Jul
Roughriders D does the trick
Courtesy Regina Leader Post:
Judging by its performance in its first regular-season game, the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ defensive line is eager to go on the offensive this CFL season.
The linemen turned in a stellar performance in Friday’s 28-24 victory over the B.C. Lions at Mosaic Stadium, recording six of Saskatchewan’s nine sacks and harassing quarterback Buck Pierce all night. The line had just 10 of the team’s 28 sacks in 18 games last season.
Some detractors had suggested the six linemen — ends John Chick and Stevie Baggs and tackles Marcus Adams, Luc Mullinder, Scott Schultz and Keith Shologan — didn’t understand what they were being asked to do by new defensive co-ordinator Gary Etcheverry. In Game 1, at least, that wasn’t the case.
“You can only practise a certain way and in the pre-season, you’ve got to give so many different looks,” Chick said after Friday’s contest. “But this was a day to really test us, and we passed.
“There’s still tons of improvement to make, but if guys continue to fly around the way they are, I don’t know what (opponents) are going to do.”
“The things that we do up front are a little bit different than maybe (opposing teams) are used to seeing,” added head coach Ken Miller. “We got some guys free and we got some great one-on-one battles that we won, too.”
The scheme created by defensive co-ordinator Gary Etcheverry — who replaced Richie Hall in the off-season when the latter was named head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos — gives offences multiple looks. The Lions had difficulty adjusting to them, allowing the Roughriders’ linemen to continually besiege Pierce.
“It was the first game, so I’m sure (the Lions’ linemen) were a little rusty, too,” Chick said. “But we were giving them so many different looks, I don’t think they knew what to do a lot of the time.”
Baggs and Shologan each had two sacks, with Adams and Mullinder adding one apiece. Linebackers Sean Lucas and Renauld Williams and defensive back Eddie Davis also got to Pierce, who on many occasions couldn’t get rid of the football before being dropped.
“Those guys did a great job rushing four and getting to the quarterback, but I think we also did a great job of making Pierce hold onto the ball so they could get to the quarterback,” Davis said.
“I came through one time and I was surprised I got there because (Pierce) was holding the ball for a long time. Sean had the same thing. It was just a great defensive effort.”
Effort was the mantra of the defensive coaches through training camp and the pre-season and the players responded again Friday. Throw in an unpredictable scheme and you have a recipe for getting to the quarterback.
“It’s all in the system you’re running and what kind of positions you’re put in to make sacks,” said Shologan, who registered the first two sacks of his career. “Last year’s system, whatever the reason, just didn’t put people in situations or it just didn’t happen. (Contributing with sacks) makes you feel pretty good.”
Adams felt pretty good about the defence’s first outing under Etcheverry, who’s renowned in CFL circles for his off-the-wall systems.
“It’s him putting us in good positions, but it’s also him telling us what the offence is going to do before the ball’s even snapped,” Adams said. “He watches film like crazy. He knows what they’re going to do before they do it.
“And the defence he made is bonkers. It’s crazy. Offences are having a hard time with it already.”
That’s good news for Miller, who didn’t really want to say “I told you so” on Friday — but did anyway.
“Everybody’s been asking about the defence and I’ve assured everybody from Day 1 that our defence would play and play well,” he said. “I think they demonstrated that ability here tonight.”
