Wray Morrison's Blog

I have been accused of being a fence sitter in the past. However, it is the Friday before Grey Cup. It's prediction time. The Montreal Alouettes will defeat the Calgary Stampeders by 13 points in the 96th Grey Cup championship.

Now that the Riders season has concluded, what does the future hold?

Let's start with everyone's favourite topic, the quarterback. When Michael Bishop came over from Toronto, many of my friends from T.O., who watched and covered the boatmen, said "The Riders will never win with him!" Those people weren't totally right. He showed flashes of brilliance during the season. Yet after Saturday's western final it's pretty evident that a playoff performer will need to emerge from this position. Bishop may not be that guy. I still believe that Darian Durant gives this offense the best chance to win, but like every quarterback he wants to be an uncontested starter. If that situation does not exist in Regina, then he may be else where for 2009.

There is no need for an offensive overhaul on this team. Injuries, although not a huge factor the playoff loss to BC, were a huge factor in the regular season. It's tough to forecast where this team would be had their not been a rash of broken legs and the Matt Dominguez leg injury. What this team was able to do with players such as Adam Nicolson, Vincent Marshall, Stu Foord, etc. etc. was amazing. Had this team gone the distance with players like Andy Fantuz and D.J. Flick it may have been a much different story today.

Status quo may be the way to go on defense as well. The Riders led in many categories early in the season. Defensive co-ordinator Richie Hall had a defense that caused opposing offenses fits. There may be one or two free agents that GM Eric Tillman may have to move, but the same defensive scheme with the same group will be successful again in 2009.

Then there is coaching. The only flaw in Ken Miller and the coaching staff that I can find is the way the quarterbacks were handled at times. Late in the season two interceptions basically meant you were on the bench. However, it was clear at the end of the year that the rules of the game changed a bit. Michael Bishop was given this team during the final week of the regular season, and pehaps left in too long in the western semi final loss to B.C. This take me back to my opening statement. It's up for Tillman and the Riders coach staff to find and work with a playoff performer and have him be the guy the regular season. Calgary won the west divisoin title, Montreal won the east, and there is no doubt as to who their starting quarterbacks are. Players know that Ken Miller is in charge, and he gets the most out of his players by treating them like men. From the outside looking in, it appears to be a close knit coaching group. That's never a bad thing.

One final thought to the Rider fans. It's been over a decade since a team has repeated as Grey Cup champions. To take a line from "A League Of Their Own"......"If it was easy, everyone would do it".

That game just about made me sick last night!!!!!

Oh well....Happy Halloween

Eskimos fans are wondering if  Maurice Lloyd's tackle on Eskimos quarterback Ricky Ray was a helmet to helmet hit back on Saturday. It's ironic that this is being discussed at the same time as the NHL is looking in to limiting head shots. 

The question I have is why not allow technology to be used? Replays have been brought in to get calls right, correct? My idea is to leave such calls to the discretion of the referee based on another look. In the CFL a helmet to helmet hit could lead to an ejection and a 15 yard penalty against a team if the referee thought it was flagrant after looking at a replay. In the NHL a head shot could lead to an ejection and a five minute penalty to a team. That would stop these incidents for sure.

Preventing players from being paralyzed, or worse, is far more important than if a puck crossed a line or if a ball was fumbled.

I like teams that stick together. The Riders are one of those teams. The expectation has been that when one player goes down the next had better be ready to step in. That was a Kent Austin strategy that worked like a charm to last year's Grey Cup run. However, I don't beleive anyone could have prepared for this season. Five broken legs just scratch the surface as to what has gone wrong this year. The Getzlaf's, Marshall's and Foord's have been tremendous. However they should not be compared to a Fantuz, a Flick or a Cates. That statement may upset coaches and players of this team, but it's true. After Sunday's 37 point loss to Calgary, it's clear that some healthy bodies need to return for this team to even have a chance of winning a playoff game, let alone win a championship.      

The magic is over. After Sunday's loss to Montreal, it's evident that the Riders clearly need some veterans back on offense in order to compete with the elite of the CFL. The Riders appear to be a team that is clearly second guessing itself. One example of that came in the first half. Michael Bishop hit Rob Bagg on a huge pass and run play that put the Riders inside the Alouette five yard line. Saskatchewan couldn't convert. They had to settle for a field goal. If go to guy Wes Cates is in the lineup, the Riders have a much better chance of scoring on a play like that. It's honorable that the Riders don't want to use injuries as an excuse. However Cates, Fantuz and Flick  were dearly missed today.

I am puzzled as to why Darian Durant did not see any action in this football game. Michael Bishop was pulled early against BC. Sunday in the midst of alot of struggles (not all of which were Bishop's fault) coach Ken Miller stayed with Bishop. A change in quarterback may have given the Riders the spark they needed to atleast compete in Montreal. It could stil be argued that Darian Durant has been the best Riders starting quarterback this season. Why he didn't see playing time is beyond me.

Over and Out.

I'll never say, "Hey pal, can you pass me a beer", to anyone in the east side stands at Mosaic Stadium again.  Sorry.

Since I don't read the responses to this blog anyway, I figure it's safe to ask this question without being accused of trying to stir up a quarterback controversy. Who should the Riders start at quarterback Saturday against B.C.? It is a legitimate question. Arguably Darian Durant has been the best quarterback that the Riders have put on the field this year. He had back to back 340 yard games through the air and two wins in two starts. It's not fair to blame Michael Bishop for the team's loss to BC last Saturday, but Durant has had the most consistent, hottest hand this season. Of course it won't be an issue unless there is better pass protection this week.

I like what Don Matthews has done in Toronto. He has shown a floundering team who is boss. You can bet that the winningest coach in the CFL didn't have to consult with anyone before deciding to replace Kerry Joseph as starter and replace him with Cody Pickett. In some ways maybe Rich Stubler didn't get the support he needed. There seem to be a divide from head office to the field as to who should play, and plays should be run. Wtih Matthews that's not an issue anymore. That may help.

The Canadian TSX  fell by more than 200 points this morning. Yesterday it was a 500-point plummet. Don't panic though, Prime Minister Stephen Harper says we aren't in a recession. I feel better.

Over and out.