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12 Audibles: Are the Riders channelling the Raiders?
Welcome to another 12 Audibles, our regular look at what's going on around the CFL. This time around, we start in Saskatchewan, where...
1. The Roughriders are going full renegade. The Riders have been in the news quite a bit recently, between the $60,000 fine (and $26,000 cap hit) they took for "compromising the reputation of the CFL" with their "pre-practice squad" of players, their $15,000 fine for violating the ratio rules against B.C. by not playing enough Canadians, their $5,000 fine for standing on the midfield logo during pre-game introductions against Calgary, and head coach and general manager Chris Jones' reported "win with some class" comments to Stampeders' head coach Dave Dickenson following Saskatchewan's 19-10 loss to Calgary Saturday. The organization in general, Jones in particular, and many of their fans don't seem too bothered by the spate of violations, though, with many adopting more of an "everyone's out to get us" mentality and criticizing the league's punishments for some sort of agenda. Consider what Jones and quarterback Darian Durant said after practice Tuesday, as reported by Rod Pedersen:
Jones was further asked if his football team is being more-closely scrutinized by the Commissioner's office than the other eight CFL clubs.
"Some people have brought that to my attention; that some other teams have done some things and maybe it goes unnoticed but the league does what they do," Jones continued. "I'm not gonna sit here and comment negatively and have them fine us again because that's exactly what'll happen, right? So you'll have to ask Jeff and find out exactly what's going on in Mayberry."
...Quarterback Darian Durant told reporters after Tuesday's practice that the team has adopted an 'Us Against The World' mentality of late.
"Of course," Durant revealed. "I got a fine as well. I really do think that's the mentally we have to take because for whatever reason, they're after us a little bit."
That kind of "us against the world" reaction has been seen before in football circles, recently by the New England Patriots in the wake of Deflategate (and to a lesser extent, in the wake of Spygate and related scandals, but the team took more responsibility and apologized more there), but perhaps even more notably with some of the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders teams run by the late Al Davis. (Like Davis, too, Jones also embraces a black-heavy, sunglasses-heavy wardrobe.) For much of their existence, the Raiders embraced the role of renegades and antagonists, fighting battles with the league on a number of fronts. At times, it worked very well, especially during the era where they were coached by John Madden (Peter Richmond's book Badasses is an excellent description of that time). The renegade approach really only works if you're successful on the field, though; Davis' "Just win, baby!" motto summed that up perfectly. So far, Jones' Riders haven't achieved that, posting a 1-6 record to date and getting outscored 138-233. However, this does serve as...
2. A solid distraction.Yes, some patience was always going to be necessary with this team, given their massive coaching, front office and roster overhaul, and yes, there has been some limited progress in Saskatchewan. Saturday's game had a pretty strong defensive performance against a very good Stampeders squad. There are still major issues with this team, though, particularly with an offence that's scored a total of 25 points over the last two weeks despite Durant's return, and they haven't consistently improved over the course of the year. The controversies may be somewhat of a nice distraction from the numerous on-field problems for Jones, with many in Saskatchewan talking about how the league is out to get them rather than the Riders' on-field struggles. Another convenient distraction?
3. The media war. The CFL media world is quite small, and it's highly unusual to see prominent faces in it dueling publicly. That's what happened this week, though, with Pedersen (the CKRM radio host, CFL.ca columnist and Riders' play-by-play voice) bashing Justin Dunk (who writes for Sportsnet, 3 Down Nation, and CFL.ca) and Scott Mitchell (who writes for Postmedia's Calgary papers) and their reporting on the roster fines and Drew Edwards (who writes for The Hamilton Spectator and edits 3 Down Nation) firing back. Here's the key part of what Pedersen wrote Monday:
However first, in my opinion, the Roughriders did get off easy in the arena of public opinion on the roster fine. If the Riders were guilty of such a sophisticated scandal as reporters Justin Dunk and Scott Mitchell alleged (of housing, feeding and paying non-roster players), they surely would've faced far more-significant sanctions.
However none of that was brought up by the CFL on Thursday in their decision.
The Roughriders could seriously look at action against Dunk and Mitchell if those cavalier accusations are proven to be false. Rider President Craig Reynold's (sic) assertion on Friday that no non-roster players were being paid aligns with what I knew of the situation.
Another thought which bounced around my head was, "We're sure lucky Arash Madani is at the Olympics in Brazil right now" because the Sportsnet reporter loves scandals like these and takes no prisoners when it comes to exposing the truth. But it's Canada. The minimum effort will suffice.
And the key part of what Edwards shot back Tuesday, in a piece entitled "Pedersen's criticisms of Dunk unfair, unfounded":
On Monday morning, Saskatchewan Roughriders play-by-play man Rod Pedersen levelled a number of accusations at 3DownNation deputy editor Justin Dunk. While I’m loath to engage in media beef – which can often be tiresome – as the managing editor of 3Down and the person responsible for bringing Dunk on board, I feel compelled to respond.
First, let me say this: I stand by our reporting of the Saskatchewan Roughriders roster hijinks last week, which included the initial tweets from Calgary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, details from Darrell Davis on the number of players the Riders had at practice on a regular basis and Dunk’s subsequent follow up that the team was housing and paying those players. Additionally, nobody from the CFL or the team has raised concerns with me about the validity of our stories.
Furthermore, Dunk’s reputation for accuracy and integrity is impeccable. I’ve known him personally for five years and worked with him closely for the last 18 months or so: in his time with 3Down, we’ve never had to correct or retract a single one of his reports. Justin and I work closely together to make sure the reporting that appears on 3Down is fair and accurate and his commitment to be right above all else – including being first – is paramount.
Pedersen refers to Dunk’s reporting, and that of Post Media (sic) reporter Scott Mitchell, as “cavalier accusations” and offers this nugget in defence of that statement:
“Rider President Craig Reynold’s assertion on Friday that no non-roster players were being paid aligns with what I knew of the situation.”
This would indicate that Pedersen knew the Riders were utilizing non-roster players in contravention of CFL rules but chose not to report that information. To assert Mitchell and Dunk, reporters working for competing news organizations in different locations would fabricate similar stories is laughable. Toronto Star reporter Chris O’Leary also tweeted that he’s heard similar reports about extra players being paid and housed. Even without other journalists corroborating Dunk’s report, his work is strong enough to stand on its own.
While I recognize Pedersen strives to maintain a close working relationship with the Saskatchewan organization and serve his pro-Rider fan-base, it is unfair to criticize those willing to provide more objective reporting. If Pedersen wants to rile up Rider Nation because it’s good for ratings, that’s fine, but he shouldn’t do so while questioning the integrity (sic) other members of the media.
There's also a whole debate over Dunk reporting draft picks ahead of their announcement on television (which Pedersen praised at the time and is criticizing now), and Pedersen shooting back that "Hamilton media are still mad I scooped them on Kent Austin and Henry Burris. Selective of what they report, just like they're accusing me of," but that's the main gist of it. It's certainly notable to see prominent CFL media figures go at each other in public like this, and it adds some extra fuel to the fire this week when Hamilton hosts Saskatchewan Saturday. That should be an interesting game to watch in general, especially for...
4. Zach Collaros. Collaros' return to practice a few weeks back was notable enough to lead 12 Audibles, and his long-anticipated return to game action Saturday against the B.C. Lions was certainly impressive. Collaros and the Ticats struggled early, and trailed 32-12 at the half, but they managed to work all the way back to tie the game 38-38 before B.C. won 45-38 after a final touchdown. In the second half, Collaros looked more like the star most expect him to be, and he finished with 331 passing yards and two touchdowns on the night. His 60 per cent completion rate and one interception could use some work, but having him back under centre seems like a great boon for Hamilton. We'll see if he can keep that going Saturday. Another important part of the Ticats' comeback was...
5. Brandon Banks. Banks provided the crucial 10-point swing that got Hamilton back in Saturday's game, returning a missed field goal by Richie Leone 125 yards for a touchdown. He wasn't really noticeable on offence this week, recording no receptions and one carry for two yards, but he also contributed 41 yards on four punt returns and 63 yards on two kick returns. Banks leads the league with 625 kickoff return yards and 249 field goal return yards, and he also has 285 punt return yards. He continues to be the most dangerous returner in this league, and performances like this certainly might make teams think twice about attempting long field goals against Hamilton; if they miss, it's very hard for the bigger blockers on the field to track down Banks. Meanwhile, another special-teams player who deserves some attention was on the other side of Saturday's game....
6. Jason Arakgi. Guys who play mostly on cover teams don't always get much publicity, but it's a very valuable skill, and Arakgi has proven excellent at it. He recorded three special teams tackles Saturday, which gave him 184 for his career, tying the CFL record set by current Blue Bombers' president Wade Miller. The 31-year-old Arakgi has had an excellent CFL career so far, sticking with the Lions since they drafted him out of McMaster in the third round in 2008, and he even was named the West Division's top special teams player in 2009 (extremely rare for a cover guy). He's been an unsung hero for B.C. over the years. A Lions' player who gets much more attention, but is deserving of it with his recent play, is...
7. Jonathan Jennings. Just how the 24-year-old Jennings would play was one of the biggest questions about the B.C. Lions this year, and while he's had ups and downs, he's generally been very impressive. That continued against Hamilton, especially early on. Jennings did make mistakes in the second half, and he has had some poor moments this year, but he showed impressive composure to rebound after the Ticats tied the game and lead a perfect final drive that he capped with a touchdown pass to Emmanuel Arceneaux. He finished the game with 306 passing yards, his fourth straight game with 300-plus (which puts him in an exclusive club with Doug Flutie, Casey Printers and Dickenson, the only other quarterbacks to do so for B.C.), and he tossed three touchdowns against one interception. The 62.5 per cent completion rate he posted could still use improvement, but on the year, Jennings has been quite impressive. His 2,048 passing yards are third in the league, he has a 64.2 per cent completion rate, and he's tossed 11 touchdowns against five interceptions. He's proven to be a very reliable option for the Lions. Another quarterback who's having a great year is...
8. Mike Reilly. Reilly also threw for 300 passing yards (exactly) this week, leading Edmonton to a 23-12 win over Montreal and posting a 64.4 per cent completion percentage along the way. He's leading the league with 2,481 passing yards, he's posted a 68.6 per cent completion mark, and he's thrown 11 touchdowns against four interceptions. He's also rushed 35 times for 141 yards and a touchdown. The Eskimos are only 3-4 on the season, but Reilly has been a key part of the success they have found, and he might be a strong candidate for Most Outstanding Player if he keeps this up. Another quarterback who's doing well is a former Edmonton teammate of Reilly's...
9. Matt Nichols. Nichols has found a lot of success with the Blue Bombers since replacing Drew Willy as their starter, leading them to three straight wins, including a 34-17 win over Toronto this past week. Nichols was more solid than outstanding in that one, throwing for 246 yards with two touchdowns and an interception as well as a 60.7 per cent completion rate, and a lot of the Bombers' credit needs to go to Andrew Harris (who had 123 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries) and to the defence (Kevin Fogg in particular had two interceptions, four tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery, and he was named the league's top player of the week), but his play under centre has been a big part of Winnipeg's turnaround in general. He's also shown exceptional chemistry with Clarence Denmark, who the Bombers only signed ahead of last week's game; Denmark had seven catches for a career-high 195 yards and two TDs Friday, and earned a nod as the CFL's second player of the week. The Bombers have now won three straight and improved to 4-4, and they seem headed in the right direction. There are more questions about...
10. The Argos. Yes, Toronto's 4-3 on the year, but they seem to be in some trouble without Ricky Ray. Logan Kilgore played acceptably in his first start two weeks ago, a 23-20 win over Ottawa, but fell apart this week. He threw for 303 yards and a touchdown, but completed just 59.5 per cent of his passes, and most disastrously, tossed five interceptions. Backup Cody Fajardo was better in relief, completing three of four passes for 55 yards and a touchdown and rushing four times for 27 yards, so there might be some question about who starts for the Argos when they host Edmonton Saturday. Even if Kilgore starts again, he may be on a short leash. There are also questions about Toronto's attendance issues so far at their new home of BMO Field; maybe those will get a boost Saturday with an interesting opponent and a ticket promotion that ties into the ongoing Canadian National Exhibition (which is right there), but maybe they won't. One big way to improve attendance might be to improve their play at home; so far, the Argos are 1-3 at BMO Field, and their losses have come by 22, 10, and 17 points. That's a hard product to get people excited about. Another team with difficulty getting its fans excited is...
11. The Alouettes. Montreal is 2-5 on the season, has scored a league-low 130 points, and has lost two straight games. The Alouettes' only wins have come over struggling Saskatchewan and over a Winnipeg team that started the year very poorly. The practice-moving gas leak last week felt like an appropriate metaphor for the potentially-flammable disaster this team appears to be, and things might get worse; receiver Duron Carter, who's been one of their few bright spots (albeit a controversial one), may finally have his suspension applied this week. A big question for Montreal is how long they'll stick with Kevin Glenn at quarterback; he hasn't been the only issue, but he's certainly underwhelemed, and they have young guys with potential waiting in the wings, including Rakeem Cato and Vernon Adams. The Alouettes' defence has been good, but their offence has been putrid, and Glenn really struggled in their 23-12 loss to Edmonton last week, throwing for 271 yards with no touchdowns, two interceptions and a 56.4 per cent completion mark. If he plays poorly in the early going against Ottawa this Friday, we'll see if there's a hook forthcoming. The quarterback on the other side is also worth watching, and that's...
12. Henry Burris. Burris' initial return to the Redblacks' lineup was a terrible performance in a loss to the Argos, which prompted criticism of him from many quarters and led to him telling the TSN panel to "shove it" two weeks ago against the Eskimos. He looked much better in that game, though, completing 66.7 per cent of his passes against Edmonton and throwing for 341 yards and two touchdowns (with an interception). (So, hey, maybe telling off people works better if you then back that up with a good performance; Saskatchewan should take note.) Ottawa had a bye this past week, which should have given Burris even more time to settle back into the swing of things, but he is going up against a pretty good Montreal defence Friday night. That side of the clash should be well worth watching.
Thanks for reading 12 Audibles! Stay tuned to 55-Yard Line for CFL coverage all week long, and come back here next Tuesday for the next installment of this column. You can also contact me with feedback on Twitter or via e-mail. Enjoy the games this week!
