Riders Pull out one Hell of a Game

One of these players is carrying this team. Hint: It’s #7/Saskatchewan Roughriders

What’s Next for these Riders?

Author: multimedia editor – brady lang

What a freakin’ game.

But, then again… Why were the now 9-3 Saskatchewan Roughriders even in the position to lose to the lowly Redblacks?

I know that now starting quarterback Tino Sunseri is young and he needed a few games to get into the swing of things, but that first half was embarrassing. Any team can beat any team on any given day – especially in CFL football – but Ottawa isn’t at all in the same echelon as the Riders.

The offense, defense, and special teams all equally sucked going into half time. I really wish that I could see what Rider Head Coach Corey Chamblin said to the team during halftime; it couldn’t have been something that younger fans could handle. When the team came out after half time, they seemed as if they were a totally different team. Lead by Weston Dressler—who was on a different level throughout the final two quarters and overtime – the team seemed to be fired up to a whole new echelon.

The Riders looked incredible in the second half. Sunseri was clicking with the receivers and looked Ricky Ray-esque when sitting back in the pocket. The receivers were stretching for balls that looked uncatchable to the normal fan. The only hit I’d take on the Riders offense was how invisible the rushing game was. They seemed to lack confidence and were no help to the young Sunseri.

Tearrius George was a beast in this game. He led the defense with three sacks and was a huge part of the Riders’ success in the second half and ultimately the win. To think that the Riders were down 22-10 at the end of the first half and were able to claw their way back into this one is exceptional. It really showed the real Riders team that we were missing not only in the first half of the Sunday game, but also the Hamilton Tiger Cats game in which the team lost last week.

What can we say about Weston Dressler though? He took control of the game and dismantled the RedBlack’s defense throughout the second half not only offensively but also in special teams. To be fair, this should be a week in which Dressler takes home not only offensive player of the week but also special teams player of the week. Dressler has emerged as the leader that the Riders have lacked since he went to the NFL and even more needed since starting quarterback Darian Durant went down with a torn tendon in his throwing elbow.

Now, we have to give credit where credit is due. The Ottawa Redblack’s shocked everyone with this outing and showed that they can compete in this league. They’ve been able to stick around long enough in games to gain a lot more respectability than their 1-10 record would indicate at first glance.

All in all, it will be interesting to see how the rest of the season pans out for both of these clubs. I’m still confident in my prediction of a Grey Cup rematch this season and as the season progresses it looks more imminent then ever.

It’s going to be a wild ride heading into November. Buckle up.