Fate dealt the Saskatchewan Roughriders a cruel blow in the 2009 Grey Cup and helped the Montreal Alouettes win the championship. This season, Saskatchewan is playing with a chip on its shoulder.
The Riders had a very painful end to the 2009 CFL season. Just when it looked like the Alouettes missed the potential game-winning field goal on the last play of the Grey Cup, they quickly earned another chance as the Roughriders had too many men on the field.
The Alouettes took full advantage of the break. Damon Duval nailed a 33-yard field goal and fate changed for the Riders.
"Not much is going to get in (Saskatchewan's) way if they stay focused the entire way through"
After that stinging defeat, the Riders have been a team on a mission in 2010 and it doesn’t look like anything will stop them this year (not even another too many men penalty, which they incurred in Week 1 against Montreal when it looked like they had one the game).
Saskatchewan is playing with a big chip on its shoulder. With a football team that has that much talent, not much is going to get in their way if they stay focused the entire way through.
Leading the way is an offence that is as good as it gets when it comes to Canadian Football betting. After a “sluggish” total of just 24 points in Week 3, the Roughriders are averaging 38 points per game.
Meanwhile, opposing defences are trying to figure out how to stop them.
We’ll get to the passing game in a second, but it’s worth mentioning that running back Wes Cates currently leads the CFL in rushing. Why that’s relevant is because most pundits wrote off the 30-year-old running back, suggesting he was over the hill and past his prime. If you thought he’s lost a step, his 7.7 yards per carry average is telling you to think otherwise.
But it should be fairly easy for him to run – or at least to find space. Saskatchewan’s passing game is lethal.
Quarterback Darian Durant orchestrates the show to perfection, coming off his 2009 most outstanding player nod.
He has completed 61.4% of his passes, thrown for seven touchdowns and just one interception, rushing for two more touchdowns, with an average of 368 total yards per game.
Even better – for him – is that he’s working with the deepest group of receivers in the CFL. From Andy Fantuz, to Prechae Rodrigeuz, to Chris Getzlaf, to Weston Dressler, to Jason Clermont, to Rob Bagg, the Riders are stocked with receivers.
This team is a nightmare to face on a weekly basis.
As mentioned, this team is motivated and betters should be riding them throughout the year until they see otherwise. They are also a decent play on the football betting ‘overs’ as they definitely do their fair share of scoring.
Don’t be surprised if the Roughriders are your Grey Cup Champs of 2010. They are young, talented and hungry, which are all the components necessary to win.
