October 2, 2017

Steinberg’s MMQB: Richardson a low-risk move

Indianapolis Colts

Trent Richardson is the latest high-profile former NFL’er to make his way north of the border in recent times. Richardson officially signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders last week and I honestly have no clue how successful the union will be. I do know the Riders have had trouble running the ball, though, and Richardson might be able to help them in that regard.

With next to no risk, and potentially a nice payoff, it’s tough to be against Saskatchewan’s latest addition.

No-lose situation

I’m fully aware of the reasons Richardson might not be successful with the Riders. He hasn’t had a professional touch since the 2014 season with the Indianapolis Colts and hasn’t been on a pro roster since August of 2016. No one is going to suggest Richardson doesn’t have some hurdles to clear.

However, there’s a flip side to all of this, too. Richardson is finally going to get a chance to play for the first time in almost three years. For a guy who washed out of Indy, and wasn’t able to catch on in either Baltimore or Oakland, you’d think a chance like this would serve as the greatest motivation of all. And, a motivated Richardson might just be exactly what Saskatchewan is looking for.

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» More on Trent Richardson on The Waggle
» Analysis: Richardson can jolt Riders’ run game

» Riders come back to stun REDBLACKS

Trent Richardson could be set to make his CFL debut in Week 16 (The Associated Press)

Richardson’s resume is still pretty impressive after all, even knowing what has happened in recent years. In three years at the University of Alabama, Richardson won a pair of national titles, was a 2011 All-American while finishing third in Heisman Trophy voting that year, too. As such, the Cleveland Browns shocked no one when they selected Richardson third overall at the 2012 NFL Draft.

Richardson’s pro career wasn’t devoid of impressive performances, either. As a rookie in 2012, Richardson racked up 950 rushing yards, 367 receiving yards, and 12 total touchdowns to validate his high selection. Yes, that was the high mark of his time in the league, but it’s also proof he can excel amongst the best players in the world.

I’m not suggesting Richardson is set to turn back the clock upon his debut with the Riders. Instead, I’m just illustrating how high-level a player Richardson has been in somewhat recent memory. If this chance motivates him the way Saskatchewan hopes, there’s hope he can still make an impact.

I also think Richardson’s skill-set has the potential to be a really nice fit in the CFL. Going all the way back to his college career, Richardson has been an effective dual-threat tailback and caught 51 passes in his rookie season with the Browns. That’s an intriguing element knowing how effective backs like Andrew Harris, James Wilder and Jeremiah Johnson have been in the pass game this season.

The Riders are right in the teeth of a West Division playoff battle and they boast one of the more impressive aerial attacks in the league. However, with just 907 rushing yards, Saskatchewan is the league’s least effective team on the ground by a fair margin, especially with Cameron Marshall hurt.

Chris Jones’ Riders rank at the bottom of the league in major rushing categories (Matt Smith/CFL.ca)

As I said, I have no clue how well Richardson will fare as a member of the Riders. As much as I’m open-minded about the signing, I’m also aware of the difficult situation he’s in, having not been in game action for almost three years. If Richardson doesn’t work out though, Saskatchewan hasn’t risked much. If he does, well, they become that much more dangerous down the stretch, which isn’t a bad play when there’s almost zero risk.

Welcome to the party

That party, of course, is the 10-game win streak the Calgary Stampeders are currently on. And, in their 59-11 win over the Montreal Alouettes on Friday night, the Stamps had a new reveler taking part in the festivities. We got our first look at Terry Williams, and he seemed right at home as Calgary kept the party going.

In his first start, and just his third game, in the league, Williams rushed for 156 yards and three touchdowns on just 16 carries in place of the injured Jerome Messam. It was the type of performance that made you wonder where the Stampeders keep finding these guys.

Williams’s path to Calgary was not the typical one traveled. Williams played two years of junior college football in Arizona before joining Kutztown University for two years of NCAA Division II football in Pennsylvania. Undrafted out of college, Williams spent a few weeks with the New York Jets, but didn’t really get an opportunity until this spring.

Signed as a free agent in May, Williams impressed in a pair of pre-season games but only saw sporadic duty as a returner prior to Friday night. After watching his performance against Montreal, though, the Stampeders can’t be doing anything but smiling when it comes to their running options.


Buy Week 16 Tickets
» Friday, 8:30 p.m. ET: Hamilton at Winnipeg
» Saturday, 4:00 p.m. ET: Saskatchewan at Toronto
» Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET: Ottawa at BC
» Monday, 2:00 p.m. ET: Edmonton at Montreal


Messam’s starting job isn’t in danger by any stretch. The CFL’s leading rusher will be back at the top of the depth chart whenever he’s fully healthy, which isn’t something Calgary needs to rush. The Stamps have a bye week before taking on Hamilton on Oct. 13th and there’s no need to shoehorn Messam back into the lineup if he’s not 100 per cent good to go.

With Williams and returner Roy Finch able to hold the fort down at tailback, Calgary is in a pretty good position here. With Messam sitting out Friday’s win going into a bye, he’s got plenty of time to rest up before the Hamilton contest. If he needs a little extra time, though, you’d think the Stampeders would be more than confident giving Williams his second consecutive start.

Missed opportunity

Saturday night’s heartbreaker of a loss for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats stings now, and that sting might be felt for quite a while longer. The Ticats missed a golden opportunity in their 43-55 overtime loss to Toronto and it makes their playoff push for the remainder of the season that much more difficult.

Don’t get me wrong, that game was lights out on the entertainment scale. Give Ricky Ray, DeVier Posey, James Wilder and the rest of the Argos credit for executing with no room for error in the final stages of the fourth quarter. That was a thriller of a finish and a lot of fun to watch, unless you were cheering for the home side.

The Ticats seemed to be in total control with two minutes or so remaining. They had an eight-point lead, had just reeled in a Ray interception, and just needed to close things out. The fact they couldn’t could really end up hurting their playoff chances, especially knowing what the next few weeks have in store.

The Ottawa REDBLACKS lost a close one of their own to start off Week 15, as they fell 18-17 to the Riders to really open the door for Hamilton. With the crossover very much in play, only the top two spots in the East Division are set to qualify for the post-season.

Well, Toronto holds down one of those spots comfortably while Ottawa is tenuously holding on to the other. Had Hamilton been able to close out the Argos, that grip by the REDBLACKS would have been that much less firm. Instead, Ottawa didn’t lose any ground in its quest to solidify a spot.

With their win over the Ticats, the Argos have taken full control of the CFL’s East Division (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)

So what does the future hold? For the Tiger-Cats, the immediate road ahead looks rather treacherous. Hamilton has back-to-back extremely difficult games against the league’s two best teams. A road game in Winnipeg comes first against an opponent that hasn’t lost at home since early July. That’s followed by a home date with a Calgary team that’ll be looking for an 11th straight win. Suffice to say, the Ticats are in tough the next two weeks.

From there, Hamilton has a pair of games with Montreal, sandwiching what could be an all-important Week 19 visit to Ottawa. How important that game proves to be still remains to be seen, though.

The REDBLACKS have just three games to go: a trip to BC this week followed by a visit to Saskatchewan the week after. That’s followed by a pair of bye weeks book-ending the aforementioned showdown with Hamilton. A win in either of those two road games could end up being huge for Ottawa knowing how tough things are the next two weeks for the Tiger-Cats.

The injury situation for the REDBLACKS seems to be looking up, too, as both Trevor Harris and Drew Tate are on the mend at quarterback. The East Division’s playoff picture is far from locked, but it would have looked even more up for grabs had Hamilton closed things out on Saturday night.

Toronto’s win on the road was huge for them and a lot of fun to watch. For the team they beat, though, that loss might be one we look back on as a golden opportunity lost.