12 Audibles: Does Mr. Jones know what's happening in Saskatchewan?

Welcome back to 12 Audibles, our weekly look at 12 stories from around the CFL. We start this week off in Saskatchewan...

The Saskatchewan Roughriders' new era under head coach and general manager Chris Jones was one of the most talked-about storylines of this offseason, and the hype for their first regular-season game under Jones was maybe the largest story heading into Week Two (thanks to the team's opening-week bye). Jones' regular-season debut and the Riders' home opener fell flat from a Saskatchewan perspective, though, with the team falling 30-17 to the Toronto Argonauts Thursday. That's perhaps to be expected, given...

1. The scale of the transition. As mentioned in our West Division preview, the Roughriders brought in not just a new head coach and GM in Jones, but also an almost all-new coaching staff (mostly those who followed Jones from Edmonton), and they turned over a massive amount of their roster too. It takes time to adjust to any of those changes on their own (new GM, new HC, new coaches, new players), and combining them all together likely will take even more time. However, that doesn't mean that the Roughriders' overall performance Thursday night can be disregarded; it's a loss that counts in the standings, and it's one that provided some concerning signs for the future. There's something happening here, but the key question is...

2. Does Chris Jones know what it is? The column title this week, and this question, is a reference to Bob Dylan's famed "Ballad of a Thin Man," which includes the repeated chorus "Because something is happening here/But you don't know what it is/Do you, Mister Jones?" The most common storyline around the song is that it's about journalist, teacher, and filmmaker and professor Jeffrey Owen Jones, who as an intern at TIME interviewed Dylan ahead of his memorable electric performance at the Newport Folk Festival; Jones later told Rolling Stone "I resented the caricature but had to admit that there was something happening there at Newport in the summer of 1965, and I didn't know what it was." At the time, he hadn't fully caught on to how Dylan, music and culture were changing. With the Roughriders, there are also massive changes going on, and the important thing is if there's enough evidence that Jones is on top of them and has them headed in the right direction. A big on-field question there comes from...

3. The Roughriders' vulnerability to big plays. Jones has made his mark in the CFL based on aggressive, blitz-heavy defences, a hallmark of the work he did as defensive line coach in Montreal, defensive coordinator in Montreal, Calgary and Toronto, and head coach and defensive coordinator in Edmonton. That's often worked out very well: Jones has won four Grey Cups (one with each of those teams) and appeared in three more (all with Montreal), and he's had excellent defensive units with each of those squads. However, Jones' unusual blitz packages require both great defensive familiarity with the playbook and  each player's (oft-changing) responsibilities and great defensive talent that can fit his scheme. The former may come with time, but the latter is either there or it isn't.

The biggest problem with a pressure-heavy defence is what happens if the blitzes don't get home. The numbers game means that sending blitzers makes your downfield coverage weaker, and that can let opposing quarterbacks take advantage. On Thursday, the Riders were exceptionally vulnerable to big plays, including this Ricky Ray toss to a wide-open Vidal Hazelton:

If these issues are just about playbook familiarity, they should improve with time. However, there are also reasons to be concerned about the Riders' defensive talent level, especially in the wake of...

4. The Shawn Lemon trade. The Roughriders signed Lemon with a lot of fanfare this offseason, and there were reasons to think he could be a nice addition. He had great seasons in Calgary, left for the NFL, fit in pretty well with Ottawa down the stretch last year after returning north of the border, and had numerous teams reportedly bidding for him in free agency. Lemon came in with a high contract and a lot of hype, especially considering that he was replacing fan favourite and controversial offseason cut John Chick, and the Riders promoted him as one of the new faces of the franchise. For whatever reason, though, Lemon seemed to fall out of favour in camp and the preseason, and he was demoted to third-string on the depth chart ahead of Thursday's game.

Lemon reportedly was unhappy and asked for a trade, so the Riders' decision to send him to Toronto Saturday (funnily enough, the Argos actually stayed in Saskatchewan following Thursday's game so they didn't have to return to the east ahead of Friday's game with B.C., so Lemon was practicing with them at the Riders' stadium Sunday) makes some sense, and while the return (offensive lineman Matt Sewell and quarterback Mitchell Gale for Lemon and a conditional 2018 draft pick) wasn't necessarily great (update: it may be even worse, as Sewell has retired; thanks, @DoubleBlueBlog!) it's about the best that could be expected given Lemon's contract and stated unhappiness (which might have forced Saskatchewan to cut him otherwise). This situation still doesn't look good overall for the Riders, though. This wasn't the typical turnover of ditching old-regime players for new ones: Lemon was signed by Jones. Maybe lesser-heralded (and thus, cheaper) defensive ends Jonathan Newsome and A.C. Leonard outperformed expectations and made Lemon expendable, and maybe this will work out well for Saskatchewan, but it's odd to see a new GM's prized signing gone after just one game. This could work out well for...

5. The Toronto Argonauts' resurgence, though, as that team seems to be trending upwards. They struggled in Week One with a 42-20 loss to Hamilton, but their 30-17 win over the Roughriders Thursday was impressive. Perhaps even more impressive was that it came with an underwhelming showing from Ray, who did connect on those big plays, but only completed 13 of 22 passes (a 59 per cent mark that's exceptionally low for him) for 189 yards. This team has often lived and died by quarterback play in recent years, so it's reassuring that they bounced back in a tough road environment with key contributions elsewhere. New defensive coordinator Rich Stubler showed off the bend-but-don't-break defence that's been a huge success for him throughout his CFL career, with his unit particularly buckling down in the red zone and forcing Saskatchewan mistakes (such as a fumble that Matt Black returned for a touchdown), and the special teams came through with big plays such as an opening kickoff return from Larry Taylor. Lemon gives Stubler yet another defensive weapon, and while the Argos already had impressive defensive ends in Ricky Foley and Justin Hickman, it will be interesting to see how they use their new addition. Their next test comes Friday against...

6. The surprising B.C. Lions. The Lions entered this year as a team that looked likely to struggle, but they pulled out a 20-18 home win over a good Calgary side in Week One and then delivered this week's most impressive performance, a 28-3 road thumping of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Friday. Their defence was particularly strong, picking off Hamilton QB Jeremiah Masoli twice and holding the Ticats to 248 passing yards and 49 rushing yards. They also showed off a solid rushing game, with Jeremiah Johnson in particular collecting 76 yards on 12 carries. The passing game still needs a little more polish, but Wally Buono's return to the sidelines has gone very well so far. However, the Lions' dominance raises questions about...

7. The Ticats' Jekyll-and-Hyde showing. Hamilton looked like the CFL's best team in Week One and like its worst team in Week Two. Which is more accurate? The bet from here is that it's probably the Week One showing, as there was plenty that went wrong this week that won't necessarily repeat itself every week (the wind's effect on the offence and special teams, B.C.'s strong defence, and more), but the most concerning thing for the team has to be Masoli's play. With Zach Collaros on the six-game injured list, this was Masoli's time to shine, and he did very well in the playoffs last year and in Week One against Toronto. The performance he turned in Friday won't cut it, though, and he might have to start watching out not just for Collaros' return, but for backup Jeff Mathews. We'll see how Masoli does Thursday against Winnipeg. Another CFL quarterback who might have to start looking over his shoulder is...

8. Kevin Glenn. While the biggest storyline out of the Montreal Alouettes' 28-13 loss to Ottawa Thursday was Duron Carter's bump into Redblacks' head coach Rick Campbell (and subsequent ejection and one-game suspension), Glenn's performance also deserves a look. He completed 26 of 41 passes (63.4 per cent) for 259 yards with a touchdown and an interception, a long ways behind the 332-yard, 71 per cent numbers he put up against Winnipeg in the Alouettes' opener. Granted, part of his numbers taking a hit was about his receivers, as Montreal lost receiver S.J. Green early (to what turned out to be a season-ending knee injury) and then Carter following his ejection. Still, Glenn underwhelmed this week, and given that there are plenty of quarterbacks behind him (particularly Rakeem Cato and Vernon Adams) and that he'll have to play the next game (against Hamilton in Week Four following a bye) without Green or Carter, there could be a rocky road ahead for him. That's not the case for his opponent this past week,

9. Trevor Harris. Harris shone in Week One as a replacement for the injured Henry Burris, earning a Shaw Top Performer nod (in the second slot), and he picked up the first slot this week after completing 20 of 26 passes (76.9 per cent) for 390 yards and three touchdowns in his first start for the Redblacks. Ottawa's offseason move to get Harris is looking smarter and smarter with Burris on the six-game injured list, and there may even be a QB controversy when he returns if Harris keeps playing this well. Another member of the Top Performers list this week comes from the team Harris and the Redblacks face Friday, Calgary running back...

10. Jerome Messam. After being arguably underutilized and definitely ineffective in the Stampeders' Week One loss to B.C. (seven carries for 16 yards, one catch for eight yards, ignored at the goal line in favour of QB sneaks that didn't work), Messam got the ball much more in Calgary's home opener against Winnipeg Friday, and he made it count. He picked up 137 yards on 16 rushing attempts, an impressive 8.6 yards per carry. Messam both broke big plays (including a 53-yarder) and was consistently effective between the tackles, in stark contrast to...

11. Andrew Harris. Winnipeg's big free agency acquisition struggled against Calgary on the ground, collecting just 13 yards on eight carries. He did well as a receiver, leading the team with 87 yards on nine catches, but needs to produce more in the ground game. The Bombers' offensive struggles weren't all his fault, as quarterback Drew Willy was largely inaccurate until the fourth quarter and the passing game wasn't able to open up holes for the run, but Harris will have to be better if this team's going to dig out of its 0-2 hole Thursday night in Hamilton. Also looking to turn things around this week will be...

12. The Edmonton Eskimos. Granted, Edmonton's 45-37 season-opening overtime loss to Ottawa wasn't all that bad in the grand scheme of things (and was partly running up against a great team), and the Eskimos are only 0-1, so things aren't as desperate for them. Still, there are concerns for the Grey Cup champions, and some of them are thanks to the turnover from Jones and almost his whole staff leaving for Regina. Edmonton has talented people in place, including defensive coordinator Mike Benevides, but it will take time for them to adjust to this roster. The defensive side of the ball is a particular worry, as the team was so dominant there last year, but was shredded by the pass in Week One, with Burris and Harris combining for 543 passing yards. There are also numerous injuries for them to deal with. The bye the Eskimos had this week should help, but we'll see how much it helps Friday when they host the Roughriders and their old coach. Both Jones' new team and his old team could use a defensive turnaround. We'll see if either gets it this week.