The ending of the Saskatchewan Roughriders - Ottawa Redblacks 22-22 tie was as bizarre as I have seen watching the CFL.
The Command Centre had to review the play that should have ended the Aug. 8 game because it was a turnover but the review also should have ended with the determination the Riders recovered the ball. There was no need to parse the rulebook on roughing the passer. When the quarterback who was hit and his team do not respond to the play it was not roughing. Had no penalty been called by the Command Centre there would have been nary a protest across the land.
I liked the description I heard on CJME that the Command Centre should not take the game away from the participants. When the referee sees no penalty and the quarterback is not even knocked down by the hit and there is no coach’s challenge the "God Centre" (Darrell Davis has an apt name for the Command Centre) should stay out of the action. I would actually change the rules to provide that the Command Centre can never be involved in an officiating decision unless there is a Coach’s Challenge. I think everyone can live with the rare occasions a quarterback is roughed, even injured, and there is no roughing call. The integrity of the game is damaged more by pronouncements on high than by an uncalled roughing the passer penalty.
The game itself was a character-defining game for the Riders. In a gritty game with first half bad weather, multiple injuries, a short week and being on the road they played hard for over 60 minutes. The second half of the season looks good.
Grit and determination can keep a team in the game but skill is equally needed.
For the defending team field goal attempts infrequently involve skill. The Riders took the routine out of Ottawa field goals with a pair of blocked kicks. Corey Mace said some teams play off on field goals. He said the Riders come firing off the ball on kicks. A team has to earn field goals against the Riders.
Mace continued that special teams co-ordinator Kent Maugeri while studying the Redblacks field goals, saw the potential for a block and the Riders took advantage twice.
Riders Caleb Saunders and Miles Brown double teamed the left guard driving him back to create enough space for Saunders to penetrate and get his hand enough to block the attempt.
On the second block Brown and fullback Bruno LaBelle double teamed the right guard again driving the guard back far enough for Brown to get far enough to block the kick.
After the two blocks the Redblacks made sure the centre and the tackle prevented the double team of a guard.
Rolan Milligan demonstrated great skill, recording his sixth interception of the season on a pass over the middle. He saw a dig route with a clear out and another dig route from a receiver further outside. He was cancelling out the routes. He continued that from film study he knew their pass route concepts from that formation had him in position.
I thought the game was important for Shea Patterson as he led the Riders to touchdowns at the end of the fourth quarter and during overtime when the game was on the line. To be a successful quarterback you have to be able to lead the team when all the pressure of needing to score is there.
In the preceding two games he had been unable to get the late game touchdown. Against the B.C. Lions it was Mitch Picton being out of bounds on a third down pass. Versus the Edmonton Elks it was an incomplete pass and interception on consecutive drives.
On Thursday night he showed the skills needed of a last minute quarterback. I asked Patterson what enabled him, when he had been unable to lead the team to a touchdown for 55 minutes, to throw six completions including a third down touchdown pass to Shawn Bane. He said it was calm. He said he really liked those moments and that is why they play the game.
On the throw to Bane, while being blitzed, he said the Redblacks took away his first two choices and then he saw out of his peripheral vision Bane all alone on the side and threw to him.
Mace said Patterson has shown why they believe in him.
