It’s hard to put a finger on exactly why the Saskatchewan Roughriders are struggling this year.
What is wrong with the Saskatchewan Roughriders?
How can a franchise that won the Grey Cup in 2007 and made it back to the final game the last two years fall so precipitously in performance?
If Ken Miller, the Riders’ vice-president of football operations, knew the exact answer he’d fix it right now.
Miller gave up coaching after three successful seasons to concentrate on the football operations role that he added to his duties last year.
But it hasn’t gone according to plan. The team is 1-5, tied for last in the West Division, under first-year head coach Greg Marshall. Quarterback Darian Durant isn’t playing with the same poise he has since becoming the starter in 2008 and some critics are laying the blame on offensive co-ordinator Doug Berry for keeping his pivot in the pocket instead of letting him run.
The receivers are dropping balls. The defensive line hasn’t created much of a push.
All and all, it has the Rider Priders concerned.
"I think we may have started the season with a sense of entitlement not remembering exactly the price you have to pay to be successful, that consistent effort that is required, and I think we may have underestimated a couple of opponents," Miler told sportsnet.ca in a phone interview. "But I think it’s a situation where we haven’t had a consistent effort that has been a tradition for us here in recent years."
On Monday, Miller dealt starting Canadian defensive lineman Luc Mullinder to Montreal for import receiver Dallas Baker. It isn’t often in the Canadian Football League that a team will trade a starting non-import to another team for an American player, particularly one who been a backup. Baker has a grand total of three receptions so far.
But the move has many layers, which may or may not come into play. The Riders are watching to see what happens with Andy Fantuz, who led the CFL with 1,380 receiving yards last year and was voted the Most Outstanding Canadian. He signed in the off-season as a free agent with Chicago. If Fantuz comes back, it’s going to add significantly to the payroll.
They are also watching to see what happens with rush end John Chick, who signed with the Indianapolis Colts as a free agent in 2009 after he was voted the Outstanding Defensive Lineman in the CFL. Chick hasn’t been able to crack the Colts’ lineup as a starter, and after two years on the practice roster he may want to return to the CFL as a starter. He owns a home in Regina and is involved in the community, but he’ll command a large salary, so that’s more money that needs to be available.
And that’s assuming he signs with Regina. He’d be a free agent and there may be a bidding war for his services.
So Mullinder, whom Miller said was a well-paid player who was playing "marginally well," is dealt for a relatively inexpensive player who may be able to make an immediate impact on the receiving corps. It had been the team’s strength the last few years, but this year it hasn’t played well, thanks to a combination of injuries and mistakes.
Along with Fantuz, the team is missing Rob Bagg, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the 15th game last year and re-injured it in the off-season. Another receiver, Cary Koch, broke a thumb in training camp. He recorded 21 catches for 299 yards in only five games.
Fantuz, Bagg and Chris Getzlaf were part of the Riders’ so-called Canadian Air Force, but this year that force has been grounded. Getzlaf has had his struggles with consistency; although Miller, who coached him, said Getzlaf has tried to carry more of the load than need be.
"He’s trying to be Fantuz, Chris Getzlaf, and he’s trying to be Cary Koch right now," Miller said. "He’s trying to pick up the slack for everybody and as a result I think he’s putting a bit too much pressure on himself. It isn’t that he’s a poor player because he is a tremendous player for us, but he has dropped more balls than he would customarily drop."
Miller said Marshall has done a "really fine job" combining his organization and preparation that has translated to good practices. But the results are showing in the game.
"Beyond that I really don’t know what to say because he’s calm, he uses great judgment and right now is not an easy time to be the head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders," he said. "He is doing a masterful job of being a leader as a head coach at this point in time."
He thinks Durant forced some passes earlier in the season and his interception to touchdown rate was "just unacceptable." But he sees improvement in the last two games. While Miller said Durant is a quarterback who can throw "admirably well" from the pocket, he does a lot better when he has the opportunity to move around a bit.
"It isn’t that he’s a sprint-out guy or does any aspect of the game better. It’s just better when he has a mix of launch points."
He defended Berry, saying it’s the same offence, same quarterback and the same offensive co-ordinator who combined to work so well last year. The loss of key players, however, is the difference. It is Miller’s opinion that it takes awhile for the new Rider receivers to master the team’s offence, and he’s hoping for improvement "sooner rather than later."
And therein lays the big question: How long will he and the organization wait before making changes? Respected Regina Leader-Post columnist Rob Vanstone noted that the organization has made changes in the coaching staff in years past when the team started off this slowly after six games.
Miller told a radio station on Tuesday that he doesn’t anticipate making changes at this time.
"When you go through a situation like we are enduring right now, that’s a situation where you do your best coaching, not from a result point of view but from actual evaluation, teaching and preparation and those kinds of things," he said.
"Right now all of us who work in football operations from me to all of the other guys, everything is being evaluated in minute detail. If something doesn’t stand that scrutiny, then this organization has an obligation to make change to make it better, if change will make it better."
It will be interesting to see what happens. Fantuz and/or Chick would be huge additions, but in their absence it’s up to the current roster and coaching staff to turn the situation around.
