Friday, September 02, 2011

Friday Morning 'Rider Blogging

There hasn't been much news out of the 'Riders' camp this week. But let's note one point where there's little reason for optimism out of the team's coaching change.

While Greg Marshall's firing seems to have been based more on poor results than any obvious problem in the process leading to the Saskatchewan Roughriders' record, there was one move which smacked of desperation in Marshall's final game. The 'Riders' defence has generally been effective except for its weakness in forcing turnovers - meaning that the team should have every reason to want to emphasize the ball-hawking skills of its interceptions leader and reigning nominee for Outstanding Defensive Player.

But for some obscure reason, Marshall's last game saw James Patrick moved to a linebacker position where he has to spend more time covering receivers one-on-one and tackling running backs, while rookie Craig Butler (known more for hitting than picking off passes) took his place at the position on the field that allows for the most roaming in coverage. And no, the move can't be explained as an import ratio maneuver - since an arrangement swapping the two positions would result in the same ratio while better emphasizing the skills of both players.

Unfortunately, judging from the fact that the 'Riders apparently plan on keeping that arrangement up under Ken Miller, it looks like Marshall may not have been the one to make the call after all. And the 'Riders' tough road to the playoffs only looks to be all the more difficult if they keep minimizing the talents of their key skill players.

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