‘We’ve got to learn to overcome’

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This article was published 17/09/2019 (2225 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The old sports adage goes something like, “You’re only as good as your record shows,” yet the Winnipeg Rifles can’t help feeling like the win-loss column is a bit deceiving.

The Rifles find themselves with a 1-3 record four weeks into the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) season, their latest loss coming on the road Sunday, when they mishandled the ball and got schooled on special teams in a 28-14 defeat to the host Edmonton Huskies.

The Rifles turned the ball over five times, while also surrendering two touchdowns on returns.

“I’m sick to my stomach. Honest to God, I got home at 11 o’clock (Sunday) night and slept probably about 45 minutes,” head coach Geordie Wilson said Monday.

“The thing with football is it’s so tough. You play basketball, hockey, baseball or curling — (if) you lose a game, it’s not the end of the world, you play another one in two days. Well, the problem in football is the importance of each game is massive because you don’t play a lot of them. It puts you behind the eight ball.”

Winnipeg is already at the midway point of its eight-game schedule, so it’s plain to see why the angst level is rapidly rising.

The Rifles’ lone win came in Week 2 as they stomped the last-place Calgary Colts 47-8. Contrast that, however, with three losses that have all been tough to swallow.

In the season opener, they met the mighty Saskatoon Hilltops, winners of eight out of the past nine national championships, and promptly committed seven turnovers in a 34-20 defeat.

In Week 3, third-year quarterback Riley Naujoks had the game of his life against the visiting Regina Thunder, completing 39 of 63 passes for 575 yards and a touchdown. The more than five dozen attempted passes was the second most in CJFL history, and his strong overall play earned him the league’s offensive-player-of-the-week honours. Yet the Herculean effort wasn’t enough as the Rifles lost 52-45 in overtime to the Thunder.

“The thing is, we’re certainly more than good enough, talented enough, that we could easily be 4-0,” Wilson said. “But we have a bad habit of consistently beating ourselves. We’ve got to learn to overcome. It’s not an effort issue. It’s not a talent issue. In a lot of cases, you have to know the down and distance, to know what’s going on and execute your job. That’s where we’re at.”

Lighting up the scoreboard hasn’t been a problem, as Winnipeg’s 126 points is second most in the six-team Prairie Conference. But taking care of the ball has been a different story, as the club has 18 turnovers in three losses.

“When you have those kind of numbers on turnovers, it’s hard to win a game. As well as the offence has played in the past, if you don’t have ball security, it (doesn’t mean anything),” Wilson said.

“Sure, Riley the previous week put up close to 600 yards passing, but who cares? If you throw two interceptions and have a fumbled snap and things happen, it doesn’t matter, right? But it’s not like all the interceptions are on him.”

Wilson is a big believer in his quarterback and has seen him take big strides from last season when he only started three games. But Naujoks has to do a better job at taking care of the football moving forward, he said.

“From a skill base, he’s the best quarterback in the league,” Wilson said. “He’s got the best arm. He can put the ball basically in any area of the field that we want him to throw it to. We just got to clean up some of the decision-making things.”

Naujoks and the Rifles welcome the Edmonton Wildcats to town on Sunday in a game that has major playoff implications. The Rifles and Wildcats are currently tied for the fourth and final playoff spot in the division. Despite desperately needing a win, Naujoks said the team can’t approach this week any differently.

“If you blow something out of proportion, it will make you more nervous,” Naujoks said. “I think a lot of it has to do with us getting our legs back under us. We suffered some injuries in Edmonton, so that’s kind of rough. But we have to keep moving forward and not let the importance of the game get too big for us.

“I think that’s a really big deal and it starts with me. I’ve been a little bit nervous going into some of these games, so I got to tone that down and be more of a leader for these guys.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31