Cauz: Plenty of intrigue in REDBLACKS, Riders contest

Matthew Cauz

CFL.ca

@mcauz56

Listen I get it, the main course for Week 5 of the CFL season has to be the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on the road against a quarterback that some (no one) are saying is already better than Doug Flutie. Nathan Rourke taking on the two-time Grey Cup Champions is must-watch TV and I’m thankful to whoever scheduled the game for 7:00 p.m. ET because those 10:00 p.m. east coast starts are killing me.

But may I interest you in an appetizer that easily could be just as compelling? Rourke vs. Zach Collaros may be the entrée but often it’s the appetizer we remember the most at the end of the meal. This is just a long way of me declaring the Ottawa REDBLACKS and Saskatchewan Roughriders game is the coconut shrimp of Week 5. I know it’s been said many times.

This game has Agatha Christie intrigue (I need younger references) and the stakes feel raised after some shocking news around the league (more on that in a moment). Also, to be quite honest I’d rather look ahead to a fun Friday night game then look back at just how the Toronto Argonauts lost 23-22 to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

I’m fascinated by the fact that both of these franchises are desperate to take that next step, it’s just that the next step is so different for each organization. In Saskatchewan that next level is not just being a Grey Cup contender but a legitimate elite level team that is genuinely feared when they strut into your stadium. Don’t get me wrong, the Roughriders have sniffed that rarefied air in the past. Take out the 2015 and 2016 season when the team cobbled together a meager total of eight wins and Saskatchewan has always had winning seasons since winning their last Grey Cup victory back in 2013.

However, they never felt dangerous, like one of those teams you were petrified of facing come the post-season. This may be unfair to say considering all the good they did during their 2019 West Division-winning season, but I always viewed that squad as very good but not any better than Winnipeg or Calgary. I imagine General Manager Jeremy O’Day, and coach Craig Dickenson view 2022 as an opportunity to build on the success of 2019 and push away the COVID-shortened 2021 season.

The Riders are a weird team. How do you explain a group that loses to the Montreal Alouettes by 24 then nine days later beats the same team by three touchdowns? If you looked at Cody Fajardo’s overall numbers, he is having a very good year, yet it still feels like there are points being left on the field that not only himself, but the entire passing attack has another level in them. Injuries at receiver and a leaky offensive line certainly plays a role here but after each Saskatchewan game I am always left feeling like I enjoyed the movie, but the ending was a bit off. I know this sounds like an overly critical piece on Saskatchewan but really it is meant as a compliment, I know this team has another gear. Here is a group with a gutsy quarterback who plays through pain, a roster with so much talent, they have the league’s best pass rush by a country mile (21 sacks through four games!), the defence forces more turnovers than any other team in the nation and Jamal Morrow is your rushing leader.

In the end, what is missing from Saskatchewan is that signature win, that run of dominance to announce themselves. For all the excellence we’ve seen from Anthony Lanier II, Pete Robertson and Morrow, Saskatchewan is kind of flying under the radar, which is a hard thing to do with that fanbase. But the 2022 season has been about Nathan Rourke and the explosive BC Lions, the Bombers showing zero Grey Cup hangover and a Calgary team that has found a way to start 3-0 despite facing double digit deficits in each of their games. Throw in some Tre Ford love and I can’t blame Dickenson’s team from looking around and saying, ‘don’t forget about us!’ I understand a win against Ottawa won’t shake up the national narratives going on, but we all know, despite the record, this REDBLACKS team is sneaky dangerous. Maybe I’m being greedy, but I am waiting to see peak Saskatchewan, I know it is there. We have seen flashes of it but I’m waiting for that three week stretch where they knock their West Division competition off the headlines.

Sticking with the theme of fair and unfair doesn’t it feel unfair that Ottawa is 0-3? They gave Winnipeg all they could handle in back-to-back weeks to start the season and ended Nathan Rourke’s bid to complete an entire season interception-free. Against the undefeated Lions and Bombers, Paul LaPolice’s team had opportunities late in all three games to win. While Saskatchewan is looking to be recognized as best in the league the REDBLACKS are on other side of the spectrum, they’re a group looking to gain respect and produce real wins and not just moral victories.

Kian Schaffer-Baker and his Riders will look for their fourth win of the season this weekend against the REDBLACKS (The Canadian Press)

I would argue that Jeremiah Masoli’s performance against the BC Lions was even more strange than Saskatchewan’s extreme up and down results against Montreal. I have no idea how to explain how Masoli could look so calm and productive (until the red zone!) against the Bombers defence yet he could get nothing going against the Lions secondary. So many two and outs, nine targets for Jaelon Acklin, who netted 24 yards, and a boatload of inaccurate passes. How often does a football team go +3 in the turnover margin and lose a game like Ottawa did last week? It speaks to just how good the Lions offence is but also about Ottawa making critical mistakes leading to Nathan’s 50-yard touchdown run or Keon Hatcher streaking down field uncovered on the momentum swinging 71-yard touchdown catch.

Finally, there is the elephant in the room. If you have read my work over the years, you will see I do not get into “coach x” needs to be fired. I’m not against these stories when presented fairly but it’s just not my thing. I do wonder what sort of pressure Coach LaPolice is feeling after the news that Montreal fired Khari Jones. I’m not comparing the two teams; they came in with a different set of expectations, but the REDBLACKS are 1-8 at home during his time and eventually management is going to want to see results, especially after the off-season infusion in talent. This is not a must-win game for the REDBLACKS nor do I believe LaPolice is coaching for his job, but with every loss the stakes get higher for a team that has played far better than their 0-3.

In the end, this game feels like a curious mix of strange and entertaining. There is more than enough talent on the field to keep us transfixed for three hours and both these teams have experienced noticeable weird streaks. Let’ see what happens first, Saskatchewan gains a feeling of invincibility or Ottawa finally gains some much-needed respectability.

Follow CFL