Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
TORONTO — The Riders are 0-2, Ricky Ray is on pace for almost 7,500 passing yards and Jerome Messam has yet to go over the century mark.
It’s a little early for projections but never too soon for overreactions as we wait for the third week of the 2017 CFL season.
Also in the discussion this week: Jonathon Jennings’ early-season struggles, running back questions for the REDBLACKS and Eskimos and the enigmatic Montreal Alouettes.
Here are nine pressing questions for Week 3:
1. Is there reason for optimism in Riderville?
Mike O’Shea (left) and Chris Jones (right) shake hands after meeting on Canada Day (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Don’t look now but Chris Jones remains at just five wins through his first 20 games in charge of the Riders. But while an 0-2 start is disappointing to Riders fans, to put it mildly, it’s not all bad in the province of Saskatchewan.
The two losses have come on late-game field goals (including two misses from Tyler Crapigna, the only two he’s missed all season) by a combined total of only four points. Meanwhile, Saskatchewan has won the time of possession battle in both football games, ranks third in the CFL in passing yards and has allowed only four sacks (an average of 2.0 sacks per game compared to the whopping 3.2 per game allowed last season).
There are plenty of items for Jones to clean up. The run game has produced only 61.5 yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry while turnovers — a league-leading five to go with a bottom-ranking minus-three turnover ratio — have made an obvious direct impact.
With that said, are the Riders on the right track? Is the rebuild coming to fruition for fans of the Green and White?
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2. Who do you like at running back for the REDBLACKS?
William Powell or Mossis Madu? That was the question going into the season in the nation’s capital and the first two weeks have provided very little clarity.
In Week 1, Powell looked like his usual explosive self despite coming off an Achilles injury, rushing for 30 yards on five carries (6.0 yards per carry) and adding a touchdown grab. But after Powell got hurt, Madu carried the rock just fine in Week 2, piling up 74 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries (5.7 yard average).
Madu has been a consistent performer for the REDBLACKS while Powell, when on the field, is as shifty a runner as any. So if both are healthy, who should Rick Campbell roll with?
The REDBLACKS’ offence has been the best in the CFL over the first two weeks of the season (445.0 yards per game) and should continue to cruise regardless of who’s at RB. But when both are healthy, Campbell may elect to continue starting only one of his international backs.
A good problem to have but a difficult decision nonetheless.
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3. Has Matt Nichols shed the label of ‘game manager’?
Ever since his time backing up Mike Reilly in Edmonton, Matt Nichols has earned the reputation of a game manager. Don’t look now but that ‘game manager’ has thrown for 721 yards and six touchdowns in just his last two starts.
Nichols has proven he can sling it like anyone in the CFL and the last two games are proof of that. And not only that, the Bombers have won 11 of their last 14 games with Nichols under centre.
For a team that struggled before Nichols took the helm early in 2017, ‘game manager’ may no longer be accurate to describe the 30-year-old vet who continues to do nothing but win.
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4. Is the Argos’ offensive line a cause for concern?
Despite leading the CFL with 833 passing yards, there may be some warning signs stemming from the Argo offence — particularly the five men up front.
Ricky Ray has taken his share of hits this season including seven sacks, the second-highest total across the league. Meanwhile, the offensive line has also failed to open up holes in the running game, averaging 30.5 yards per game and 2.5 yards per carry (both second-worst in the CFL ahead of only Hamilton).
The situation may not be anything to panic over. It’s early in the season, the team is still adapting to Marc Trestman’s offence and, as a whole, the Argos’ offence has been productive.
At the same time, considering the 37-year-old Ray has an injury history and the Argos’ season practically hinges on the veteran quarterback being healthy, it could be something worth monitoring.
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5. Should we look past Jonathon Jennings’ slow start in BC?
No quarterback has been sacked more than Jonathon Jennings so far in 2017 (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Jonathon Jennings was a rookie sensation for the Lions in 2015 while, a year later, there was definitely no sophomore slump for the 24-year-old quarterback out of Saginaw Valley. But after throwing for 5,226 yards in 2016 and leading the Lions to the second-best record in the CFL, Jennings hasn’t found things so easy in the early going this year.
Through two games in 2017, Jennings has managed only one touchdown pass and 565 yards — an average of 282.5 per game. The numbers aren’t shocking but they do jump off the page considering his team’s offensive outburst a season ago.
Part of the issue has been pressure on the quarterback. Jennings has been sacked a league-high nine times through two games, including five times against the Eskimos and four against the Argos. And on the positive side, he’s only thrown one interception despite the extra pressure along with his reputation for turning the ball over.
With all of that said, has Jennings proven enough in his career for us to look past a slow start in 2017?
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6. What can we take away from the Alouettes’ first two games?
After two close finishes that could have gone either way, it’s all balanced out for an Alouettes team sitting at .500 through the first two weeks of the season. So what can we take away from a team with an all-new look this season?
On one hand, the Als’ refurbished O-line hasn’t allowed a sack this season. That’s impressive and also imperative to the health of Darian Durant as well as their offensive success. On the other, Noel Thorpe’s usually-aggressive defence has only gotten to the quarterback once. Surprising is the only way to describe it.
While Ernest Jackson has made very little impact outside of his Week 1 touchdown (held to one catch for three yards against the Esks), Jonathon Mincy continues his emergence as one of the CFL’s top young corners after shutting down Duron Carter and earning Shaw Top Performer honours in Week 1.
The only thing we know about the Als is that through two weeks, we don’t know a whole lot.
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7. Do the Eskimos need to make a move at running back?
John White’s injury suffered Friday night turned out to be season-ending (The Canadian Press)
Some players simply can’t be replaced. The Eskimos probably feel that way about John White, arguably the CFL’s top running back who suffered a season-ending torn ACL in a win over the Alouettes last weekend.
It’s a devastating injury for White, who spent his 2015 season working his way back from a career-threatening Achilles injury, and also devastating for the Eskimos who have been hit hard by the injury bug early in the new season.
Travon Van is fully capable of shouldering the load for the Eskimos at running back while LaDarius Perkins likely comes off the practice roster. But Kendial Lawrence and Shakir Bell are both familiar with the offence and available and could be on Brock Sunderland’s speed dial.
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8. Will Jerome Messam break the century mark vs. the Bombers?
Among the many surprising results early in 2017 is the rushing total of Jerome Messam. After the 32-year-old had the best season of his career last year, Messam sits with 116 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries to go with a pedestrian 4.3 yard average.
That’s not to say the two-game sample size is any reason for concern. In the passing league that is the CFL, production is typically spotty at best for running backs on the ground. Messam, simply put, is one of the league’s best.
Due for a breakout, will Messam go off on the Bombers?
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9. Can Brian Tyms fill the void left by the injured Terrence Toliver?
Terrence Toliver’s injury leaves a major void on offence for the Ticats (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
The loss of Terrence Toliver to the 6-game is a devastating one for the Ticats. The 6-foot-5 dynamo had emerged as one of the CFL’s top boundary wideouts, hauling in 15 touchdowns and more than 1,700 yards in only 26 games over his first two CFL seasons.
The Ticats have plenty of options with Toliver’s injury, from training camp bodies off the practice roster to more playing time for Brandon Banks. The most influential figure, however, may just be 28-year-old Brian Tyms.
Tyms got plenty of hype heading into 2017 and figures to step into Toliver’s spot as a focal point on the Tabbies’ offence.
For Zach Collaros and a Ticat offence facing high expectations this season, can Tyms handle the workload and become the CFL’s next breakout star?
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