Aug
Riderville: Say ‘no’ to short yardage
Courtesy Regina Leader Post:
Robservations . . .
- It is time to challenge the conventional wisdom that calls for football teams to summon the short-yardage offence. When the goal line is a yard or two away, teams typically call some of their most-skilled players to the sidelines and send in the beef. This only serves to limit the offence’s options. In most cases, the linemen are bunched together and the gaps are non-existent. Why not employ the offensive sets that were used during a successful march toward the goal line? Keep the defence guessing. Create some gaps by not having the offensive linemen line up shoulder to shoulder. Deploy a full arsenal of weapons instead of calling for the clunkers. Derive some advantage from the width of the expansive CFL field.
- If the Saskatchewan Roughriders are going to persist in calling for a short-yardage offence, and if handoffs will be prescribed instead of the quarterback sneak, why not give the ball to fullback Chris Szarka?
- Offensive co-ordinator Paul LaPolice is an easy target after the team squandered a first-and-goal situation from the one-yard line during Friday’s 34-25 loss to the host Montreal Alouettes. But let’s not forget that LaPolice called a generally excellent game in Montreal, and that he is the architect of an offence that has demonstrated big-play capability.
- Three members of the Roughriders — Donovan Alexander (No. 5), Gerran Walker (No. 80) and Johnny Quinn (No. 81) — should be forced to change numbers. Here’s to jersey retirements in honour of Kent Austin (5), Don Narcisse (80) and Ray Elgaard (81).
- And here’s to the retirement of the short-yardage offence!
- Walker is gradually becoming more of a factor in the Roughriders’ offence, as evidenced by Friday’s 43-yard touchdown pass from Darian Durant.
- Having watched Stevie Baggs for eight games this season, the question has to be asked: Does anybody miss Kitwana Jones now?
- OK, maybe on special teams.
- Readers pointed out some notable omissions after last week’s column in which some of the CFL’s greatest names were mentioned. Darryl McCallum wondered “How could you forget Prince McJunkins III?” Ron Podbielski invoked the good name of Sonny Sixkiller, who tried out for the Toronto Argonauts in 1975.
- One more reason to applaud Alouettes slotback Ben Cahoon: After catching his first touchdown pass of the 2009 season on Friday, he simply flipped the football to the nearest official.
- Was there life before the NFL Network? The viewing fare includes all 65 NFL pre-season games.
- Thank goodness the “Wrapman” commercial, which was so prevalent during telecasts of sporting events, is off the air. Now, can somebody please give the hook to “Phillip Ontakos”?
- Kudos to TSN for its journalistic approach to covering the CFL. Any story or commentary featuring Brian Williams or David Naylor qualifies as must-see TV.
