Rider Broadcast Network Colour Analyst, Luc Mullinder, shares his keys to the game before every Saskatchewan Roughriders game. Luc’s keys to the game are for the KFC Game Day special: $4.95 for a Big Crunch and $7.
Here are Luc’s keys for Saturday’s game against Calgary.
I've gone back and forth about this game, and I think this could be a shootout. This could be one of those, like we saw with the BC Lions and Toronto Argonauts, right? It could be a 44-45 game.
The more I think about it, the more I think this will be a close game where touchdowns and yards will be hard to come by. So, I believe that the first key to today's game is you have to capitalize on the hidden yards, right? Special teams-wise, we need greatness in the kicking game.
The Calgary Stampeders and V.A. must be forced to go the length of the field as much as possible. On the flip side, we've got to flip the field. We've got to give our team a short field to work with when Trevor Harris has his possession and 10 offences out. So, you've got to capitalize on those hidden yards today. And more importantly, I think you've got to keep pace with the Calgary Stampeders. Hidden yards equal hidden points. Rene Paredes plays a role in today's game, and we must match his ability.
Rene Paredes has been lights out all year. He's been lights out his whole career. And I think he's an advantage today, specifically if the game plays out how I think it will play out.
So, capitalize on the hidden yards.
The second key is to flip the turnover battle. Last time they played, we've already noted that the Calgary Stampeders forced four turnovers on the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
So, what does that mean for today against a defence with 19 picks in 2025? You've got to stay out of second and seven plus. You've got to avoid second and 10 plus as much as you can. Calgary is deadly there. So, that means we will have to have some first-down success.
So, flipping the turnover battle is going to be crucial. Also, in this game against this team, third and short is no longer a guarantee because the Calgary Stampeders come into this game forcing nine failed conversions on offences in those short yardage situations. So, you've got to avoid failing on the third and shorts.
You've got to stay out of second and seven plus and second and 10, and then you're going to have a chance to flip that turnover battle because I do think that they're able to manufacture some turnovers today against V.A. And that's what goes into our third key, disguising the intent.
When I look at VA and his career progression in this league, I used to be really hard on him because I thought he was a quarterback with great ability. But man, he just had this tendency to sit there and stare at his first read. And that's where he would go, and it would cause turnover after turnover, and he'd be really up and down. That's not the VA we're seeing.
We've seen VA over the last couple of years. I think he's matured a lot. He's playing like a mobile veteran.
So, when you have that, I think you've got to throw different things. You've got to get him thinking as much pre-snap as possible. And then as soon as the ball is snapped, you've got to get things changing in front of him.
So, we've got to simulate a ton of pressure. We know the Saskatchewan Roughriders can get there with four. Well, you know what we need to do? Line up and threaten seven, let's continue changing what he sees. Let's disguise the coverage, right? Let's show him two-man coverage, okay? Pre-snap and then roll into cover three as soon as the ball is snapped, right? So, things like that.
We've just got to figure out a way to throw different things at V.A. pre- and post-snap. And I think if we can get him thinking, we might be able to get him. If I'm the linebacker that is responsible for the running back for Dedrick Mills in coverage, if I see Dedrick Mills staying in, I'm blitzing right off the bat. I'm not waiting. I'm not sitting back there and waiting for him. If he's in as a blocker, I'm blitzing.
So, I think that's what we've got to do. We've got to throw some things off. So, first, capitalize on the hidden yards. Second, flip the turnover battle today. And third, disguise the intent in front of a quarterback playing really well.
