I have a late start with writing about the Saskatchewan Roughriders this year. Family matters meant last Thursday’s game against the Edmonton Elks was the first game I have attended this year.
A friend described the July 6 game, where the Riders won 12-11, to me as weird. I considered it ultra weird. For 57 minutes it was hard to keep interested as each offence could barely move the ball. Then the last three minutes exploded and somehow the Riders won.
For the first time in four years I was able to go into the locker room to do interviews. It was so frustrating in recent years being limited to two to three players and Coach Craig Dickenson at a podium. As usual Trevor Harris came to the podium but on Thursday night I was able to have conversations again with other players. I concentrated on the players involved in the pivotal plays of those last few minutes.
As the Riders went on the field for their final drive Trevor Harris said to the offence “I believe” and he backed up his belief.
Earlier in the game he had thrown an easy interception in the end zone. It was a fade route but the receiver was covered. He described it as a stupid decision and said he should have moved on from that receiver to another receiver.
On the final drive he was crisp and poised and manoeuvrable. Including the two-point convert he threw six passes. He completed five and the sole incompletion came from Sam Emilus dropping the pass.
At the Edmonton five, he looked to Mitch Picton, playing his first game as a starting wide receiver. He could tell the Elks were in man coverage and while the defensive halfback had pretty good position he could see Picton was open on the out if he threw the ball high and outside. His delivery was on time and perfectly thrown.
Picton said on the touchdown he knew there was a good chance the ball was coming to him. He managed to just freeze the defender enough to get a step when he broke it out and the ball was on the money.
On the two-point convert Harris said he went through three options. He could see Tevan Jones was covered on a whip route cutting in from the left and then pivoting out. Moving inside he saw Jamal Morrow was covered by the linebacker as Morrow went upfield. His progression then took him to Kendall Watson over the middle who came across free. He wanted to make sure the throw was at eye level or higher and the throw was perfect again.
Watson said he had a choice whether to break left or right over the middle depending on the defender. With the defender to the inside he gave a stutter to the right and the defender took a step forward. He then broke left and was open.
The kickoff after the touchdown moved the game into the surreal when Edmonton’s kick returner, C.J. Sims, casually gave up a single. Brent Lauther said he drove the ball to the right as the Riders like to go right on kickoffs. He gave it a little extra leg to give it more distance. He kicked the ball 72 yards in the air. He said they really do not practise that kick much. It is just one of the kicks in his golf bag. He aptly described the play as a bit of magic.
Dickenson said he usually tries to give his kick returners an idea on what he wants them to do on whether or not to give up a single. I am not sure what Chris Jones told Sims, if anything.
The Elks still had a chance until Nic Marshall made his second consecutive game ending interception.
Marshall said as the Elks lined up he was watching Dillon Mitchell. He saw him fidgeting with his gloves. From film study he had observed that when Mitchell was fidgeting with the gloves before the snap there was a tendency for the Elks to throw to Mitchell. Marshall jumped the route and made the interception.
I am looking forward to writing about the Riders for a 45th season.
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.
