August 26, 2022

Ferguson: Moncrief displaying versatility in Riders defence

Matt Smith/CFL.ca

If there is one player worth giving the ‘iso cam’ treatment on the Saskatchewan Roughriders defence this season, a player worthy of locking in on above all other highly talented and entertaining options, it’s Derrick Moncrief.

The Prattville, Alabama native started with the Riders for a couple years as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State, a stint that played him onto NFL radars before he spent some time with the Raiders and Rams.

Moncrief returned to the CFL last year with Edmonton and signed on to play back in Regina this season. To watch him you’ll need two things.

  1. An appreciation for how many different positions he is playing.
  2. A good set of binoculars to find him each play.

Don’t go looking in the same spot, he won’t be there. 

Listed as the SAM, or strong side linebacker, Moncrief is a master of all trades in his veteran understanding of the CFL. With a six-foot-two, 200-pound frame and length that allows him to make plays both in the box and in pass coverage, the flexibility he allows defensive coordinator Jason Shivers is special.

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Moncrief had an interception in his team’s loss to the BC Lions last week (The Canadian Press)

Moncrief – and the ways he is being used – caught my eye last week against the BC Lions. While all focus was on Nathan Rourke’s injury, Garrett Marino’s return to play, and the chase of both clubs to keep up with Winnipeg atop the West division, Moncrief picked off Rourke, had a tip that led to Rourke’s second interception, and caused general mayhem all game long.

I went back and watched every defensive snap of the game only focusing on his usage. On his interception he tracked Lions receiver Bryan Burnham all the way across the formation before running with the All-Star pass catcher and bringing down the turnover. On Larry Dean’s interception, he again ran with Burnham on an out route into the short side of the field. He got a hit on Rourke very early on blitzing off the edge. He lined up at free safety with listed back end defender Mike Edem rolling down into the box several times. He even occasionally popped over to boundary halfback for a rep or two as the Riders gave look after look trying to confuse their star Canadian quarterback foe.

It wasn’t all roses and rainbows. He misplayed a ball in the air that allowed Burnham to make a spectacular one handed catch, was late reacting to a seam ball while playing deepest man in the green defence, and busted a coverage that – if Rourke had time – could have been catastrophic, but no defensive player in the CFL is being asked to do more from more positions than Derrick Moncrief in my opinion. 

If anyone is playing six different positions in a scheme and taking on the physical requirements of playing multiple different levels, near or far from the ball, I’d love to know about it.

 

What’s more, on film Moncrief is constantly directing traffic. He yells at Darnell Sankey to shift with motion, tells Pete Robertson to pinch down as he readies to fire off the edge against a fullback set, and is always waving at Edem to cover a certain spot or receiver so that Moncrief himself can handle his job.

The leadership, communication and physical attributes have created a player who is tied for the CFL lead with four interceptions while Dean and Sankey on the inside continue to rack up piles of tackles. The defence in Saskatchewan appears to run through Moncrief’s eyes, and the group as a whole is better off for having him.

With the Riders offence looking to find it’s footing a week after Cody Fajardo was pulled for backup Mason Fine, it will once again be the Riders defence tasked with creating positive momentum as BC welcomes in Saskatchewan for the Friday Night Football rematch.

Lock in on No. 42. You won’t be disappointed. 

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