View from the Cheap Seats is kind of an extension of the newsroom. Whenever our three regular reporters, Calvin Daniels, Thom Barker and Randy Brenzen are in the building together, it is frequently a site of heated debate. This week: What are the Roughriders prospects for 2015?
Rider pride
In the summer ink-stained wretches’ fancy turns lightly to thoughts of the Roughriders. Apologies to Lord Tennyson, but it’s football season and, of course, we wouldn’t be living up to the point of this column if we did not weigh in from the cheap seats on the Riders’ prospects for 2015.
The Nissan Titan Power Rankings not surprisingly has Grey Cup defending Calgary and their eastern rival from last year’s season-ending classic Hamilton one and two at the top of the table.
Also not surprising is that although the green and white are pegged fourth overall, that’s only good enough for third in the West behind Edmonton.
As of publication of this paper the only thing we will know for certain is that the Roughriders were not good enough to beat hapless Winnipeg who ranked eighth only edging out the sophomore Ottawa club. Of course, nobody saw the weasel Paris Cotton coming.
Still, it’s pretty hard to argue with any of the rankings. Even though Durant is out, at least we have a backup quarterback this year.
So, I am picking Saskatchewan to win the Cup this year. Why? Because I am not a sports pundit, I am a Roughriders fan.
Secondly, one of the three of us has to pick them. Randy, for some inexplicable reason, probably just to be contrary, despises the Roughies and always goes against them on principle.
Then again, he thinks the incredibly useless Tino Sunseri is a better quarterback than the championship-proven Darian Durant.
Calvin, although a Rider lover, is simply too objective and will provide a well-thought-out and defensible prediction.
I, on the other hand, have only one thing to say: Go Riders!
—Thom Barker
Dogfight for second
It’s football season in Canada so let the prognostications fly.
In Saskatchewan you can’t make a five-yard dump pass without finding someone with an opinion on the Roughriders. That is simply the reality of having the most rabid fans in the Canadian Football League.
Last year the season started well enough. Then quarterback Darian Durant went down to injury, and we learned the ‘Rider brain trust had failed miserably in signing competent young pivots to back-up Durant. The team floundered under a couple of QBs whose names will never be heard again in the CFL, unless as the punchline to a very bad joke.
Durant is back, and Kevin Glenn was an off season addition which gives us arguably the best back-up in the CFL, should he be needed.
That said as defending Grey Cup champs, the Calgary Stampeders who have the best running back in the league in Jon Cornish, and the best young pivot in Bo Levi Mitchell, have to have the nod to gain top the league, likely by six points or more.
A healthy Durant, and a solid back-up should put us in the mix in the CFL west if an aging corps of receivers can do the job. Weston Dressler, Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bag, Taj Smith are all back, but not likely better. Not that they have not been solid, but as a group there are only two options, to get what you’ve had the last couple of seasons, or to start to see a decline.
Jamel Richardson is a reclamation process. The one time Alouette stand out hasn’t played in a couple of seasons. That could mean he’s rested and fully healthy, and can still be useful, or he could fade away after a few games.
Jerome Messam and Anthony Allen are OK running backs, but hardly game breakers with 1,000-yard potential.
So slot the ‘Riders if it all falls into place for a dogfight with Edmonton for second spot.
If a few gears strip on the Ridermobile, they might drop to join an improving Winnipeg fighting for third.
The B.C. Lions are likely basement dwellers as Travis Lulay seems unlikely to stay healthy as their QB, and they have question marks if he can’t play.
A healthy Lulay and the Leos are going to be right there with Winnipeg, and maybe a faltering Roughrider squad, scrambling to stay in the playoff hunt below the teams from Alberta.
—Calvin Daniels
Headed to playoff loss
With or without Darian Durant my prospects for the Riders’ 2015 football season remains the same.
I feel they’ll squeak into the playoffs (let’s face it, not too many teams miss the CFL playoffs anyway) thanks in large part to John Chick, Alex Hall, Shea Emry and the rest of the Green Machine defence.
Once there, however, I think they’ll fall quicker than a quarterback in Week One of the CFL season (four in total). Most likely that fall will come at the hands of the Edmonton Eskimos (at Taylor Field mind you).
Kevin Glenn is a very capable quarterback and has been for a very long time. However the fact remains that he has never won a Grey Cup. He’s been close, but close is only good in horseshoes and hand grenades and the closest he’ll get this year is a first round playoff elimination.
There will be personal successes of course. Chick will once again lead the CFL in sacks with Hall close behind.
Emry will be one of the leaders in tackles all season long while wide receivers Rob Bagg and Taj Smith will have very strong seasons offensively with both threatening to eclipse the 1,000 yard plateau.
Jerome Messam will rumble and stumble his way to 1,000 yards on the ground and Chris Milo will once again be his reliable self, assuming he doesn’t hit uprights constantly.
All in all, however, the Riders will finish second place in the West and then bow out to Edmonton in the first round.
—Randy Brenzen
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