiring of George Cortez - masterful stroke Brendan, I salute you. What he has done for our team is to give it options. Can’t get the ground game going? Go for those short passes. Make good use of all the receiving talent - look how many different receivers Darian goes to now. Kory’s eating up the yards - well that just makes those 1rst Ds so much easier to achieve. That play to Clark in the end zone? - genius. Ham D had no clue - none. George has our guys believing and right there you’ve won half the battle. I am so very thankful for George.
When I hear folks say this team was built for the Grey Cup…I am beginning to believe it.
Austin made a statement by releasing LB Markeith Knowlton, and DBs Terrance Parks and James Patrick. Fear for ones job can elevate game play lot.
LB Nick Rosamonda was brought back after not making it through camp, along with surprise Argo cut Brandon Isaac.
After the somewhat surprising move of releasing Rey Williams, these are some moves to really help beef up the LB slots, but there are still some huge questions. One problem is that the Riders ran mainly up the gut, and it is the same MLB, and same DL. As for the Secondary...Brown is moving from CB to HB...there were obviously a few plays they had big concerns at with the CB last week late, as we will see 2 new CBs this week.
I think that the Hamilton staff is still figuring out who is staying and who is going. The changes in the secondary...well, I just don't know...they may be great, time will tell. Brandon Isaac should be able to make an immediate impact, but Johnson still needs to be the one to stop Sheets.
I think the Cats have made some nice moves on D this week, but it still not enough, it means more growing pains, and I am not convinced they can get pressure on DD consistently.
Nothing convinces me that the Cats can keep this within 10 if DD starts...but that's why we play the game. I know they will come out better than last week for sure though..fear of job loss at minimum.
Willy is starting so a much tighter game. No sure, haven't seen DW throw much this year. Time for the D and running game to step it up.
Willy looked just fine during training camp. I expect another balanced game plan.
I have confidence in Will, though obviously not as much as in DD.
I am surprised he is not starting after starting last week though.
Goal line stand was huge and then the 45 yd pass…amazing :rockin:
Gotta hand out the game balls.....
- Offence - again, mistake free football on offence. Almost no penalties, no turnovers (again!), 140 yards for Sheets, big game for Geroy, and 3 TD passes for Willy. Nothing needs help here at all.
- Coaches - again, execution of the game plan, got down early, stuck to the plan, made it work.
5-0 going into the bye week! Hope they can keep their momentum. Next game will be a big one.
Huge for sure.
Williams was great, but George had a career game! IMO George was the player of the game.
Again, some concerns getting burned deep.
The line is playing lights out, and Willy grew more confident with every play, though he needed to be grounded mid third quarter when he started taking liberties and got really lucky on a couple.
I felt they wanted to exploit an iffy secondary, but were having so much success with higher percentage plays…how can you justify it.
Getz gets a pass on the drop, because he has been top notch all season, including the rest of this game. I also want to commend him for his blocking. He used to be a great blocker, but took a lot of penalties and missed some the past season and a half, but he has been spot on this season…kudos to him!! Geroy also had a couple of top notch blocks in the backfield, and Smith stepped up and made some nice down-field blocks. Good to see him getting physical.
I must admit, pre-game Willy was looking literally ill with nerves. He started rather poorly, passing behind targets, a few bad reads, but he has looked more impressive with every series. He is clearly getting comfortable and confident, but again…started taking liberties later.
Isaac has shadowed Sheets wonderfully…I am sure he will be an impact player for the Cats.
Henry is bounced a lot of passes though, and Austin should know not to lose it on Henry like that as he has a history of rattling himself on occasion. I am not sure why Hamilton did not running more…when they are sweeping the edges they are getting rewarded with good runs followed by more time to pass. At this point the Riders are saying, okay…clearly these are token runs…we will give up the odd one and stay in pass coverage mode.
I can see it:
Henry: “Should we try a running play”
Austin: “Stop asking stupid questions”
It’s been 6 years so correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t remember seeing Austin this mad/grouchy when he was with the Riders? Does anyone else remember him yelling at Joseph and co and always being frustrated? I guess winning helps and we started the year 7-2 but Austin just seems different then when he was last up here…?
Yup he is a grouch. He needs to allow Burris to play his game.
Austin is an owly mofo.
he is extremely vocal for a modern era coach, and that is what I loved about him
When Henry took that timeout after they just had a big pause for a challenge, he lost his mind, and I can't blame him.
He showed shear disgust with a few of the plays, like Ellingson apparent total lack of knowing where the sticks were on 3rd down late.
Austin is one of the great football minds of this generation. He made Joseph an MVP. I just don't think Burris is smart enough of a player for Austin. No knock on Henry...hell of an athlete and knows how to make something out of nothing...but when he was in Regina and the play book got up him retaining a dozen passing plays the team was ecstatic. He came a long way in Calgary, and really diversified his overall abilities and grew immensely as a player, but Austin is a deep playbook kind of guy, and Henry is not....that is why we saw the same long ball play 5-6 times in this game.
I was thinking the same thing myself, SF23. I commented on it last week and tonight’s performance on the sidelines only enforced the thought. I did think he had every right to be upset when Jones didn’t fess up on that catch. Cost the Cats a time-out and rattled the offense causing Hank to burn another one. Hank had a hand in that one too…signalling for challenge is NOT the job of a QB and arguing for one when you don’t know all the facts makes you look plain stupid.
Austin and the Riders had no adversity in 2007. They were the only team in the league to not have their starting QB healthy for the entire season - I mean this LITERALLY not figuratively. They had the lightning game where Edmonton had all their momentum zapped by a lightning delay with 10 mins left and a 10 pt lead. Without that delay the Riders wouldn’t have regrouped to put a bunch of points up and win the game. It was a pivotal game. It was like anti-adversity.
I remember several posters on 13thman getting so fed up and frustrated with all the bounces that the Riders got that year, saying that they were lucky, fumbles bouncing right into Rider hands, Wally Buono trying to punt for a single in OT and failing. Joseph fumbling at the 6 yard line, the ball bouncing right to Fantuz in the endzone for his first career TD. And I replied, yes they are lucky, and after all the years of bullshit bad luck and other crap that the team has gone through, I’ll take a ton of good luck for team for once thank you very much. And THEN to top it all off Kevin Glenn busted his arm a week before the Grey Cup.
Kent Austin is an AVERAGE coach who coached a very talented team, built on an excellent foundation by Shivers, and augmented by 2 or 3 key acquisitions by Tillman (who did a great job) and got a ton of bounces go their way. He faced ZERO adversity in 2007. Now in Hamilton he has inferior talent and a lot of adversity. DEAL with it Kent.
Ricky Schmitt's a gem. Perfect placement on that 60-yarder. That kick got us 2 points.
Craig Butler preventing Hank from going over for the TD forcing another Ham TO
Geroy getting us out of trouble when we take the ball in the red zone.
The Chick-man gets his first sack, back in Rider uniform.
Saunders sets up the O, return after return.
Every where I look on the team, I see guys stepping up and making plays. Just doing their jobs, sure.........but they are doing them so well.
Nice way to go into the bye-week especially when it was your back-up that got you the 5th win.
:rockin:
And not only is he kicking the living snot out of the ball, the coverage team is still all over it. he kicks it so bloody far and he still can’t outkick his coverage! HAH!
Cats had 7 punt returns for 32 yards tonight. 7 / 32 = 3.6. And when the punt average is 44 the net is ridiculous. :thup: