Maas ready to help revamp Riders’ offence
Free-agent frenzy came and went with the Saskatchewan Roughriders standing pat. No big names added and nothing game-changing roster wise was added in the open market.
What the Riders really hope puts them over the top this season is their coaching staff.
Head Coach Craig Dickenson decided it was time to move on from offensive coordinator Stephen McAdoo, and with Jason Maas available after being let go by Edmonton, the Riders were aggressive in bringing one of the more successful offensive coaches into the fold.
Maas was careful early to not say that major changes are needed, being respectful of McAdoo’s offence and the job Cody Fajardo did as a first-year starting quarterback.
But the Riders know what they want out of Maas and that’s more than what we’ve seen in Saskatchewan and out of the Riders’ offence as of late.
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Fajardo may have led the league in passing last season, but with all the quarterback injuries, the passing game actually ranked fifth overall, with yardage closer to the team in eighth than they were to the team in fourth (Maas’ Eskimos).
The Riders’ passing game in the last two years with McAdoo is best to be described as ‘safe.’
There wasn’t a lot of risks and equally not a lot of rewards. The Riders have thrown for only 29 touchdowns over those two years while also being among the league’s best at not throwing interceptions.
The problem is they’ve put a lot of pressure on the defence.
A slight uptick in offensive explosion and the Riders could have been a 13- or 14-win team in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
There is no doubt that Maas will bring a different philosophy.
The former CFL quarterback has had offences rank in the top three of total yards in every season he’s been a coordinator, going back to 2015.
Maas will now be tasked to get more out of Fajardo in his second year as the man under centre for the Green and White.
Fajardo should benefit from having Maas around. Maas has been described as an incredibly positive and encouraging coach by former players.
Fajardo may be the most positive and encouraging human being you may ever meet.
Maas allows his quarterback to have much more freedom to use his instincts and natural ability. It’s why you saw Trevor Harris on a pace to obliterate his career-best in passing yards. When you look at Mike Reilly‘s numbers under Maas compared to Stephen McAdoo (who also preceded Maas in Edmonton), they are night and day.
Heck, look at Reilly without Maas last year in his first year in BC.
An underappreciated signing by the Riders in free agency was James Franklin. The 28-year-old will add to the impact of the new OC. Maas will only have so much time with Fajardo every day to get him ready, while Franklin — who worked with Maas for two years — will be able to reinforce the vision in the quarterback room.
But Maas won’t only get more out of Fajardo. I’m certain the receivers will be excited about the possibility of the quarterback stretching the field a little more.
Shaq Evans can look at Brandon Zylstra and Duke Williams’ seasons in 2017 and 2018 and see himself as the CFL receiving leader.
Jordan Williams-Lambert, who returned from the NFL last season but wasn’t utilized, has the body type and ability to become a top target once again.
Kyran Moore has more to give the Riders’ offence as he approached the 1,000-yard mark last year. The speedster could be tasked a little more to stretch the field.
But the one player I’m more interested in seeing with Jason Maas is running back William Powell.
Powell finished No. 2 in rushing last season but there are plenty who believe he was actually underutilized at times, especially in the passing game.
Maas is more than willing to bring the running back out of the backfield, with C.J. Gable touching the ball 18 times per game last year, compared to 14 by Powell.
Saskatchewan Roughriders running back William Powell celebrates a touchdown with Shaq Evans (1) and Kyran Moore (85). (The Canadian Press)
When you look at the above, you can see why Dickenson would chase Maas to try and take the next step in Saskatchewan.
Much of Maas’ critics, myself included, have been focussed on him as a head coach. He’s lacked wins in the playoffs and he’s shown many times to have frustration boil over.
You can’t be too critical of his offensive prowess, however. There were flaws in Edmonton last season with the inability to score touchdowns in the red zone — they kicked the most field goals in the league. But to ease those concerns, Maas’ Eskimos led the league the previous year in red-zone offence, while the Riders ranked dead last.
So while the Riders didn’t necessarily upgrade their offence on the field. There is more than enough proof they’ve improved their chances with a switch up on the sidelines.
