Matt Smith/CFL.ca
REGINA — Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive lineman Zack Evans is prepared for what’s likely going to be a tough, head-to-head matchup against Toronto Argonauts running back James Wilder Jr. this weekend at BMO Field.
“He’s one of the best running backs in the league and if he gets on fire, he gets on fire,” Evans told Riderville.com. “If he doesn’t, we can kind of tame him a little bit.”
While Wilder is dangerous in the backfield, he’s also a threat when he gets out of it. The last time the Riders and Argos played each other this season back in Week 1, Saskatchewan held Wilder to just 16 yards on five carries but he was able to catch 68 yards on four passes.
“That’s what makes him so dangerous, right?” said Evans, when asked about Wilder’s ability to catch and run the ball. “You don’t have to hand him the ball off, you can use him as a back out of the backfield and still gain five, six yards.”
RELATED:
» Buy Tickets: Saskatchewan at Toronto
» CFL Insights: Riders taking new approach to scoring
» Watch: Jones sees room for improvement in all phases
» O’Leary: Carter ‘can’t wait to get out there’ with Argos
The Riders will be looking to contain James Wilder Jr. and the Argonauts run game this weekend at BMO Field (Matt Smith/CFL.ca)
It’s almost been a year since the Riders and Argos matched up in the Eastern Final, but that loss is still in the back of Saskatchewan’s mind.
While collecting over 100 all-purpose yards during the game, Wilder also had a pivotal play for Toronto, one that defined their season and propelled the Argos to their eventual Grey Cup victory. On third and five on the last drive of the game, Ricky Ray threw a pass to Wilder with just over a minute left on the clock. That third down conversion helped set up the Cody Fajardo’s one-yard touchdown to seal the 25-21 victory.
“Last year when we played him in the playoffs he played a significant role,” Jones told members of the media after practice on Wednesday. “You have to do a great job of tackling him because he’s a guy that’s very much like the back we just saw, his feet don’t ever stop.”
Not only with the Riders defence have Toronto’s run game to keep under control, they have to keep the aerial attack on the ground.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson has played in five games this year, connecting on 110 of his 174 passes for 1,316 yard, eight touchdowns and three interceptions. To go along with the usual suspects that Bethel-Thompson can throw to, the Argos will likely have Duron Carter in the mix this week, adding a deep threat to stretch the field.
“I know they’re averaging 375 yards a game,” said Jones. “I do know that, since he’s (Bethel-Thompson) been in there playing. He’s a lot like Ricky in the fact that he knows where to go with the football. Back foot hits the ground and he throws an extremely good ball, doesn’t seem to get overly rattled when he does get pressure.”
After going on a four-game winning streak, the Riders are coming off a loss to the Ottawa REDBLACKS. They won’t dwell on that, however, as Evans says they’re just focusing on looking forward to Toronto on Saturday.
“Obviously we had a hiccup last week but that doesn’t stop us,” stated Evans. “We have a short memory and we move on to the next week.”
– With files from Riderville.com
