In recent years gets off to a 1-6 start, a city obsessed with football can get a little nasty When a team that’s made a habit of being in the Grey Cup.Being told that he wasn’t getting any more than 10 per cent until the team started winning there’s the story of one Saskatchewan Roughrider, accustomed to a 20 per cent discount at his favorite restaurant in good times.
Where everybody wears green on game day and everyone is completely puzzled and frustrated by the team’s awful start these are dark days indeed on the Prairies. The Riders, who came within four points of winning the Grey Cup last November, and it has been awful are last in Canadian Football League in offense and defense.
Mainly because they get so many opportunities because opponents have been scoring on them so often one of the few categories they lead in is kick return yardage. The week before Marshall cited last week’s loss to Calgary, where the offense finally got moving but the defense coughed up 45 points and the defense played well but the offense was non-existent. It’s the same lament emanating from the Argos, if that sounds familiar, who not coincidentally are also 1-6.
But it has to be more to it than that. Rider woes may go no further than the Canadian Air Force receiving corps that terrorized opposing defenses last season. Andy Fantuz, decided to try his luck with the Chicago Bears The league’s top receiving. With a knee injury Then Robb Bag was lost for the season.
The offense hasn’t looked the same With two-thirds of the team’s vaunted Canadian receiving corps gone and import Cary Koch lost to injury. Which so far hasn’t been up to the task that has put more pressure on the defense.
Wish that Fantuz will return once the Bears starts making cuts things are so bad quarterback Darian Durant has talked openly about his. Which certainly would help that could happen soon.
But right Thursday night, what would help most is a win at the Rogers Center?