Saskatchewan Roughriders

Serious injuries are becoming a serious trend with the Saskatchewan Roughriders this year. DJ Flick, Andy Fantuz, Weston Dressler, John Chick, James Johnson, Darian Durant, and a few other key players are out of commission.

In addition, after today's game Carl Berman (Dressler's replacement) is done for the season with a torn achilles. Matt Dominguez strained his knee, and who knows when he will be back?

The Riders will be hard pressed to maintain their perfect record with these injuries piling up. Fortunately, Dressler may be back next week, James Johnson should be back as well, and John Chick is just one game away. Flick and Berman seem to have the only season-ending injuries.

Despite all these injuries, the Riders continue to play with great intensity and managed to win this game by a single point, 22-21.

If the Riders can maintain their success they will be able to regain there players and hopefully will be ready to play at full force come play-off time.

The Riders ended the first quarter with an early 10-4 lead. The Stampeders led off the scoring with a punt single, but Luca Congi was able to respond with a 12-yard field goal. Sandro Deangelis responded with a field goal of his own, a 26-yarder, after Matt Domiguez fumbled the ball over to Calgary.

Marcus Crandell then hooked up with Adarius Bowman for a 12-yard strike on the last play of the half, giving the Riders the 10-4 lead.

Both teams began the second quarter by hitting field goals, and a punt single for the Riders put them ahead 14-7 with just over a minute left to play.

The Riders pulled out a miracle with eight seconds left in the half. Matt Dominguez caught a 20-yard pass from Crandell, fumbled it into the arms of Wes Cates at the Calgary 20-yard line, and Cates managed to run it in without breaking stride.

The bad news was that Dominguez injured his knee on this play.

With injuries to Berman and Hughes (who should return next game), the Stampeders took advantage of the Riders' injury depleted offense. Henry Burris made it a seven-point game with a 23-yard strike to Nick Lewis on the final play of the quarter, making it 21-14 Riders heading into the fourth.

The Stampeders closed in on the Riders after two field goals by Deangelis put them within one with just five minutes left to play. The Riders had not scored a point since the Wes Cates touchdown late in the first half.

The Riders were able to give Congi a chance at a 43-yard field goal, but Congi missed for the first time all season and could only get the single, putting the Riders up 22-20.

After a big play by Jermaine Copeland put Calgary on the Saskatchewan 47-yard line with just two seconds left to play, Stampeders kicker Sandro Deangelis had the chance to put an end to the perfect season if he could get a 54-yarder.

Unfortunately for the Stampeders, Deangelis would kick it wide right and the Riders would move to 6-0!

Can the Riders continue to win despite the injuries? We will see next week when they return home to play the Stampeders once again.

The questions are fair.  Just because a team is 5-0, with the most productive offense in the league, and that same team boasts the stingiest defense in league, that doesn't mean they can't and won't be beaten by a better team on any given day.  

Calgary has a very talent-laden lineup that is all to eager to beat the Green Machine led by former Rider QB Henry Burris.  

It's no secret that the Riders have accumulated many injuries of late, mostly of a severe nature and to an impact player.  On both sides of the ball, players have been injured, starting in Week One with OT Wayne Smith to last week with Andy Fantuz.

Many players have also been sidelined with bumps, bruises, and personal issues like James Johnson.  Johnson, the 2007 Grey Cup MVP, had a minor concussion in the second quarter of the home tilt with Toronto and may not be available this week.  

The Riders and Johnson will make that decision after a week-long evaluation process.  

Marcus "Chunky" Adams missed his second straight start against the Argos as he dealt with some off field issues.

Add to that list DB Leron Mitchell, QB Darian Durant, QB Marcus Crandell, SB DJ Flick, SB Weston Dressler, SB Dave McKoy, WR Mike Washington, and DE John Chick.  

The list is growing every game but the Riders have yet to let it slow them down.  Thanks to great scouting and player personnel departments, GM Eric Tillman has more than filled the positions.  

The Rider players know that Ken Miller means business.  They showed that by coming into camp in peak performance shape, under his and former coach Kent Austin's off-season orders.  Miller expects any of his players on the field to play like starters and stars when they are given the opportunity and it shows that through study, workouts, practices, and games, the depth players have bought into that concept. 

So the questions are: 

Can the Riders go into McMahon stadium and come out alive in the race for an undefeated season?

And can they then come home, perhaps with more injuries, and repeat the same feat in consecutive weeks of action against the Stamps?

The answer for me to both questions is yes, and here is how:

Wes Cates needs to keep being the best tailback in the league through both weeks—a feat he looks forward to, having been a member of the Stampeder organization in the past.

Perennial all-star Matt Dominguez must have a whopper of an evening in both contests. He has yet to find his form in 2008 with an injury early and the carousel of QB's he has had to work with.

The Riders must win the field position battle even if it means giving up a few points.

The Rider defense must contain the Calgary rushing attack of Burris and Reynolds, which can be a juggernaut to the defense late in games, when the potential is realized.

The Rider defense must bend but not break pretty much all game and make Sandro DeAngelis beat them.

The Riders must also continue to play every play seperately, avoiding mental breakdowns, protecting the ball, and giving the defense ample rest with sustained offense.

The 13th man must show up, as always at McMahon, in 50% or better-like numbers to cheer boisterously and rattle the Stampeder offense.

Calgary's coaches should not likely be able to coach their players to match the intensity, focus, and execution of this championship team and it's coaches.

That's how I see it.  Anyone?

Last week, it looked like the Toronto Argonauts were turning the corner.

Kerry Joseph had finally shown his MOP form in driving the Argos to a last-second, game-winning touchdown over the Edmonton Eskimos. The defense had been solid, and receivers Tyler Scott and James Robinson came out of nowhere to help lead the double blue to victory.

Then came last night's 28-22 loss to the defending Grey Cup champ Saskatchewan Roughriders, and the Argonauts are back at one game under .500.

But what the score doesn't tell you is that the Argos played a very strong game last night and should have won. The Boatmen can attribute their loss to two awful calls in the fourth quarter.

The first came when, after two goal line stops by the Argo defensive line, Riders running back Wes Cates tried to go up and over for the touchdown.

Mike O'Shea leapt forward to meet him, and replays showed that O'Shea was clearly past the plain of the goal line when he made contact with Cates.

The ball was hard to see, but there was certainly no clear evidence of it being over the plain. But it was ruled a touchdown anyway, and the Riders went up 27-22.

Then, with less than three minutes remaining, former Argo receiver Michael Palmer fumbled the ball as he was being brought down and Toronto recovered. The play was ruled a fumble on the field, which means conclusive evidence was needed to overturn the decision.

Replays clearly showed that the ball was loose before Palmer's knee was down. It was clear as day. Yet the ruling was reversed with no video evidence whatsoever.

That ridiculous decision ended any chance the Argos had at getting back in the game. They did get the ball back one last time, but a poor pass by Joseph in the dying seconds gave the win to Saskatchewan.

The good news for the Argos is that they looked solid on most fronts last night. Joseph again looked comfortable behind centre, and he's beginning to use his legs more, which is a great sign for a Toronto team that has never had much of a running game.

The receiving corps continues to improve, anchored by Arland Bruce and supported by Andre Talbot, who has really stepped up with the loss of Tony Miles and the injury to Bethel Johnson.

Rookies Tyler Scott and James Robinson didn't do much last night but both showed all kinds of potential in last week's win over Edmonton. Obed Cetoute and Johnnie Morant have also shown some flashes of ability.

On the running side, Dominique Dorsey was merely average last night and Jamal Robertson hasn't really done anything since a solid opening game against Winnipeg.

No, running isn't as important in the CFL as it is south of the border, but you still need an effective back to open up more options for your quarterback.

The D continued to look good but not great. Something has been missing from this unit this season. It's been solid but hasn't shown the usual effectiveness we've grown accustomed to.

Of course, the absence of Kevin Eiben in the midfield may have contributed to that last night.

Maybe it's the loss of Rich Stubler as defensive coordinator or the loss of players like Khalil Carter and Jeff Keeping, but the defense doesn't seem to have that airtight quality to it, so far.

Ryan Dinwiddie and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are next up for the Argos. That game goes Friday night, and it's a crucial one for the Boatmen if they want to keep a leg up on Winnipeg and stay in the running for first in the East.

In a season ravaged by injuries, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have proved to be resilient, showing they have great depth as they won once again Sunday, upping their record to a perfect 5-0, the first time they have done this since the '30s!

With players such as DJ Flick (done for season), John Chick (4-6 weeks), Marcus Adams (unknown), Marcus Crandell (day-to-day?), Weston Dressler (day-to-day), and Wayne Smith (unknown) out with injuries, many bench players have stepped it up to make this season a good one.

Unfortunately for the Riders, the injuries did not stop coming in this game against the Toronto Argonauts. Very talented wide receiver Andy Fantuz was wheeled off in a cart and is likely gone for a long time with a broken leg while Darian Durant is out nine weeks with cracked ribs.

Fortunately for the Riders, the bench players continued to make their presence felt Sunday and they won another game, 28-22 over the Argonauts. Steven Jyles also became the third quarterback to lead the Riders to victory this season.

The first quarter started off slow for both teams, and the Argos would take a 5-0 lead heading into the second quarter on a punt single and 38-yard field goal by kicker Mike Vanderjagt.

Also of note is that Darian Durant took a hard hit early in the game and he only returned for one play before leaving the game for good. It was revealed after the game that Durant cracked three ribs and he will be out for nine weeks.

It did not look good for the Riders as Steven Jyles was the only guy left to lead the attack and his only drive in the first quarter was a two-and-out.

The second quarter ended up being delayed by 45 minutes or so, but both offenses started to turn it up when the game was finally started again.

The Argos started it off with former Rider Kerry Joseph running it in from the 13-yard line for the first major of the game, 11-0 Argos.

Jyles was able to respond though—he lead a 65-yard touchdown drive, putting the final touches on the drive with a great 30-yard pass to Andy Fantuz.

The excitement was short lived, though, as Jyles would throw his third interception of the season, resulting in a 19-yard TD pass from Kerry Joseph to Arlen Bruce to make it 18-7 Argos.

Luca Congi managed to kick a 46-yard field goal at the end of the quarter to make it 18-10 Argos at the half.

The Riders opened the second half going two-and-out with Jyles, but a punt fumble by Toronto’s Dominique Dorsey set Saskatchewan up at the Argo 26-yard line.

Wes Cates ended the drive with a one-yard plunge, getting his seventh touchdown of the season. Luca Congi's extra point put the Riders within one.

The Argos only point in the quarter came on a 68-yard punt single. Saskatchewan would take advantage, taking their first lead of the game on a 32-yard field goal by Luca Congi. This made Congi a perfect 13-for-13 on the season.

The fourth quarter scoring would begin with the Argos re-taking the lead on a 41-yard field goal from Mike Vanderjagt. This made it 22-20 Argos and put the Riders in a critical situation.

The next drive brought both good and bad news for the Riders. Unfortunately, young superstar Andy Fantuz appeared to break his leg on a 19-yard reception. However, the Riders did manage to regain the lead with Wes Cates scoring his second TD of the game on a one-yard run.

Jamie Boreham would kick a single at the end of the game and the Argos last-minute drive proved futile as it only reached the Riders' 47-yard line. Saskatchewan won 28-22, and remains undefeated at 5-0!

When CFL Coach of the Year Kent Austin left the Saskatchewan Roughriders it was shocking news to the fans and players. However, that wasn't all that happened in the off-season.

They lost Corey Holmes, Val St. Germain, Kerry Joseph and Fred Perry. People thought the Riders weren't going to repeat as Canadian Football League Champions. Here are five reasons why the Riders are having an undefeated season so far.

1. Ken Miller: The Riders former offensive coordinator and former Argos coach became the head coach of the Riders on Feb. 6. It was a very wise decision by GM Eric Tillman. Ken called many plays for the Riders as they led the CFL in touchdowns in 2007. He is also very wise, a good communicator, and a great team builder. That is exactly what the Riders needed for the 2008 season.
2. Secondary: The Riders' last line of defence is proving to be the best in the league, led by veteran Eddie Davis. James Johnson, a defensive back, was the MVP of the Grey Cup with three interceptions and a TD. He is continuing the trend, as he is proving  to be the Riders' best DB. 
3. Quarterback Depth: When Marcus Crandell got injured in the early part of the season, everyone thought QB would be a weak spot in the offence. That was a bad idea, because Darian Durant is now fighting for the No. 1 spot with a 67.5 passing percentage and 744 passing yards. He has definitely been a surprise for the Riders thus far.
4. Late-Game Heroics: In the last two games against the Montreal Alouettes and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the Riders came back within the three minute warning from being down in both games. Against Hamilton. Durant completed a pass through the middle to Weston Dressler, who stepped in for injured receiver D.J. Flick. He ran to the 1- yard line and got the ball stripped out at the one yard line. The Riders later punched it in for six to win the game. Against Montreal, Dominguez got the comeback started with a controversial catch in the end zone. From there, the Riders completely dominated the game.
5. The Fans! At home games the crowd is loud, green, and Mosaic Stadium is sold out. I'm sure if the organization put in about 5,000 more seats, it would still be sold out! The fans are full of Rider Pride and are the most passionate fans in the CFL. They are found all over Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Toronto!

Four weeks of CFL football have had some people scratching their heads, while others are ecstatic with the outcomes of their teams.

The Grey Cup Runner-up Winnipeg Blue Bombers are winless after most people anticipated they'd repeat as East Division Champs.

The BC Lions are now getting back on track after starting 0-2.

The Calgary Stampeders are 3-1 after overhauling a defense that was last in almost every possible stat last season.

And the Saskatchewan Roughriders are 4-0 for the first time since 1970, and are winning well with a brand new quarterback who was the third stringer at the beginning of the season.

All of these things have made for an interesting beginning to the season.

Most people who know football would say that Calgary and Saskatchewan are the elite teams in the CFL this season. They have the best records, they have the two top rushers, and they are doing what it takes to win. There is only one loss between the two teams, and that belongs to Calgary.

With their perfect record, the Saskatchewan Roughriders would be the perfect choice as the team to beat. They have played very well as a team, finding ways to win when most people would have thought they'd lose.

Last year the BC Lions were a team that wasn't as good as their record. I thought this might be what was happening to the Riders—until Damian Durant beat the Montreal Alouettes.

To start the year, I wasn't sure how well the Riders would do. Marcus Crandell is not the player to lead a team to the Grey Cup. The team is strong enough to lead a quarterback to a winning record, but do they have a quarterback that can lead them to the Grey Cup?

Kerry Joseph may not be the perfect quarterback when it comes to stats, but he could pull out a win when it mattered if he had the team. He showed that just yesterday with a win over Edmonton.

The Riders were lacking that quarterback at the start of the season. Then Marcus Crandell went down with an injury and Damian Durant stepped in. Durant won against Hamilton and played well. He even showed can throw a couple interceptions, and still bring the team from behind to win.

Now the Riders have a quarterback that can lead them to the Grey Cup. They are a better team now with Durant at the helm. But are they good enough to beat the Stampeders?

Riders fans know how good Henry Burris is. They wouldn't have been as angry as they were when he left to Calgary.

He has now gained 15 pounds of muscle, and his passes look extremely crisp. There is an accuracy to his passes that wasn't there before. He has five solid receivers to throw to, has the top running back in the league to hand off to, and can take off running on his own to get the job done.

This isn't new to anyone. So let's take a lot at the defense. It's the biggest question mark.

There are a bunch of new players on the Stampeders team, and there is a new defense with coordinator Chris Jones. Whatever the questions, the Stampeders' defense has been up to the task.

The secondary held BC to 250 yards in week one, but was exploited for 450 yards passing in week two against the Eskimos. They did, however, fix what needed to be fixed for the next week and were able to beat the pass happy Alouettes. A win over Hamilton without Jesse Lumsden can't be looked at as a huge victory, but a 27-point win over any team is convincing.

So what is going to happen between the Stampeders and the Roughriders? There is still one week before the first game between Calgary and Saskatchewan, and things could totally change before then.

The Stampeders play a distraught Winnipeg team that is missing some key players, but could pull out victory. I don't think so, but it could happen.

The Roughriders play the Toronto Argonauts, who have now rallied behind Kerry Joseph to bring them back to a place where they think they can win. There is a distinct possibility the Riders could suffer their first loss of the season, especially since they decided to go back to Marcus Crandell. I don't think it will happen, but don't be surprised.

If both teams win this week, it sets up a battle for the ages in Calgary next weekend. Both teams have the ability to run, both teams have the ability to shut down the run, both teams have the ability to spread the ball in passing, and both teams can be susceptible to the pass on defense.

That being said, I think the Stampeders are going to beat the Roughriders on August 2.

The game is in Calgary, and in both cases the home team has the advantage. It will be much harder the next week for the Stamps to walk into Taylor Field and pull out a victory. Especially when the Stamps win in Calgary.

Quarterbacks will also be a factor in the game. Riders fans hate Burris, but look at him through anything but your green glasses on, and you have to admit that Burris right now is one of the best, if not THE best quarterback in the league and is doing a great job at running his offense.

Darian Durant has been stellar at running his offense as well, but unless Marcus Crandell gets injured again, Crandell will be the starter. Rider fans must be hoping Crandell gets injured or plays horribly so Durant starts against Calgary.

The Riders have faced some solid offenses so far, and have done a great job. The only problem is they haven't played a team yet that has thrown a balanced attack them. Edmonton can only pass, BC was asleep, Hamilton can only run, and Montreal can only pass.

So bring in a Joffrey Reynolds and the best receiving core in the CFL, and you are going to be tested. The Riders normally do have one of the best receiving cores, but are missing a big piece in DJ Flick. Even backup Weston Dressler, who did a great job, is still injured.

I could go on all day, and at the end of the day I am biased. If I'm a Rider fan, don't underestimate the Stampeders. As a Stamps fan, prepare for one heck of a game!

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are the only remaining undefeated team in the CFL and they are now 4-0!

Although the game was delayed almost an hour, the weather in Regina during the game was beautiful, and as a Rider fan, so was the fourth quarter.

Darian Durant won his second straight start against the pass-loving Alouettes. Durant showed that despite making some rookie mistakes (he isn't a rookie, but pretty close) he can pull tough games out.

Durant went 23-34 for 353 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. Both interceptions were caught by former Roughrider Reggie Hunt, who played his first game since becoming a Montreal Alouette.

With the loss, the Alouettes drop to 2-2 but are still first in the Eastern Conference.

Anthony Calvillo had a great game, completing 29-41 passes for 352 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions.

Both interceptions came in the fourth quarter with one of them going to Lance Frazier (who gave me his glove after the game—thanks Lance!) to set up the game winning score, and the other one being caught by Anton McKenzie on a last-second Hail Mary attempt.

This is the first time the Roughriders have been 4-0 since 1970, 11 years before Frazier was born.

''I haven't been 4-0 with any team since my sophomore year in high school,'' Frazier said. ''That was 1997. This is huge and it's very emotional. Nobody gave us a chance and we're OK with that. We loved being the underdogs last year and look how that turned out."

After Frazier's key interception in the fourth quarter, Darian Durant had a one yard touchdown plunge to put the Riders ahead.

If the Roughriders keep rolling like this, they will be a hard team to beat.

The only three teams the Roughriders haven't played yet are the Calgary Stampeders, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and the Toronto Arogonauts. They play Kerry Joseph and the Argos next week, and the Stamps the week after.

This team is for real—the way the Argos are playing as of late, it doesn't look like they can beat the Riders. The real test will be former Rider Henry Burris and the Stamps', who will be coming in Week Six.

Well folks, week three is in the books and the Saskatchewan Roughriders are the only undefeated team left in the CFL. The Roughriders improved to 3-0 this week in a 33-28 win in Hamilton.

It was Darian Durant's first career start in the CFL and he did not disappoint. Durant went 23-32 for 347 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. That's a good game for an all-star, and a fantastic game for a third string quarterback who's starting his first CFL game.

Casey Printers also had a good game, not quite as good as Durant's but good nonetheless. Printers went 17-31 for 261 yards and two interceptions.

Hamilton lost despite having more first downs (23-20), total yards (454-451), rushing yards (193-104), and time of possession (33:41-26:19).

The Riders had one turnover while Hamilton had three.  Casey Printers threw two interceptions for Hamilton and Jesse Lumsden fumbled once. Andy Fantuz threw Saskatchewan's interception on a miss-play.

Both running backs had good games with Cates running for 88 yards on 15 carries (5.9 ypc) and two touchdowns. On the other side of the field, Jesse Lumsden ran for 137 yards (7.2 ypc) and also had two touchdowns.

It was a great running back showdown with Cates and Lumsden being arguably the two best backs so far this season. Lumsden leads the league in rushing yards with 362 and is second in rushing touchdowns with four. Cates is third in the league in rushing yards with 257 and is first in the league in rushing touchdowns with five.

Weston Dressler led the Roughriders in receiving yards with six receptions and 122 yards and a touchdown. For Hamilton it was Chris Bauman who had eight receptions and 90 yards.

On the defensive side, Lance Frazier and Scott Gordon both had interceptions for the Riders and Chris Thompson for the Tabbies. Jesse Lumsden also fumbled the ball once and it was recovered by James Johnson of the Roughriders.

Although Ken Miller has been denying it, the Roughriders seem to be leading candidates to pick up Michael Bishop and/or Damon Allen. Bishop seems to be a better option, but now that we know Durant is as good as he is, do they really need him? Of course they would have a better quarterbacking core with Bishop, but do they really want to spend the money on something they don't need?

Damon Allen coming out of retirement to join the Roughriders was also a possibility. When asked about wanting to join the Roughriders Allen said that he would love to talk about it with them. This obviously is less likely to happen now that Bishop is on waivers.

Michael Bishop would be a great player to have here in Saskatchewan, but with Darian Durant looking great at only 25 years of age, do we really need him?

In 2007, the Saskatchewan Roughriders had a great first third of the season, posting a 4-2 record over the first six games.  That record included losses to BC and Edmonton, the very two teams the Riders drew early in '08.  If you are orange or green and gold at heart, the pesky Riders are 2-0.  

Despite my general fear of being horribly wrong, with Hamilton, Montreal, Toronto, and Calgary next respectively, I am starting to entertain the idea that the Riders could improve on their '07 first third.  

Just like the Riders will need to, I'm going to take this one game at a time.  

First, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.  The 'Cats are a much improved ball club from last year.  The new head coach, Charlie Taffe, has brought excitement and, more importantly, confidence and direction to the young and talented roster.

The Cats sit at 1-1 after a home-field loss to the Montreal Alouettes in week one and a road victory over the Toronto Argos.  

For skeptics, Hamilton has left doubts and points on the field by the end of each contest.  The 'Cats have 42 points for and 46 against, while the Riders have 60 points for and only 29 against.

Have the 'Cats really turned the corner yet?  Personally, I don't think so.  Despite the lack of the all-important 13th man, Riders win, 3-0.

Second up, in week four, the improved Montreal Alouettes?

I thought Montreal had a pretty decent year in '07.  With wins over division rivals Toronto and Hamilton, and wins against supposed Western juggernauts BC and Calgary, Montreal quietly played their way into the playoffs.

In the '07 East semifinals they would have knocked off the eventual Grey Cup finalist Winnipeg Blue Bombers if not for a since relieved Jim Paup and his coaching miscalculations. Under any circumstances, the Als are a tough club to beat at home in Percival Molson Stadium.  

This game will shake down at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, a building where the Alouettes have not won since 2005.  Coaches and players well prepared, 13th man roaring, another Rider victory, 4-0. 

Third, in week five action, the Argos and '07 season MOP Kerry Joseph visit the warm confines of Mosaic Stadium.

A much deserved thank you for Joseph will likely be followed by some razzing and verbal harassment as he is no longer on the home side of the field.  Or might he be back in green?  Or might his partner Michael Bishop?

You see, that's the issue today in Argoville, a day after taking one on the chin at the hands of the Edmonton Eskimos.  Who really is the number one QB?  One could only speculate about who it will be for this July 27 battle.

The Argos were widely labeled the league's best defense last year, and at the start of this year.  After three games in '08 they have given up a league worst 31.66 points per game.

So much for that theory.  It may be easier to understand why when informed that Kavis Read took over the defensive play calling for new head coach and defensive wizard Rich Stubler in the offseason.  Call me crazy, Riders win big, 5-0.

In week six the Riders take their show on the road to Calgary's McMahon Stadium.  In their last 12 contests dating back to 2005, each of these teams has won six times.  But the Stamps have, when it mattered most, lost two consecutive semifinal playoff games to the Green Machine.  

Calgary's new hope is that rookie CFL head coach John Hufnagel can get them over that hump.  Despite about 95 percent continuity from '07, things look fresh and new in Cowtown and I, for one, don't doubt that they have improved as a team.

Have the Riders?  As individuals, not really.  As a team, yes.  It's called championship swagger, and it'll be here all year.  As Calgary is our home away from home, I'm taking the Riders in a close one.  6-0.

Yes, even with all the changes and some doubt at QB, I believe the Riders will ace the first third of the CFL '08 season.  There is no doubt in my mind that going into the back half of the home and home series with the Stamps, the Riders will be AT LEAST 5-1.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, though it is going to be a long season, I think it is fair to say I was wrong about my preseason predictions.

I thought that the Roughriders and the Alouettes would both be last in their divisions at this point, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Both teams are leading their divisions with a 2-0 score!

The Alouettes looked fantastic in both of their first two games. They played well on both sides of the field, and Anthony Calvillo looked like he was 25. He was running and passing beautifully. If he keeps this up, the Alouettes will do a lot better than I originally thought.

Boy, doesn't Saskatchewan Roughrider's general manager Eric Tillman look like a genius right now? He got rid of Reggie Hunt, Fred Perry, and Kerry Joseph so we could get some cap space.

Everyone, including me, was criticizing him about these moves, and what did he say? "Well, at this time last year, I looked like a buffoon, but I ended up being a genius, didn't I?" He did, and he's doing it again.

Kerry Joseph is having a bad start to the year in Toronto, Fred Perry only has three tackles in his first two games as an Eskimo, and Reggie Hunt didn't pass his physical in Montreal and was deemed "unfit to play!"

Recent injuries may hurt the Roughriders, with Marcus Crandell going down with a hamstring injury, and DJ Flick suffering a terrible leg injury. It looks like DJ will probably be out for the year, and I don't know about Crandell.

However, not all is lost.

The Roughriders traded Ronald Flemons and a fifth round pick in 2009 to the Argos for wide receiver TJ Acree and some picks. Acree had 458 yards in 11 games last year and should be a good addition. On the quarterbacking end, Darian Durant looks like he will be a good replacement to Crandell.

Well, people, I can admit my mistakes, and it looks like I made two big ones with the Riders and the Alouettes.