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 $7.95 for a Big Crunch combo at participating Saskatchewan KFC locations.
Here are Luc’s keys for Saturday’s game vs. Calgary.
The first key is pass rush lanes and levels with a guy like Vernon Adams Jr., who can extend plays and does a good job of finding receivers downfield rather than just becoming a runner.
You've got to keep him in the pocket. Force him to beat you in the pocket, because I think if he has a weakness in his game, it is exactly that. So when I say pass rush lanes and levels, there can't be too much separation between one defensive lineman and another that way, because gaps open up and get wider. Levels are specifically for the defensive ends.
Once you're brushing the passer and you get as high as the quarterback's shoulders, you need to be cognizant of turning back inside because the minute you start overpursuing, the quarterback just steps under you, adjusts his launch point, and then releases the football, potentially to a first-down receiver. So that's your first key.
The second key is to win the firsts. The Riders have to do a better job moving forward in the first quarter.
They know that everybody knows that. So you've got to win the first quarter, and you've got to win first down against the Stampeders, specifically against their offence. The reason I say that is they're not a very effective team when it comes to those second-and-seven-plus situations.
So, if you can get this team in second and long, keep Vernon Adams in the pocket. You might have some success, and the turnovers might be there for you.
The other key to this game is a coaching matchup. Marc Mueller, who I thought has done a fantastic job this year, specifically two weeks ago with his backup quarterback, Jake Maier, has been rolling out strategic things that have been perfect for this team and this offence.
They're getting into the end zone. They're not as reliant on field goal kicks. But today, he comes in against a very tenured coach in Bob Slowik, who spent 15 years in the NFL, was the defensive coordinator in Montreal in 2019 and 2020, and has some successful defences there.
This guy is as studious as they come. So, Marc Mueller versus Bob Slowik will be an interesting one regarding this game's matchups and strategic rollout. Bob Slowik has probably spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to do after stopping the run.
How do you get this team? How do you defend this team in a second and short, for instance? Because that's where teams have really been struggling against.
Obviously, you guys know second and short. When it's second and long, you have your whole playbook available versus just some of it. So those are the three keys.
Passers, lanes, and levels win the firsts, as do Mueller versus Slowik. I can't wait to see that matchup.
