Pack a lunch and buckle up. This is going to be a long, bumpy ride.
I鈥檓 not talking about this column, but rather the 2015 Saskatchewan Roughriders season.
Only four games in (two preseason, two regular season), this team has yet to taste the sweet sensation of victory. The winless exhibition season doesn鈥檛 mean much but you have to wonder what鈥檚 going on in the rookies鈥� minds, particularly after two close home losses to open the year (30-26 to Winnipeg and Sunday鈥檚 42-40 double overtime loss to Toronto).
Some must be thinking, 鈥淎re we a good team or not?鈥�
There鈥檚 plenty of reason to panic, yet it鈥檚 also far too early to do so. The Roughriders may be winless going into Week 3 but division mates Edmonton and B.C. can say the same thing while Calgary and Winnipeg are only a game ahead at 1-1.
The trouble is, the Riders don鈥檛 seem to be trending upwards in one key area: defence.
They gave up a whopping 470 yards to the Blue Bombers in Week 1 and may have trimmed that to 367 in Week 2, but it was disturbing that the Riders allowed Toronto quarterback Trevor Harris to mount a game-tying touchdown drive 鈥� starting from their own 25-yard line 鈥� with only 1:08 to go on Sunday afternoon.
A more aggressive defense was promised when long-time coordinator Richie Hall was shown the door last December. And yet this bunch has been anything but so far this summer.
However if you listen to the quotes coming out of the Roughrider locker room late Sunday afternoon, you鈥檇 swear the Riders had won the game.
鈥淎 lotta good signs in all three phases,鈥� Riders head coach Corey Chamblin told our CKRM postgame show. 鈥淲e gotta get points. We have to have points if we have 500 yards.鈥�
And with that, the finger was momentarily pointed at the offense. However the only really glaring thing quarterback Kevin Glenn can be accused of is the 100-yard pick six he threw to Toronto鈥檚 A.J. Jefferson at the 5:34 mark of the fourth quarter that brought the score to 21-18 Saskatchewan.
鈥淜evin wishes he had that ball back,鈥� Chamblin revealed after the game. 鈥淭he team tried to fight back but the mindset was different after that. Defensive points against are tough to get over.鈥�
It鈥檚 equally tough for the offense to watch from the sidelines as the other team marches the ball all the way down the field to tie the score with the game on the line.
We鈥檝e seen this Roughriders team play in unison like a finely-tuned orchestra at times during the golden era of 2007-2013. We鈥檝e also seen them scrap and fight like bar-room brawlers at times, too. One phase of the team covering for another on any given day to help secure the win.
Right now they鈥檙e not close to doing any of that, but it鈥檚 still extremely early and it鈥檚 clear Chamblin is doing his best to keep his troops upbeat. Now in his fourth season, his methods are very clear. If this team was 2-0 at this time, he鈥檇 be 鈥渞ipping them a new one鈥� in order to keep them humble.
鈥�(Chamblin) just said he liked our intensity, he loved our effort and we're that close,鈥� rookie linebacker Jake Doughty said of his coach鈥檚 postgame locker room speech. 鈥淲e're a couple inches away and we'll be a good football team.鈥�
Sophomore returner/receiver Ryan Smith was singing from the same hymn book, stressing the positives. With 174 yards on eight catches and his second touchdown score of the season, he had reason to.
鈥淥ur heads are held high,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淲e came out there fighting and that's all we can ask for. We came up a little short today but next week we'll be ready to go.鈥�
That next week showdown is this Friday night against the 0-1 B.C. Lions in Vancouver in a game I鈥檓 dubbing the Bad Blood Bowl. Lions offensive co-ordinator George Cortez was fired by the Riders following the 2014 season and has had little to say about it since. Meanwhile the Riders鈥� 45-year old kicker Paul McCallum was turfed by B.C. coming out of training camp three weeks ago and he鈥檒l be making his first return to B.C. Place.
Oh 鈥� I forgot to mention the Riders signed McCallum last Wednesday? At least the 23-year veteran was 4 for 4 against the Argos, allowing for some relief in the special teams area that ailed in Week 1.
So now in mid-July, we鈥檙e still trying to sort out what the 2015 Saskatchewan Roughriders are.
鈥� Rod Pedersen is the Voice of the Roughriders on the CKRM Rider Radio Network
