Keys To A Win In Regina!!
Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:41 pm
It's a sellout in Regina for this first place match up between our Leos, who are in first place and the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who are one point behind in the standings. The crowd will be pumped as we invade enemy territory!!
A big win in Regina and we move ahead by 3 points and a loss and we drop back into second place. This game is huge!! The last time we played in Regina this season we needed to use Dickenson, Pierce, and Jarious Jackson but won the game 42-14 as our defense came up with six turnoves. However, we lost to Saskatchewan in the return match at home, as Jarious started his first game and we went with our only shaky offensive game plan of the season..in what was an uninspired performance.
The pressure is mounting in Saskatchewan as the team has not had a home playoff game since 1988. Things looked good early for the Riders this season but it's gotten tougher lately. Austin is upset, yelled at his players for their lack of intensity against Calgary, and vowed this week to look at everything from coaching strategies to the defensive line and backfield to the quarterback position. Sounds like Austin was trying to rattle a few chains!!
The big key to this game will be to get up early!! If that happens the pressure mounts and the doubt creeps in! However, if the Riders get off to a great start the Riders crowd will be a wave that could carry the Riders to new heights. Let's have a closer look to the keys to this game!!
OFFENCE
Big games are won in the trenches!! In order to win this game, The Wrecking Crew will need to play huge, aggressive, and smart!! Saskatchewan will be determined to stop our running game, especially inside. They have two tough defensive tackles in Jurineack and Shultz but they aren't playing against 'fat sassy pigs'....they are playing against a dominating offensive line. Still, we have to move them and they will be psyched to shut the inside down.
Wally chose to go with Jarious Jackson in this game as our starter, even though Buck is healthy now! Jarious has inspired confidence in Wally! He's played smart and continues to grow in confidence. He doesn't throw for high percentage but he's dangerous, mobile, and can hurt a defense in a split second. I always believed that Jarious could get the job done, once he got enough game reps. This is only his fifth start in comparison to Buck's, who has started 12 games for our Leos. The butterflies and nervousness are leaving and he''s gaining confidence each game. He has to put the last game against Saskatchewan out of his mind because he's a much different quarterback now!
However, in a big game for first place we'll still have to throw the football successfully to win. If we can establish the running attack it will set up play action and make the passing game much more effective. If not, it could be a much tougher battle for our offence. The key, of course, is shutting down Fred Perry and Jason Jiminez, who will draw Perry the most and Rob Murphy will need to establish superiority over Perry and not allow him to get to the quarterback.
I've always believed that quarterbacks get too much credit for victories and too much abuse for losses! Give a good quarterback enough time to throw and receivers who can run disciplined patterns and create space away from a defender and a quarterback can impress in the passing attack. The key to this game, in the passing game will not be Jarious Jackson but the time we provide him and the play of our receivers. Jarious can deliver if they can get open and make plays!
However, that hasn't happened nowhere near enough this season. Sloppy patterns and cuts, along with too many dropped balls have hurt our offence at times! This is a game that Geroy needs to continue the momentum he began last game. Paris Jackson and Jason Clermont need to continue their fine play but also step it up by making every catchable pass. We need to continue to go to Rodgers, to integrate him into our passing attack and he needs to have his best game of the season. Finally Boden, if given the nod, needs to show that he can step up into his new role and show he belongs. I've always felt sorry for Bret Anderson. Whenever called upon, no matter what the situation, he has always come through. If given the chance to get some reps, I'm confident he'll do that again!!
DEFENSE
Kent Austin fooled everyone this season by coming out with a running game. That running game took a major step when he got Wes Cates from Calgary and I still can't understand what they were thinking by trading him. The keys to this game are to take away the Riders strengths on offence. Those strengths are 1) Wes Cates who hurt us badly last game with his running 2) contain Joseph and don't let him escape to buy time or take off with the football and 3) shut down Dominguez.
Of course the Riders have other weapons....Fantuz is a tall, big target, D.J. Flick is dangerous, Cory Grant is slippery, and Cory Holmes can hurt a defense in space!
However, shutting down those big three weapons on the Riders offence are the key! The question is how to do that?
First of all, we have to have a strong game from our front line against both the run and the pass, with Hunt and Williams playing strong inside. We also have to prevent Cates from getting some huge gains. How would I do that? I would go with Jamal Johnson inside and bring in another import linebacker for this game, with Simmons gone! If not I would really crowd the inside with our three linebackers on first down and force Cates wider, with our defensive backs having to come up hard to stop the wide run.
On passing downs I would spy Joseph with a fast linebacker and even change them up but we have to have Jamal Johnson or Floyd on Joseph to prevent him from running or escaping with time to throw..it's how he hurts a team. Keeping him in the pocket, with no chance to run up inside, takes away his strengths.
Thirdly, Dominguez is a big, tough, physical receiver and they will line him up against Washington or Glover and try to use his size to an advantage. I think we would be wise to use press coverage on him and play him tight, with help over the top!! We also need to disguise our coverage on him. look to jump his short routes, and get Joseph guessing and tentative.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Special teams are always important but in a game against two talented teams they can be the difference maker! Great downfield coverage has been there all season and there can be not letdown! McCallum usually plays his best in big games...he was purrfect in the playoffs last season. Wally needs to forget punting when we are in McCallum's range and let him place kick and not get too conservative. Winners go after it!! Finally a couple of big Smart runs could be differnce makers!
Finally we have to send Gainer the Gopher back to his hole so that he can suffer a little hypothermia under a frozen prairie plain!!!!
A big win in Regina and we move ahead by 3 points and a loss and we drop back into second place. This game is huge!! The last time we played in Regina this season we needed to use Dickenson, Pierce, and Jarious Jackson but won the game 42-14 as our defense came up with six turnoves. However, we lost to Saskatchewan in the return match at home, as Jarious started his first game and we went with our only shaky offensive game plan of the season..in what was an uninspired performance.
The pressure is mounting in Saskatchewan as the team has not had a home playoff game since 1988. Things looked good early for the Riders this season but it's gotten tougher lately. Austin is upset, yelled at his players for their lack of intensity against Calgary, and vowed this week to look at everything from coaching strategies to the defensive line and backfield to the quarterback position. Sounds like Austin was trying to rattle a few chains!!
The big key to this game will be to get up early!! If that happens the pressure mounts and the doubt creeps in! However, if the Riders get off to a great start the Riders crowd will be a wave that could carry the Riders to new heights. Let's have a closer look to the keys to this game!!
OFFENCE
Big games are won in the trenches!! In order to win this game, The Wrecking Crew will need to play huge, aggressive, and smart!! Saskatchewan will be determined to stop our running game, especially inside. They have two tough defensive tackles in Jurineack and Shultz but they aren't playing against 'fat sassy pigs'....they are playing against a dominating offensive line. Still, we have to move them and they will be psyched to shut the inside down.
Wally chose to go with Jarious Jackson in this game as our starter, even though Buck is healthy now! Jarious has inspired confidence in Wally! He's played smart and continues to grow in confidence. He doesn't throw for high percentage but he's dangerous, mobile, and can hurt a defense in a split second. I always believed that Jarious could get the job done, once he got enough game reps. This is only his fifth start in comparison to Buck's, who has started 12 games for our Leos. The butterflies and nervousness are leaving and he''s gaining confidence each game. He has to put the last game against Saskatchewan out of his mind because he's a much different quarterback now!
However, in a big game for first place we'll still have to throw the football successfully to win. If we can establish the running attack it will set up play action and make the passing game much more effective. If not, it could be a much tougher battle for our offence. The key, of course, is shutting down Fred Perry and Jason Jiminez, who will draw Perry the most and Rob Murphy will need to establish superiority over Perry and not allow him to get to the quarterback.
I've always believed that quarterbacks get too much credit for victories and too much abuse for losses! Give a good quarterback enough time to throw and receivers who can run disciplined patterns and create space away from a defender and a quarterback can impress in the passing attack. The key to this game, in the passing game will not be Jarious Jackson but the time we provide him and the play of our receivers. Jarious can deliver if they can get open and make plays!
However, that hasn't happened nowhere near enough this season. Sloppy patterns and cuts, along with too many dropped balls have hurt our offence at times! This is a game that Geroy needs to continue the momentum he began last game. Paris Jackson and Jason Clermont need to continue their fine play but also step it up by making every catchable pass. We need to continue to go to Rodgers, to integrate him into our passing attack and he needs to have his best game of the season. Finally Boden, if given the nod, needs to show that he can step up into his new role and show he belongs. I've always felt sorry for Bret Anderson. Whenever called upon, no matter what the situation, he has always come through. If given the chance to get some reps, I'm confident he'll do that again!!
DEFENSE
Kent Austin fooled everyone this season by coming out with a running game. That running game took a major step when he got Wes Cates from Calgary and I still can't understand what they were thinking by trading him. The keys to this game are to take away the Riders strengths on offence. Those strengths are 1) Wes Cates who hurt us badly last game with his running 2) contain Joseph and don't let him escape to buy time or take off with the football and 3) shut down Dominguez.
Of course the Riders have other weapons....Fantuz is a tall, big target, D.J. Flick is dangerous, Cory Grant is slippery, and Cory Holmes can hurt a defense in space!
However, shutting down those big three weapons on the Riders offence are the key! The question is how to do that?
First of all, we have to have a strong game from our front line against both the run and the pass, with Hunt and Williams playing strong inside. We also have to prevent Cates from getting some huge gains. How would I do that? I would go with Jamal Johnson inside and bring in another import linebacker for this game, with Simmons gone! If not I would really crowd the inside with our three linebackers on first down and force Cates wider, with our defensive backs having to come up hard to stop the wide run.
On passing downs I would spy Joseph with a fast linebacker and even change them up but we have to have Jamal Johnson or Floyd on Joseph to prevent him from running or escaping with time to throw..it's how he hurts a team. Keeping him in the pocket, with no chance to run up inside, takes away his strengths.
Thirdly, Dominguez is a big, tough, physical receiver and they will line him up against Washington or Glover and try to use his size to an advantage. I think we would be wise to use press coverage on him and play him tight, with help over the top!! We also need to disguise our coverage on him. look to jump his short routes, and get Joseph guessing and tentative.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Special teams are always important but in a game against two talented teams they can be the difference maker! Great downfield coverage has been there all season and there can be not letdown! McCallum usually plays his best in big games...he was purrfect in the playoffs last season. Wally needs to forget punting when we are in McCallum's range and let him place kick and not get too conservative. Winners go after it!! Finally a couple of big Smart runs could be differnce makers!
Finally we have to send Gainer the Gopher back to his hole so that he can suffer a little hypothermia under a frozen prairie plain!!!!