Ferguson: Riders questions answered in dominant ESF win over REDBLACKS

Marshall Ferguson

CFL.ca

@TSN_Marsh

Coming into the Eastern Semi-Final the Saskatchewan Roughriders had many questions surrounding them.

Some were more pressing than others. The question of whether or not Duron Carter would take snaps at cornerback on defence for the fourth-straight week was intriguing, but really didn’t change the game plan where as the question of which Riders quarterback would take the lions share of snaps had a direct impact on the way both Ottawa and Saskatchewan prepared for Sunday’s playoff showdown.

Once the game kicked off we quickly learned that Kevin Glenn would not only be a starter but go the distance for the third time this year against the Ottawa REDBLACKS. Glenn was 4-4 with a touchdown on the opening drive of the game which set the tone for all things Riders.

Despite a quick two-play answer from Trevor Harris and Diontae Spencer to make the score 8-7, this game was all Riders in both feel and score.

The Riders moved the ball effectively most of the afternoon without asking Glenn to beat the world. They would only require 18 completions from Glenn but those included a couple of REDBLACKS back-breakers including a pair of second down frozen ropes which sliced through the REDBLACKS defence with a confidence that confirmed Glenn was not going to leave the field anytime soon.

Marcus Thigpen played the star for Saskatchewan rushing the ball 15 times for 169 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown mid way through the third quarter which felt like the final nail in Ottawa’s 2017 coffin.

The Rider’s established the line of scrimmage early in the afternoon and despite a few lapses in dominance, controlled the trenches as the sun fell behind TD Place Stadium.

As the shadows grew longer so did the faces of fans, players and coaches wearing red and black.

The REDBLACKS were made one dimensional in their attempt to start another memorable Grey Cup journey as Saskatchewan’s front seven eliminated the threat of running back William Powell who ended the night with eight carries for 50 yards. That was well below his average from the final four games of 2017’s regular season.

Once Powell was a non-factor, the REDBLACKS turned solely to their quarterback in hopes of leading a comeback. Trevor Harris, in his first ever CFL playoff start, set a playoff league record for attempts in a single game with 60 but would be forced to do so under less than accommodating circumstances. The REDBLACKS offensive line held their own but Harris’ favourite second down target Brad Sinopoli was out with injury and Greg Ellingson wasn’t himself after tweaking a knee in the second quarter.

Those two average a combined ten second down pass targets per game and without them other players were put into new situations at the season’s most critical point.

In his first post-season start, Trevor Harris wasn’t able to lead his team to victory (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)

When Jake Harty left with an injury, the REDBLACKS ratio and receiver depth became stretched to the brink of disaster which didn’t help Harris.

The REDBLACKS and offensive coordinator Jaime Elizondo tried everything they could to kick start the offence. A faster tempo to end the second quarter. A big emphasis on run early in the third quarter. Using a less than healthy Ellingson as decoy to draw attention away from Harris’ true target.

Some of it worked. You can’t throw for nearly 500 yards and have nothing work, but it was too little too late from the offence which needed to be flawless in the second half if Ottawa had any chance to get their raucous crowd back onto their feet.

In the final minutes of the game, after Harris who is set to be a free agent this off-season threw his second and final touchdown of the game, Elizondo walked out onto the playing field, grabbed his quarterback who battled through a shoulder injury much worse than most truly understand and spent a good twenty seconds speaking to the leader of the REDBLACKS offence in a way that had little to no chance of being about anything x’s and o’s related.

After that embrace Rick Campbell refused to stop coaching and would continue to make blunt decisions in hopes of creating another miracle on Bank Street.

“Go for it,” he told Elizondo after a second down incompletion.

“Take a shot here,” he requested with the clock ruling late in the fourth.

“Onside team get ready,” he warned the sideline as kicker Brett Maher attempted an extra point.

Ottawa ended the game the way they started it. Battling back into a contest they would never lead. Saskatchewan earned the right to take another step towards the Grey Cup and will now embrace the irregular schedule of a West team staying East to compete for the right to stay East even longer.

Irregular for most, but Saskatchewan already won games in back-to-back weeks this year at Ottawa and at Toronto.

Anything is possible.

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