Blue and Gold ready to do battle

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This article was published 27/06/2017 (3031 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders shared the CFL’s worst record in 2016, winning just five of 18 regular-season games. But after another major overhaul in the off-season — a large chunk of the team’s 46-man roster is made up of new faces — many around the league believe the Riders are primed for a turnaround season. Some even have them competing for a playoff spot in a heavily competitive West Division.

A big part of those early predictions comes from an upgrade on offence. Of all the recent additions, it can be argued the biggest splash has come at receiver. Lacking a punch on the offensive side of the ball — the Riders finished the 2016 campaign either at the bottom or close to it in every offensive category, including fewest points scored and fewest passing touchdowns — Saskatchewan went out and inked two of the biggest names at receiver in free agency.

First, they signed former Montreal Alouette Duron Carter, a perceived hothead, but who if properly handled can be one of the best deep-threat receivers in the CFL. Then, less than a month later, they inked Bakari Grant, a seven-year CFL veteran most recently with the Calgary Stampeders and who, when healthy, is a serious threat in the red zone.

These additions only boosted a group that already consisted of Naaman Roosevelt, a 1,000-yard receiver despite playing just 11 games last season, and non-import Rob Bagg, another veteran of more than eight seasons with 4,300 receiving yards to his name. Even with Bagg currently out of the lineup, the Riders didn’t seem to miss a beat with former University of Manitoba Bisons receiver Nic Demski, who caught seven passes for 87 yards in a 17-16 loss to the Alouettes in Week 1.

Add that all together and the Bombers’ defence is in for a tough first test.

“They’re a fast, exciting group over there in Saskatchewan,” Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said Tuesday following practice at Investors Group Field. “They’re all going to be good tests. We have to be prepared to outwork our opponent and do that in practice and in meetings, too.”

“You just have to be well prepared for a threat like that,” said defensive back Chris Randle. “The margin of error isn’t as big, the gap isn’t as big when you have talent that good. But if we’re sound in our communication and making sure we have our assignments, if we put emphasis and focus on that, then we’ll be OK.”

The Bombers are coming off a year in which the defence led the CFL in interceptions with 30, a major factor in boasting the best turnover ratio among their peers with a plus-29 mark.

But even those gaudy numbers came at an expense, with the Bombers also allowing the most yards against.

The Bombers want to shake the label of a bend-but-don’t-break defence, understanding an improvement is necessary if they hope to build off a promising 2016 season in which they finished the year 11-7 and earned a playoff berth for the first time since 2011.

Though many of the pieces have returned this season, others from last year’s prolific unit won’t be available on Saturday, either released (Terence Frederick) or out with injury (Bruce Johnson). Brandon Alexander and Roc Carmichael, both of whom impressed the coaching staff throughout training camp are prime candidates to fill the open spaces.

But as strong an impression Alexander, 23, and Carmichael, 29, have made thus far, playing with two new pieces in any unit on the field can create a ripple, especially early on. Just because they have excelled in practice doesn’t mean it will automatically translate to a game.

“Practice is practice, yeah, but for the most part we’ve got them up to par,” defensive back T.J. Heath said. “Even though they’re considered rookies, a guy like Roc has played professional football for a while. He has grasped the concepts and understands the communication out there a lot faster than most. For the most part everyone is getting on the same page.”

“Hopefully we can limit big plays while also making big plays.”

To succeed in both, the defence will also have to contain a familiar face in quarterback Kevin Glenn.

The Bombers acquired Glenn in a trade with Montreal midway through the 2016 season, bringing him in to be a reliable backup behind Matt Nichols after Drew Willy was shipped to the Toronto Argonauts in a separate deal.

Glenn, in his second stint with the Bombers — he also wore Blue and Gold from 2004-08 — saw action in just one game, completing two of four passes for 16 yards.

When the Bombers and Glenn differed on his role and dollar value, he was issued an early release. Shortly after, he signed with the Riders to become their No. 1 pivot.

“He’s a good player who deserves to be a starter. That was one of the reasons why he wasn’t here — he had a better opportunity to play,” O’Shea said, when asked if he felt there might be an advantage to having had him in Winnipeg recently.

“Every guy wants to play. Is it an advantage to us having him here? I don’t think so. He’s put enough film together to know what he’s about.”

Glenn, 37, has played for eight of nine CFL teams over his 17-year career, with the lone exception being the Edmonton Eskimos. In his 2017 Riders debut, he finished the game 31-for-44 passing for 298 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

“All the experience in this league one can have, he has it,” Randle said of Glenn. “We got to play defensively sound as a unit or else he’s going to pick us apart.”

Not only will the Bombers have to compete with Glenn and a steady crew of receivers, they will also have to battle what will be a raucous crowd.

With the game set for Canada Day and marking the official opening of the new Mosaic Stadium, the energy will be just as high as the stakes.

“It’s definitely going to be a challenge but it’s going to be a fun one,” Heath said. “The bigger the stage, the better.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @jeffkhamilton