I was shocked and stunned leaving Mosaic Stadium after the B.C. Lions beat the Riders 42-5, but after watching the Calgary Stampeders dismantle the Riders to a tune of 40-3, I am just downright choked as should be everyone else.
When the team hands out paycheques this week, the players should really give them back because they don't deserve it---at least 90 percent of them don't. There weren't many positives in what was a second straight disastrous effort by a football team that has seemingly for whatever reason pulled the chute.
If you heard the Rider Roundtable on 620 CKRM after the game, I went on a rant after this performance. I won't repeat everything that was said, but here's the gist of it. Like the father of a teenager, there is a time when the kid screws up so bad that you yell and tear them a new one. It doesn't change your love for them, but you send them a message that you have had enough. We've all done it and parents, you know what I'm talking about.
The defence was an absolute disaster. Yes, its two best players--Lance Frazier and Jerrell Freeman--went out with injury, but there was no emotion, no fire, no energy, no nothing. It was embarassing to watch. You have to tackle guys to be successful and the attempts on Jon Cornish to bring him down were pathetic. I have seen RMF players try harder. They were as tough as a croissant.
Charleston Hughes should send Dan Goodspeed a thank you card when he wins lineman of the week honors. Goodspeed was horrible and was owned by Hughes all afternoon. Alex Gauthier had a rough time of it and its become painfully obvious that a new center is needed as Marc Parenteau can not be depended on to deliver a good snap to the quarterback. When the Riders got schooled in Toronto in what was Greg Marshall's last game, I texted Rob Vanstone asking how many times had Parenteau not delivered what I would call a good snap to Darian Durant. He has cost this team with bad snaps three times this year if not more and on all three occassions, the team's fortunes have gone south. The Riders didn't look good and were hanging on as they drove into the Calgary end down 9-3 in the 2nd quarter. A bad snap by Parenteau arguably cost the team a touchdown because Durant had to pull it down and as a result allowed the defensive back to break up a pass to Chris Getzlaf in the endzone. On the next play, there was a turnover as Hughes sped around the slow of foot Goodspeed causing a fumble. turned into a turnover and while Darian Durant fumbled it around on the Hughes touchdown at the end of the first half, he wouldn't have had to if the snap had been clean. You just can't have that 13 games into a season. How many bad snaps did Jeremy O'Day have during his career as a Rider. I can't think of one!
The players didn't want Greg Marshall. They made that evident. They wanted Ken Miller and while they played for him for three weeks, they now have embarassed the man. Miller stood up for his players this week by deflecting criticism that they were flat. How can he be protective of his squad after that effort? If they weren't flat, they certainly didn't play to the level that they had to win.
This team is now basically down to its last life. If they soil the linen in Edmonton on Thanksgiving Monday, it will be time to blow up this team and start giving some youth a chance to get ready for 2012. It was asked what players would be the core for 2012 during the roundtable. Looking at the roster right now, here goes.
--Best, Butler, Dressler, Durant, Fantuz, Frazier, Freeman(I expect him to be NFL bound), Getzlaf, Hughes, Koch, Neufeld, Patrick, Shologan, West, Hutchins, Clark, Sisco, Chris Graham. Some guys like Cates and Makowsky aren't on here because of age and the future. I'm not advocating that Cates be sent adrift, but his age is a factor and I would love to see Makowsky keep playing, but I think his days are done especially if he becomes an MLA at the beginning of next month.
Jim Hopson must be seething after this one and can you blame him? Those that blame Hopson for this mess are misguided as far as I'm concerned. While Miller is to take some blame for the hiring of Marshall, one has to wonder now if Marshall was indeed the problem. He certainly was a factor, but it is now crystal clear that this team needs to take a good look at its personnel and make some moves. I don't envy Brendan Taman or whoever is the GM next season. That statement is not meant to be an indictment on Taman either. I just don't know what direction Hopson turns in and right now, I don't know if he knows either.
As John Lynch said, we need to know what happened with this team from the end of GC 2010 to the start of training camp because something did when it comes to the players----but what?
12 comments:
I don't think I've ever seen a professional football team play that badly over a two week span. Miller must be wondering what exactly he got himself into. I had promise, now I look towards 2012.
Trevor
Great rant tonight Scruff! You nailed it!
When will someone in the media come out and say Durant has regressed and now is nothing greater than Nealon Greene lite? Who's gonna do it. Jonesy, Meyers, Nye, Vanstone? Will Pedersen have the balls to anger the "star" quarterback. What about you Scruffy! Can't you guys see that Durant is just as big a problem as everyone else?
You hit the nail on the head there. I was a huge Durant fan coming into the season but he has shown himslef to be selfish, sulky, and uncompetitive this year. Having said that, the offensive schemes, formations and routes are mindbogglingly simple and predictable...what on earth do these guys do all week at practice?? And how Parenteau even started this week is ridiculous...I dont remember any of my pee wee centers snapping the ball over the QBs head in the last two years, I dont even know how he could do that?? Anyway, they dont need to wait until Edmonton...2012 training camp starts today as far as I am concerned.
I have had faith all year that we would make the playoffs and have stood behind the team as others were falling off the bandwagon. Now I am convinced we need to build for thie 2013 grey cup.
The only theory I have come up with today for the change from last year to this year is they are tired of going to the grey cup. Hopefully I am wrong on that one
Put a fork in them the 2011 edition is done
Hopson is the problem. He hired Miller and created this Organizational Structure that has led to the demise of this football team. He also hired Taman. How he goes unscathed by the Regina media is beyond me. He must have pictures or something.
When Makowsky decided to run for MLA being a Rider was his ticket to office. Now, it may be an impediment.
Goodspeed and Parenteau should sit next week after that effort. How is DD supposed to do anything when he can't even get a decent snap?
To anonymous who thinks its time to get on Durant's case. If Tom Brady or Anthony Calvillo or any decent quarterback had an o-line that looked like ours yesterday, he wouldn't be able to do squat. Pathetic doesn't even start to describe what we have seen the last two weeks.
Blame starts at the top and Hopson sits at the top. He may have gotten this team to a championship level, but he got all moralistic and fired the GM that brought us to that level. It has come tumbling down like a house of cards and that is right on Jim.
Ryan
Ryan - you were not paying attention last year. Tillman RESIGNED. It was he who put himself and our team in an impossible situation. Listen again to Tillman's detailed reasons for his decision to resign as GM in an interview with Jamie Nye. Please don't twist the record, move on from the past and think about where the team should go from here.
IF Durant could handle a snap, or the ball in general, without giving it away, we wouldn't even be looking at Parenteau. He's not the problem.
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