7/29/2007 8:31:39 PM
Edmonton Vs Saskatchewan # 2

Ok, so that was ugly. That was maybe the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen and believe me…I’ve seen plenty of ugly games in my day. I’ve been on the wrong end of scores like that more often than I care to remember, but in the past I’ve been less shocked once the gun sounds I think because our preparation, game plan or personnel was blatantly lacking. This time, I don’t feel as if those issues were lacking for us at all really, I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t feel wholeheartedly that we could have won that game at the opening kickoff. In fact, at no point in that travesty of a game did I feel like they were showing us things that we hadn’t seen on film, prepared for or even expected to see. So how does a team that shows you everything that you expected to see from them and everything that you prepared for completely dominate the game in the way the Riders did yesterday? Well, remember the last time we played them I was talking about emotion and how much of a part that can play into momentum and changing the game completely? Guess what...we ended up on the wrong end of an emotional roller-coaster yesterday and were never able to get off.
Every single bounce of the ball that could have gone either way on that day not only went to the Riders, but bounced to them in stride and either scored a major, or set one up. Onside punt recovery?...TD, interceptions?...TDs, blocked punt?...TD, fumble?...you get the point. I knew we were in for a long day after they recovered the punt, but I knew we were snake bitten for that day when bad snap went over Kerry Joseph’s head bounced once like he dribbled it right back to him and then he ran for six yards. When it rains, it pours and this was a day that if anything could go wrong, it definitely did.
I’ve never witnessed anything like that in person in sports, where every single opportunity that presents itself for one team ends up materializing into major scores like that. It would be pretty much impossible to turn the ball over 6 times at home and keep the game respectable, so naturally to do that in a place like Regina after the comeback we staged here at Commonwealth was completely out of the question. After watching the film of such a travesty, one would think that the general feeling in the locker room would be one of disappointment, anger, resentment or even blame but that’s not what I sensed leaving after that film session. What I got from my teammates was a sense that this was an anomaly, that this was something that spiraled out of control before we were able to reign it back in and wasn’t really a reflection of who we are as a team, and I think that is an understandable feeling to have. However, I think it’s important to accept that each of us had a role to play in that nonsense. I don’t think it’s enough to just say “well, that’s just one of those games…” Or, “better to get it out of the way now.” While that may in fact be the truth and the game itself may be a hiccup on the road to greatness, there must be a level of accountability in what happened on Saturday in order to keep it from happening again.
Each of us must look at the mistakes that were made on the film because we all had some, myself included and search within ourselves to correct that which is correctable. The good news is that from what the tape shows; virtually all of our mistakes were correctable in terms of technique, communication, preparation, or just general knowledge of what we’re trying to get accomplished on each play top to bottom. Our practice tempo must be faster and more consistent in order to combat coming out of the gate so late and having to play from behind. I believe us to be a good team, I really do but to keep with this flare for the dramatic comeback is not the mark of a good team. While it looks great when you pull it off, it certainly adds strain and pressure on the entire squad.
Individually, we each need to elevate our games in this the closing first quarter of the season. As a team, we need to trust each other, and know that the man beside you will do everything in his power in terms of preparation and execution to keep anything like this from happening to this team again. If this game was truly not indicative of whom we are as a team, then the proof will certainly present itself in the coming weeks. For if there one thing certain in today’s CFL, it’s that there will be another team in by the end of the week ready and raring to put your teams true identity to the test. ©

KP8