Disappointment. That pretty much sums up my feelings after the first Rider game of the year. B.C. pretty much moved the ball and scored at will on Friday night. The defense has been the backbone of the team for years and that backbone could have used a chiropractor this week. I don't know why but the DB's were getting beat like rented mules all night long. No pass rush to speak of either. It was like they had our defensive playbooks and knew how to beat it. And the O looked shaky. No rushing game to speak of and KJ was out of sync with the receivers. And our O-line that is usually the best in the league looked like crap. Even a buddy of mine who is not really a football guy was shocked by the O-line play.
So that pretty much covers the basics of what was wrong. Add in a very questionable non-review call by Barrett and pretty much every phase of the game except for special teams stunk up the joint.
So will I jump on the "this season is toast" bandwagon? Not a chance. At least not yet. For those that don't know the CFL schedule is 18 games long. And 6 out of 8 teams WILL make the playoffs. Add in the fact that the new look O was only being practiced for just over a week and things aren't as bad as they appear.
The special teams looked pretty good this week. Congi went 2-3 on FG's and punted pretty good. Dorsey put up major all purpose yards, and I really wasn't a fan of his but I'm coming around. Matt Dominguez is back!! There was no rust at all out there. Jamal Richardson was hot and cold. He made a great catch and bobbled some others, but still caught them. I know he will turn into a real impact player this year. Jason Armstead was half a step away from highlight reel catches, but that half a step was an incompletion. He gets a few more chances like that and the whole offense opens up. KK was not used enough to know if he could have made an impact. He has amazing talent. Use it dammit!!! Kerry Joseph showed flashes of brilliance to go with some bad brain farts. But give him a week and the flashes will turn into a fire.
I won't touch on what the D has to do better. Because they are veterans and know what they have to do. Richie Hall is a very good defensive coordinator and he won't stand for another outing like Friday's. I'm not worried about the D, yet.
The coaching has to get theirselves together. The new coaches and the entrenched coaches have to get on the same page quickly. They have to gell just as much as the players do. And if they don't then we are in major trouble. But I won't jump on the "dump the coaches" wagon yet either. Danny has to step up and get his assistants behind him. Because they are the only ones who's opinion of his leadership matters.
It's early and I still believe this is a 11-7 team minimum. And I can't wait for Sunday. But having a long week to wait is a good thing for me. I hope we have cool nights all week so I can wear my Fathers Day present every night. My wife and kids got me a leather Riders jacket. Greatest gift ever!!! Greatest family a man could ever ask for.
And my last point for now. If you own a dog and walk it without a leash please take it to the Humane Society right now. Then maybe the dog will have a chance to live with somebody who really cares about it. Regina IS a city with lots of cars. And dogs are curious. If they see something across the street they will check it out. And maybe get hit. We have almost run over a few small dogs in town with idiot owners. If you want to take your dog off of it's leash there is a park for that near the Callie Curling Club.