It may have only existed for one series last week, but the Saskatchewan Roughriders offence created some beautiful music along with six points in their opening drive against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
During the last Friday’s exhibition matchup, Quarterback Trevor Harris met all the requirements for the night by completing four passes in his only series of action. Derel Walker caught two of those passes, and one of them led to a five-yard touchdown. The Roughriders offence will now try and use that perfect rehearsal against the Edmonton Elks, their week one opponent.
Harris was excited about entering the grind of the regular season on Wednesday at the first day of practice.
“Just feels like there’s a game coming up.”
As the opening game against the Elks approaches, the Roughriders’ starting quarterback is staying focused on taking it one day at a time.
“The game will take care of itself, we’re worried about wrapping up a good day one and then having a good day two practice, that’s where are focus is.”
With the Riders offence struggling to achieve rhythm consistently in 2022, Friday’s brief showing from the first-team offence was a welcomed sight for the green and white fanbase heading into the new season.
On Sunday, Harris believes there are few things the offence needs to accomplish in order to create that much-needed rhythm.
“Establishing the run, we’re getting the ball out, you know stretching the ball horizontally and vertically, being able to hit our intermediate game, being able to play action, do everything that an offence does.”
From Walker’s perspective, the rhythm begins with the Roughriders fielding a consistent lineup on a weekly basis and getting everybody in the offence involved.
“The play calling, things like that getting the ball out of the quarterback’s hands quick, letting the guys get touches and things like that and that allows you to open up more and more of the game plan that week.”
Even though the aerial attack created the majority in Roughriders preseason victory in Winnipeg, the veteran receiver believes the running game will be a factor in the offence creating harmony.
“You create a rhythm by letting a quarterback do what he do and running the ball also, I don’t know, we might run the ball first, we might throw it first, regardless of that we could create a rhythm running the ball or passing, I’m not opposed to blocking at all, we got a great group of backs and a great o-line, so I’m really looking to see how it comes full circle.”
With Saskatchewan opening the season against an Elks defence led by former Roughrider Head Coach Chris Jones, Harris knows that creating rhythm will not be an easy task.
“Chris Jones, Edmonton defence, you know they’re going to bring it.”
Saskatchewan have yet to play a regular season game, but there is plenty of optimism inside the green and white locker room according to Harris.
“To me it’s a lot about buy-in, it’s a lot about belief, I think we have total buy-in and a lot of belief, does that we mean we win every single game, no, does that we mean we win every rep, no, but it means I think we’re going to have a team going in the same direction regardless of what adversity faces us from last year.”
After the adversity the team encountered in 2022, that sounds like music to the Roughriders ears heading into the 2023 season.
Practice Notebook
A couple of notable players from the Roughriders were not dressed for the opening day of practice.
Canadian offensive lineman Philip Blake and Canadian receiver Brayden Lenius attended Wednesday’s workout but were not active on the field. Both players were listed on the injury report following practice, Blake did not practice due to a chest injury while Lenius was out with a lower back injury.
With Blake out of the lineup and Jerald Hawkins already missing from the team dealing with a family matter, Brandon Council took the majority of the first-team reps at left tackle on Wednesday.
Derrick Moncrief was on the field in a limited role to begin the week after he sat out most of the training camp in Saskatoon as he recovers from an off-season shoulder injury. Head coach Craig Dickenson said Moncrief was close to returning to the lineup. C.J. Reavis would likely assume the starter’s role if the 29-year-old is unable to start the season at the strongside linebacker position.
All four quarterbacks were on the field for the Roughriders on Wednesday. Mason Fine took a good chunk of the snaps as the backup quarterback for the first day of the practice week. Shea Patterson also received some snaps as the short-yardage quarterback, but he was listed on the injury report as a limited participant with an ankle injury.
The Roughriders return to the practice field tomorrow for Sunday’s matchup against the Elks.
620 CKRM will have full coverage of the opening day contest from Edmonton beginning with Countdown to Kickoff at 2:00. Michael Ball and Luc Mullinder will have the call from Commonwealth Stadium at 5:00.
