CFL Regular Season

[TheLionKing]

REGINA -- The Riders have lost some games early in 2015, but one thing they haven’t lost is their confidence.

That much is obvious as the team enters its Week 5 matchup against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, a critical home meeting with a cross-division foe. The Riders have lost four games by a total of 12 points, including two in overtime, but realize the last thing they can do right now is lose their cool.

“I don’t think we’ve got time to let frustration set in,” defensive tackle Tearrius George told Riderville.com. “We have to keep working at it and get everything right that we need to get right.”


Glenn: 'We're right there'




“It’s not like we’re getting blown out. The scores are not 50-0. We’re fighting. We’re right there."

» Riders QB Kevin Glenn


“Getting frustrated will do nothing but waste time right now.”

George is right, the Riders have no time to lose, at least when it comes to getting back in the thick of things in the always-competitive CFL West Division. Teams have dug themselves bigger holes before and lived to tell the tale (like the much-talked about BC Lions in 2011, who lost five straight before winning the West and the Grey Cup), but the Green and White – they’re running out of wiggle room.

Can the Riders fix their defence? Is a coaching change needed? How can the team overcome the recent rash of injuries? So many questions, but Head Coach Corey Chamblin said the only questions his team needs to answer come from within.

“Stop trying to answer the questions from the outside and answer them from the inside,” Chamblin urged. “That’s what we have to do, because I’ve never cared who’s in that room – we have to be able to play solid football and winning football.”

“There are a lot of things going right for us but then there are a lot of things going wrong for us, we just have to make sure we continue to move forward.”

There is no doubt a lot of things going right for the Riders, and these have to be the focal point going into a tough matchup on Sunday. A league-leading offence led by the veteran Kevin Glenn; a dynamic rushing attack powered by lightning and thunder, Jerome Messam and Anthony Allen.

The reality for the Riders entering this weekend is that they do have the building blocks of a successful CFL team.

“It’s not like we’re getting blown out,” lamented Glenn, the CFL’s leader in passing yards with 1,228, nearly 250 yards clear of the next closest quarterback. “The scores are not 50-0. We’re fighting. We’re right there. We’re doing the right things. We just have to do the right things the majority of the time.”


“We have the talent,” the quarterback of 15 years’ experience added. “We have the talent to win in this league, we’ve just got to win. We’ve got to come back to the drawing board, check out the mistakes, fix them and look forward to next week now.”

Back to the drawing board may be the best way of putting it. If the Riders can devise a careful plan and make the subtle adjustments needed to win by three points instead of lose by three, there’s still time enough to accomplish anything.

Words like panic, frustration, disappointment and doubt simply aren’t part of Chamblin and his players’ vocabulary.

[Toppy Vann]

I hear nothing from Chamblin that suggests he has any clear ideas in the way of specifics.

Typically with a group this close to W's you'd expect the coach to be able to pinpoint a couple of specifics. Trouble is - the specifics the "outside" point out are his area of the team. Plus he's had tons of injuries.

[BC 1988]

^^^This

That's why this Sunday's game against HAM is so big for both teams--they are both injury riddled (HAM a bit more IMO). It's SSK's best chance to bump the slump.

Lose again at home, and "there has to be consequences". (But it might be at the DC position, not HC).

[TheLionKing]

Receiver Taj Smith will not play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders again this season. Head coach Corey Chamblin wouldn't say if he was released, only saying he is done for the year. Smith has just eight catches for 94 yards and one touchdown this season.

The Syracuse product is set to appear in court to face assault charges in December. Smith is accused of beating a man outside a Regina night club in 2013.

Receiver Ryan Smith has been activated from the 6-game injured list and defensive back Alex Suber agreed to terms. Receiver Seydou Junior Haidara was transferred to the 6-game injured list while linebacker Akwasi Antwi and defensive back Marrio Norman were released.

Eslewhere across the Canadian Football League:

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

With Greg Peach (lower-body) likely out for Week 5, it looks like Thad Gibson will start at defensive end against the Edmonton Eskimos.

Starting DT Bryant Turner (left thumb) is out again this week but will likely return with a playing cast next week.

While head coach Mike O'Shea understands the thought of bringing in a punter to take a load off of Lirim Hajrullahu's duties, he will remain the punter.

DB Moe Leggett came out of practice early Wednesday but told O'Shea he'll be fine. C Dom Picard came out of practice as well. He missed yesterday and is still battling a virus. Pat Neufeld (left ankle) filled in again today.

OL Jace Daniels (day-to-day, lower-body) returned after mousing Tuesday, but again it was Devin Tyler taking first-team reps.

While Thaddeus Gibson was the one taking first-team DE reps in place of the injured Greg Peach (out this week, lower-body), O'Shea said the entire D-line will continue to be a rotation — DE Gibson, DE Kashawn Fraser, DE Darrell Johnson, DT Jake Thomas, DT Nate Collins, DT Deantre Harlan. Seven D-linemen have made the 44-man for each game this year.

DB Demond Washington was a non-participant at practice but it was likely just a maintenance day.

Calgary Stampeders

Offensive lineman John Estes was added to the practice roster on Wednesday.

http://www.tsn.ca/roughriders-decide-to ... n-1.334586

[BC 1988]

Receiver Taj Smith will not play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders again this season. Head coach Corey Chamblin wouldn't say if he was released, only saying he is done for the year. Smith has just eight catches for 94 yards and one touchdown this season.

The Syracuse product is set to appear in court to face assault charges in December. Smith is accused of beating a man outside a Regina night club in 2013.

Receiver Ryan Smith has been activated from the 6-game injured list and defensive back Alex Suber agreed to terms. Receiver Seydou Junior Haidara was transferred to the 6-game injured list while linebacker Akwasi Antwi and defensive back Marrio Norman were released.

http://www.tsn.ca/roughriders-decide-to ... n-1.334586

According to Arash Madani, Taj Smith has had an MRI which revealed a knee injury, and he'll be headed to the 6-game Injured List.
http://www.rodpedersen.com/2015/07/taj- ... rs-in.html

[TheLionKing]

Ottawa RedBlacks defeated the defending champions Calgary 29-26 improving their record to 3-2. Jon Cornish suffered a broken thumb in the game.

[B.C.FAN]

Ottawa RedBlacks defeated the defending champions Calgary 29-26 improving their record to 3-2. Jon Cornish suffered a broken thumb in the game.

I'm sorry about Calgary's injury woes but the win is great for Ottawa, and a boost Calgary's rivals in the west. I watched a bit of the fourth quarter and OT on my phone at B.C. Place but I missed Calgary's OT possession where Mitchell was sacked and fumbled, allowing Ottawa to kick for the win on their first possession.

[TheLionKing]

Ottawa's win matched the total they had all last year.

[sj-roc]

Ottawa's win matched the total they had all last year.

They were 2-16 last year so at 3-2 right now they're actually already ahead of 2014.

[B.C.FAN]

Winnipeg QB Drew Willy left the Bombers game in Edmonton in the third quarter with an apparent right knee injury. Brian Brohm finished the game and went 9 of 19 with 2 INTs as the Bombers fell 32-3. They now must host the Lions Thursday after a short week of practice.

[Toppy Vann]

Winnipeg QB Drew Willy left the Bombers game in Edmonton in the third quarter with an apparent right knee injury. Brian Brohm finished the game and went 9 of 19 with 2 INTs as the Bombers fell 32-3. They now must host the Lions Thursday after a short week of practice.

But James Franklin tossed 3 TD passes in replace of starter Matt Nichols who was winning when he left the game (uninjured) and from the hi-lite reels and the TSN panel all this guy did was toss 3 TD passes. Granted he had shorter fields and better weather but you'd have to think only Wally and Mike B wouldn't give this guy another shot vs Jones who'd toss his mother under a bus to win. Well maybe not his mom but he 'd do what it takes to win and he'd toss Nichols.

Brohm proves WPG still has no back up while MTL and now the ESKS are proving there are gems out there.

[TheLionKing]

Bombers in a heap of trouble if Willy is out for an extended period. Brohm did not look good in relief.

[Toppy Vann]

Bombers in a heap of trouble if Willy is out for an extended period. Brohm did not look good in relief.

And guess what I just found on the 'net. Bombers must be really annoyed they passed on this guy if he did try out as he said he planned.

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/sport ... e0b0d.html

Maybe Esks had a tryout first? I do'nt know.

I started watching the Esks - Bombers but shut it down as it was a 7 am start and went back to sleep only to wake up to see hi-lites of James Franklins 3 TD passes and the consensus that Brohm can't play. Then in a google as to the background of this Franklin I find this:

Franklin, a current NFL free agent who threw for 6,692 passing yards and 51 touchdowns during four years as a Tiger, said he has become resilient to life's pitfalls and learned to emerge as a leader. In August, he was cut by the Detroit Lions, which Franklin described as a "frustrating experience."

"It's another obstacle in my path," Franklin said. "Through all the times I was with my teammates (at Missouri), they helped me understand that there's more to life than football, and that's OK."

So the chance in Detroit (NFL Lions) didn't work out in his favor, but Franklin said a new opportunity has risen, and it lies north of the U.S. border.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League are hosting tryouts at the end of September and in early October. Franklin said he's interested.

"I'm still training and hoping to get a call, but at the same time also trying to put myself in the best position for next year," he said. "If things work out, I'm going to get to go to that and try again next season for the offseason in the NFL, and if that doesn't work out, then try in the CFL if I have the opportunity."

His hi-lite reel post Missouri -

[B.C.FAN]

The TSN crew talked a bit about Franklin's background. Apparently he contacted every team seeking a tryout. Ed Hervey in Edmonton decided to give him a shot. I don't know if he was on a CFL neg list before that, or if Hervey was the first to claim his rights.

[WestCoastJoe]

Edmonton, under the leadership of the Chris Jones, is a bona fide contender for the Grey Cup.

279 yards passing. 9 receivers catch at least one pass.

101 yards rushing.

And Chris Jones is not supposed to be an offensive specialist. But IMO his ferocity as a DC carries over to the offence.

4 sacks on defence. They give up 234 total yards of offence to the Bombers. I like Jones' kind of defence, although his hostile attitude kind of grates.

Cauchy Muamba makes 4 tackles, with one sack.