Hey, who called it?
I dunno…if the Riders play the Stamps the same way they played the Argos today, it might be a celebratory beer.
What happened to the Riders today? That was a disappointing game; I expected to see a better performance from the Riders. On the other hand, if the Riders maintain that level of play, then the Stamps might have a chance. 
2 years in a row… no playoff love for my Eskies…
Now I am forced to cheer for whoever is playing Calgary.
That sucks.
You may now point and laugh.
.
Remember, meek: “My enemy’s enemy is my friend.”
Come join the Rider Nation, at least on a visitor’s visa…
As for the game on Saturday: bleh. What a cold game to sit through.
One reason may be that they were resting starters - there were a lot of people out there in green and white whose names I didn’t recognise. I don’t think that’s enough of an explanation - i hope it serves as a wake-up call for next week.
On the plus side, we did get to test out our cold-weather gear for next week. Mrs. Piper’s green wig and Rider Santa toque kept her toasty warm, as did my stylish Rider duck-huntin’ cap, complete with ear flaps.
::sigh:: ~ Well ok… I guess.
[sub]Go green team. Woo![/sub]
Aw damn, that just hurts. :smack:
That’s the spirit!
The Roughriders sold out their home playoff game in 25 minutes.
In Winnipeg, on game day, “plenty of good seats are still available” - about 8,000 or so.
Poor Blue! 
Go Riders! 
Three minutes to go…26 to 17 for the Riders…I have no fingernails left!
Wow - that was the longest fourth quarter I remember. At one point, Mrs. Piper turned to me and said, “Why does it feel like we’re losing?” One touchdown, on the first play of the game, was a long way away when there were only 5 minutes left…
Final score: 26-24, Riders! First home playoff game since 1988, and first home playoff win in 30 years. But it felt ugly. I’m not sure about next week against B.C. …
Yes, that first Riders touchdown–and the subsequent dropping of the ball by Burris on Calgary’s first possession–nearly had me turning off the TV and doing something more interesting. The game seemed over at that point. (No, I didn’t get to the sports bar; I watched at home.)
But then a lucky bounce and knowledge of football rules gave Calgary a 113-yard runback for a TD, and the game got interesting again. Though I did notice the Riders got cocky a few times, and Calgary took advantage of that: Burris’s long and accurate bombs put the Riders in their place. On the other hand, the Riders were very good at putting their receivers where Calgary defenders weren’t, and “eating” their way up the field. The game got interesting again; it was a football game, not a blowout.
And that final play, where Calgary nearly recovered their own onside kick, we were on the edge of our seats. Darn penalty!
If I had one criticism of the Riders’ play, it would be an over-reliance on field goals. Sure, they’re points on the board and points win football games. But six in a single game? This may be why the game was as close as it was: Calgary was intent on scoring TDs with FGs as a contingency plan; the Riders seemed to be intent on scoring field goals and if they managed to score a TD too, well, so much the better. Of course that’s an overly simplistic observation, since no team really intends to do that. But it did get a little tiresome: “Oh, Saskatchewan’s inside Calgary’s 40? Well, let’s watch another field goal on third down.”
So the Riders won against Calgary and are up against BC next week. Any thoughts/predictions on that matchup?
[sub] Woo. Good job Roughwriters. Go green team.[/sub]
::Points and laughs at the Stamps::
::Remembers that the Eskies have finished last in the west for two straight years::
::sobs uncontrollably into beer::
There, there, meek.
:: pats shoulder::
Better luck next year, and all that.
Here, have another beer.
:: hands meek a Pilsner ::
Hey, if meek is cheering for the Riders, he might as well have a Pilsner with its nice Rider Green label…
Spoons, I really don’t know what to expect next week. On the one hand, there’s that “only one touchdown” thing. On the other hand, the Riders had great ball control (I think overall, they had the ball for 35 minutes or so). I think they were playing cautiously, once they had the lead, and concentrated on keeping the ball and moving it steadily, but without taking too many risks (see: pass to Fantuz, interception thereof).
As well, I think a big part of their plan was to focus on the Stamps’ weak point: Henry Burris. As shown by the first match-up of the season (and last year’s western semi-final) if you can rattle Henry, you’ve got a very good chance of winning, because he has a strong tendency to cough up the ball and turn it over when he’s rattled. (As Tom Higgins noted, in a very polite but telling comment in the post-game interview.)
The defence did a good job of doing that - at one point in the late third or early fourth quarter, Henry started leaving the huddle and walking alone in the back-field during advert breaks. He does that when he’s rattled and trying to compose himself. I nudged Mrs. Piper and pointed it out - it’s a good sign for the opposing team when Henry’s doing that.
Plus, Henry fumbling the ball on his second offensive play of the game, all by himself, with no Riders around, couldn’t have helped his psyche - there was no one to blame for that but himself. For Rider fans, it was very much a [Nelson] Ha-ha! [/Nelson] moment.
So, overall, it wasn’t a spectacular offensive game, but I think it was part of a cautious, defence-oriented game plan. I don’t think that will work against B.C., so I hope they have a more aggresive offensive plan, and are able to execute it. Injuries are still a factor - the team is limping.
(And why did Chris Szarka, big reliable Szarks, choose this point in the season to have a table saw accident with his fingers…he’ll be all right, but why, Szarks, why? why now? Off-season is when you work on home carpentry projects! Don’t play silly buggers with those valuable mitts of yours in the run-up to the playoffs!)