It is nice to be writing about a Saskatchewan Roughrider winning streak after two months enduring a losing streak. On Sept. 28 against the Ottawa Redblacks it was the defence that led the way to a 29-16 victory. In particular, a trio of interceptions were pivotal.
On the first, Ottawa quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was going deep down the middle to Dominique Rhymes. Rolan Milligan stayed with the receiver. He doubted my statement that he was a step behind. As the ball went up he became the receiver judging the ball perfectly. He tracked the pass and turned at exactly the right moment to catch the ball over his shoulder. He said he does drills in the off-season simulating such passes to help him make interceptions.
With Rider receivers going down left and right I asked if he would be going in if another receiver was injured. He did not think so but said he had asked offensive co-ordinator Marc Mueller to let him get one.
I remarked that if Hamilton quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell could catch a pass on Friday evening why not Milligan. He said that pattern with Mitchell tossing the ball to a receiver and then going out in the flat was the same play the Philadelphia Eagles used in their Super Bowl win. Both of us wondered why Hamilton used the play on a two-point convert instead of saving it for a play where a touchdown was needed.
Marcus Sayles made the next interception on an out pattern to Justin Hardy. It looked to me like he came off his receiver to drop in front of Hardy. He said he was actually in a zone and baited Masoli to throw it by giving him a low shoulder. All along he was planning to drop back. Masoli took the bait and it was a nice interception.
Sayles had a busy afternoon. He drilled Kalil Pimpleton as the receiver was turning upfield after a catch that jarred the ball free. A Rider challenge that it was a fumble rather than interception was unsuccessful. I think it could easily have been a reception as Pimpleton had turned upfield after catching the ball. Sayles said he was the high guy and came running down on the receiver. He was a touch sheepish at getting caught up in celebrating the hit and not observing the ball had popped free and was being scooped up by DaMarcus Fields and returned to the end zone.
The next play he got a misconduct penalty for an incident with linebacker Gary Johnson on the Redblacks sideline. He said he was just talking when Johnson hit him in the face. He said he asked the referee what did he say to cause a penalty. He recognized that he had put himself in position to get slapped.
Near the end of the game Ottawa receiver Pimpleton split Sayles, Auclair and Amari Henderson for a touchdown. He said it was a perfect call finding the soft spot in the zone they were running on the play. It was a surprise that none of the Rider defenders moved towards Pimpleton who was the only receiver going downfield on the right side.
The third interception was by Canadian linebacker Adam Auclair who, in zone coverage dropped a little deeper than Masoli might have expected. Zach Collaros had success dropping passes over the heads of Rider linebackers. On the play Auclair saw Masoli looking right away. With Auclair a step or two deeper that room was gone and he made the interception on a pass intended for Pimpleton crossing behind him. He said their linebacker coach has been working with him on where to drop. Auclair was happy to make the interception against his old team.
When I asked about the interceptions, Riders Head Coach Corey Mace said Masoli has seen a lot of ball so they were mixing up pressure and coverage and disguising different shells and he was maybe calling some things they wouldn’t expect to see in certain situations.
While the defence played a strong game it was an Ottawa mistake that was the biggest defensive play. Redblacks receiver Keaton Bruggeling dropped a perfect pass in the end zone in the fourth quarter that would have moved the Redblacks to within two points of the Riders.
Rider defensive tackle Micah Johnson said dropped balls take the wind out of offence. By the time Ottawa had regrouped they were down 26-9 and the game was decided.
All was not perfect. I noted to Mace that there were three misconduct penalties, unnecessary roughing and facemasking penalties. He replied those are the “bads” the team will have to fix and he was sure they would have a “nice conversation” about the penalties.
It was a good afternoon at Mosaic Stadium, the only afternoon game of the year. I wish there were more afternoon games but with only 27,676 tickets sold I doubt there we will see an increase in afternoon games next year.
Bill Selnes, who’s based in Melfort, has written about the Saskatchewan Roughriders since the late 1970s. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, Football Reporters of Canada wing on Nov. 24, 2013.
