[Music] it's another leader post rer Rumblings podcast episode 139 coming at you ahead of the Riders next home game on Thursday as they are set to face the Tano Argonauts but of course Daryl as the team returned to practice on Sunday they were without quarterback Trevor Harris who has been officially placed on the six game injured list with an MCL sprain um obviously tough news for a team that has gotten off to a pretty good start at 3 and0 so where do they go from here yeah really a surprise in my mind uh especially after watching him in the last game Hey Taylor that uh he was trying to get back on onto the field into the game so you think well it's not that serious but sounds like a uh MCL problem so strain or a or a sprain I I don't know there is a bit of a difference but Corey ma couldn't couldn't tell us exactly what the difference was and they might be a little wild it was Pro Trevor Harris was out on the field as I saw him didn't you he there on Sunday had a big brace over his knee um was walking around finding and Cory Cory yeah with a limp though said it was moderate not season ending so you know we they'll probably re-evaluate him in a month or so and and see where he's at yeah that's a that's a horrible loss for this football team he he's not only the the key to their offense I think he's the key to the locker room too right they they rally around him he's taken on he he loves that leadership role he realizes in the Canadian Football League the quarterback is the leader the most important position in the CFL obviously VI ly and and he was handling it pretty well he he still hasn't run right Taylor as you pointed out to me that one run that he did take off on and got tackled on he had a bit of a gain but it was negated by a penalty so the fact that he's gone three games without running the football once tells you that they were very cautious with him anyway he's not a running quarterback but they've told him listen it's probably better for you just to take an easy sack than it is to run the football and don't risk anything but the risk has happened and Shay Patterson are they did they keep the right guy yet in training Camp you and I talked about it quite a bit Yeah Shay Patterson looked really good ahead of Mason fine the veteran quarter quarterback who had started a few games for them I think they made the right decision but we're certainly going to see as we move forward and it's it's unfortunate because it is the second straight year that that Harris will miss an extended period of time of course last year they got off to a three and one start with Harris and then he was hurt with a an injury to his right KNE missed the rest of the season this injury not as serious but he's still going to be out for an extended period of time they're off with three and0 starts so do you think they can continue that that pace or do you think they're going to sort of I I want to call it collapse and and fold like they did last season but you could kind of tell the wind was out of their sales last year when they when Harris got hurt or is this a similar situation this year they they were looking for a reason I think to fall apart last year I know that sounds a little bit silly but I I don't think they were all on board with head coach Craig Dickinson and his staff this year there's a different feeling around it you and I have noticed it that they they like Cory Mason is the head coach and the new head coach in his coaching staff they they really feel like part of a family which is what he preaches over and over and over again so um I think they're really we're really looking forward to that when you talk to the players as we did leading up to Thursday's football game they're pretty gung-ho about Shay Patterson having an opportunity of course to say listen we're going to miss Trevor haris of course we are but what a great opportunity this is for sha Patterson we know he can do it he's done it before he didn't play particularly well in his relief appearance when Trevor Harris did get hurt in that game um and the fact that uh he didn't he he addressed that to us in this first media scrum um that he wants to play better than he did I know a lot of people afterwards on thron in shows and letters that we received said hey Shay Patterson played pretty well no he didn't play very well and he knows that as well as anybody does so I think he's looking for a bit of an upward Trend yeah one of the biggest things for him this week I think is just getting those reps calming himself because I I feel like he was a little bit nervous a little bit a happy feed made some made some ill-advised throws he wasn't picked off but he I don't think he looked great in the relief Duty that he saw but there's a lot of adrenaline a lot of nerves when your starting quarterback takes over and then all of a sudden hey you get tapped on the shoulder you're up of course he always says he's going to be ready to start but I think having those preparation days having the Reps having the meetings as the starter every backup says they're going to prepare like the starter and and sure Shay is going to say that but this is really his time now not only prepare like the starter but prepare as the starter with the reps with the meetings leading the meeting room so um I assume that'll calm him down as the week goes on so Thursday's moment won't be too big for him when he makes his first start at the CFL and and he'll he'll sort of take that deep breath and and take those those sort of moments along the way to just understand that you know it is just another football game even though it is this first start he did start at Michigan he started in in massive you know games over his college career he's no stranger to the spotlight but anytime you're getting your first start to in the professional League you know I think there's still nerves to be attached to that as well so hopefully he can calm that down a little bit and almost use that to his Advantage yeah he can say as much as he wants that he's going to be calm and prepared no ma you know regardless of the situation but there is a huge difference especially in saskat to go from the backup quarterback who everybody loves to uh oh how's he going to be as the starter and all that pressure and the focus that goes with it so I'd be interested to see how he does it as you say he's played in big in front of big college crowds but it's different when you're a professional you know the your your livelihood and everybody else's livelihood on the football team kind of depends on how you do so I think there he's going to be nervous and that's good you you want somebody to be nervous you see how they respond what's the old saying either you make the moment or the moment makes you so we'll see how he does uh it it's funny it's it's so interesting watching The Dominoes though right after Trevor Harris gets hurt and Shae Patterson who's kind of been on the sideline just ready oh he goes in and he he even admitted he was a bit surprised that he had to go in and wasn't quite as prepared as he wanted to be all of a sudden Jack Coen the third Stringer is up throwing the football around too because now he's closer to getting on the field too then they bring in Eric Barry a the as their emergency quarterback and probably will add him to the roster The Dominoes keep falling right you have to have everything in place just in case and everybody wants is one step closer to being ready they won't be as good without Trevor Harris but they have to be ready to be at least comparable and want to obviously they want to keep this winning streak alive and playing the Toronto Argonauts isn't going to be obviously will come on as the third Str and he's an interesting guy because he did not look good in his preseason game in Saskatchewan through a couple interceptions for the bombers and then was cut um went back home to La was looking around for jobs and the Riders called him and I don't know what connection was there other than maybe that they saw him against uh cuz they would have had a lot of options you asked Cory Mason Bas and find and if they want to explore that road to bring in another veteran back up I and I I think that bringing in a guy with with upside and then potential and some fresh sort of perspective and then a guy you can groom as the third Stringer is a little bit more important than than say a guy like Mason five but it's interesting that they went out and signed him because Zach Kos I you know he didn't finish that game for Winnipeg on the weekend so I wonder if Winnipeg was going to make a phone call to to Barry before for the SCU got him on the line yeah that's not a bad thought maybe maybe they did they were one step ahead because uh barier practiced with the football team on Sunday and he arrived in Regina from La Via obviously via Air Canada because the West Jed was going on strike that day uh he got there at like 9:15 Sunday morning so and was ready to practice and and stayed afterwards to learn a few things from some of the veterans uh you're right he didn't look very good in his preseason game when he played for winipeg and he admitted that he didn't want to but he's from basically what what should we call it CFL College U right East Washington is Levi Mitchell Vernon Adams Mike Riley there's been a a bunch of CFL quarterbacks come from that school so he's next on the list he's broken a lot of their records so uh I think there were some expectations uh Winnipeg didn't have room for him and Saskatchewan didn't at first either I had no problem with the roster decisions Saskatchewan made that Cory M decided Antonio Pipkin get rid of him he's no good uh get rid of Mason fine he's never shown anything as far as they're concerned bring in somebody new and maybe there's is a guy with a maybe a fresh start uh desperate too as you talked about to him to write your feature story on him the interesting applying at Ikea right to to get a job a lot of these guys have football hoping they make it and if not what's their fallback they hopefully they have degrees and other things but they have to get into the workforce so when you're desperate and you really want to play hard and uh he's got some Talent obviously to have to have massed what he did in college so uh he's going to want to play very hard and he seemed like a nice enough guy didn't he and is enjoyable him and Shae pson are actually teammates in the usfl with Michigan so there's an interesting connection there yeah small world this football world is you know going back to Shay Patterson I was talking to Mark Mueller the offensive coordinator this week and I was sort of asking him about what options does he have with Patterson over Harris and obviously he's not going to reveal his game plan but I think it does add a few wrinkles into running the ball a little bit more or having some of those RPO run pass option plays that that patters can can run but then there's the risk that he takes more hits when you get him out of the pocket so as an offensive coordinator is is using Patterson's legs to your advant an advantage for your team knowing that he's already a second Stringer and if he goes down then raw rookie goes in what do you think about uh the likelihood of Mueller you know using Patterson's legs this week it it it's the most amazing quander isn't it Taylor that you you have to make that decision now uh Mark Mueller has called plays to keep Trevor Harris safe and no matter what he called they're going to get at him and as we did say the hit on Harris was clean there was no you know nothing unor about it so uh that's one good thing about it there's not many good things about it but at least there there wasn't some guy pitting a Garrett Marino on him or anything and yanking at his legs and playing Wishbone so uh the the fact that Shay Patterson can run is is a good thing because that's one of the reasons why they kept him but when you're relying on him now you would if if you lose Shay Patterson dropping down to Jack H who hasn't played at all in the CFL and is just learning the game maybe he'll be good eventually but I don't think he's ready for it yet so that is a risk that Mark Mueller will have to take and you'll have to decide it it will open up the offense a bit because uh teams were obviously keying teeing off on on uh Trevor Harris they knew that he was dropping straight back he wasn't rolling out they were starting to get to him so maybe this adds a little bit of a wrinkle to the Rough Riders offense but is it worth the risk no it's not worth the risk but they have to do something they want to keep winning that's still the most important thing but you don't want to sacrifice quarterback after quarterback the biggest thing that I will you know say about Patterson going forward is that he needs to go down and not get that extra yard unless it's a situation where you know the game's on the line but but when he's out of the pocket as long as you go down and the Riders kind of had that situation with Bardo a few years ago where he was sort of that mobile quarterback and and he found a way to to stay healthy and dive head first is is kind of the the style that he's the worst slider of all time and he love and he plays baseball and I've never seen a quarterback worse at sliding than Cody Fardo he does a lot of good things but sliding isn't one of them so you make a good point would always go head first and we would ask him why he's doing that and he just said Instinct yeah you know if Batterson can keep himself healthy and use his legs to his Advantage obviously I think that boes well for the Riders but it's a tough test because they have the Argonauts here on Thursday Toronto just lost to Montreal 30 to 20 on the weekend and Montreal is is again proven that they're a very very strong team this year but Toronto I think is surprised if you with the play of Cameron Dukes who took over for for the suspended Chad Kelly he's got he's got something right he's got flashes he does that a playmaker he's got some ability um so I think the Riders are going to be in tough you know with Shay patters and getting their startt against I would say a good Toronto team yeah I agree with you Toronto's pretty solid they they added they did lose a lot of people including Cory mace and Josh Bell a lot of some of their coaches AJ olette who finally not finally contributed that's unfair but uh who started contributing a little bit more in the last game so Toronto lost a few players but have reloaded pretty well especially thinking that their their quarterback is suspended for half the season uh Cameron Dukes to me has played well enough and is showing enough promis that when Chad Kelly is ready to come back from his suspension what do you do if you're the if you're the Argonauts so who wants that much trouble I'd just dump them but that's you know that that's different this is a team that's keeping John Murphy on their staff despite the fact that he handled that whole situation so badly he's still basically their assistant general manager so the Argonauts aren't want to make those CH changes like that but uh the way Cameron Dukes is playing I I say you know leave him in what a he's an exciting young man uh he looks he's as polite as everybody the media says he's great to deal with the the the team seems to like him I don't know how much they like Chad Kelly I don't know how you could think that he's a great guy to represent your football team anymore and and Cameron Dukes is winning or at least making you competitive and seems to have a tremendous upside so it's a tough decision for Toronto they are a pretty good football team still and and the Rough Riders certainly will on Thursday night at mosaic Stadium have their I think one of the interesting things uh heading into this week was you know Cory May Josh Bell AG going against their former team obviously some of those story lines have been watered down with the Trevor Harris injury but I still think there's some extra motivation for for any player any coach going against your former team and a team that you you know had success in so I think there will be despite you know having a Patterson takeover there will be some extra motivation for some of the other guys playing against their former team yeah there always is you know the the honest ones admit it the other ones just say deny it right say oh no no it's just another game it's not always just another game when you're playing somebody who who you were with before you not that you always want to show them up you just want to say see I'm a good player and do is there more motivation Don Matthews always used to say if you're not playing your absolute artist every game and you say I'm going to play extra hard against the Toronto Argonauts because they let me go or because I played there before then you're cheating yourself and you're cheating your teammates so but there always is that extra little Edge that you're always thinking you know what I I I want to show them and because you respect them you respected them as teammates quite often so there is that little bit of extra Edge and and you know Cory mace you they didn't want to lose them but he's going to say oh okay see I made a good decision by coming to saskat and I'm a head coach of a good football team you guys I wish you guys nothing but the best except when you play against us it's it's fun how that works out so there as you said there's so many story lines in the CFL when you only got nine teams everybody's played every against somebody else somewhere your your question even to Eric barer oh you know anybody here bar did know anybody here yeah his teammates with Shay Patterson in the usfl so it it happens that way and you so you're always playing against somebody but the storyline this week you're right isn't isn't so much X Aros against the current Argos it's uh without Trevor Harris playing against a pretty good football team in that motivation often times when you play against your former team stems from if they you know cut you or or you were a cast off of them but but most of these guys left you know on their own AJ left because he wanted to be in skatch and same goes for Cory mes Josh Bell all those guys so I you know I think a I don't know if AJ is gonna be more motivated to play his former team you know because he left on his own I I just think he's going to be motivated to now Provide support for Patterson and I think I'm expecting a big game out of AJ elette this week because of the injury to Trevor Harris yeah and uh after the last game when when Trevor Harris went down a whole bunch of reporters asked AJ olette they asked the defensive players when you lose your leader like that what what happens well we take it upon ourselves to step up there's that thing again well you were playing your hardest already weren't you yes but we're aware that we really have to have to do something to help our team win because we don't have the guy who usually makes most of the moves to help our team win so it's it's a funny dichotomy all the time that it works out that way but you do you pick up your game and the defense did they the defense played great last game and you know we're here we are talking mostly about the offense which we usually do but the defense basically won that football game for the saskatch fighers against Hamilton so the Riders have Toronto Thursday and then they face BC Winnipeg and Montreal in the next stretch and uh those are games obviously Trevor Harris is not expected to playing rers are off to a three and0 start can they maintain that that winning streak and you know I certainly don't expect them to win the next four all of the next four to go seven and0 but uh what's the likelihood that they can keep you know that success rate going it was the real Gauntlet isn't it uh talking about this on Ryder Rumblings a few times you you and I Taylor were were saying uh this is that four game package is really going to tell us how good the saskat Run Riders are are they uh uh Pretenders or compe or or Pretenders or competitors for the championship spot right they they really seem to be good to start with but they beat Edmonton who hasn't won a game they've beaten Hamilton twice Hamilton hasn't won a game and now they're playing the teams who who we thought we going to be good although they're they're one of the games is against Winnipeg which as as we speak on this is 0 and four which is surprising to a lot of us right but still capable of being a good team they've weakened themselves in a lot of ways and uh uh so it was going to be a tough four game set and I know the Rough Riders and the fans would be would prefer it if Trevor haris was the starting quarterback nothing against s Patterson but he's the backup because Trevor Harris is the guy who who should be we talked about Toronto we know Montreal's good BC is obviously I think the probably the best team um but just back to Winnipeg for a second off to an 0 and four start surprising because of how good they've been in recent years but when you look at the team they're just you know on paper they're certainly not as strong and then they're they're product on the field it's just not as you know it's not it's not what it once was so what do you think is the issue over there well they've gotten old right uh and mik O Shay too you know knows how to coach the team but they were on their way up when mik oay started taking them over and and won great cups with them and got the they've been in the last four great Cup games right so uh they've been doing something right you can't just say they've lost it completely but they have gotten old they also have lost Kenny Lawler their leading receiver D shell their leading receiver with serious injuries uh they they lost Jamarcus Hardrick to the Rough Riders the right tackle as a free agent uh Patrick newfeld who we all like because he's from Regina is showing his age Stanley Bryant the other left tackle that offensive line isn't the great offensive line it was protecting zacharis for how many years so that's where the key starts right that's where they start fading and losing those play those those great receivers Adam big hill you know a Hall of Fame middle linebacker Willie Jefferson one of the best defensive ends I've ever seen in the Canadian Football League they're not spry football players anymore Jefferson hasn't done much you just keep expecting him to take over a game which he's done for so long as as Adam big hill and they're not anymore you can usually afford to have one or two older guys veteran guys to carry you around they've they're relying on six or seven or eight of them when you look through their entire roster and they just they're not as strong or playmaking worthy I guess is a big way to say it uh as they in a couple years ago so it's it's a surprise are they going to not win a game this year no they'll win a few games and maybe one of their chances is against Saskatchewan but they're not the same team they are anymore when you say BC is probably uh maybe the one of the best teams in the west it looks like Saskatchewan and BC right now are the cream of the crop I I still can't believe Calgary's in there because I'm not a huge Jake Mayer fan but uh uh they they're playing okay and they probably going to be competitive but uh it's interesting if we keep watching Winnipeg fall by the wayside that that's uh I still think calary is I don't know how they beat Winnipeg on the weekend it was a a game which really neither team should have won because it was so bad um but somebody had to win and you know it should have been one of those games where it was a tie because uh neither team deserved to win but it'll be interesting to see you know back to the Riders it'll be interesting to see how they fair with Shay Patterson at the helm on Thursday so um you know final thoughts ahead of the game um for the Riders on Thursday the uh the watching Toronto uh lose to Montreal Montreal's defense who would really uh you know the Cody Fardo the quarterback and he's got some good receivers he he and Philpot have connected it's amazing how how well they're playing together and they're making the plays they have to on offense but that that Montreal defense has has just been a outstanding right it's a it's still wrong that sea lemon is playing for that football team right that he's he's a defensive end he should be suspended for betting on his team that's that's a no-brainer and they tried to suspend him he's back playing uh and he's a part of it he's a piece of it and that that's when you hear Cody fero talk they've got that chip on their shoulder which he's always loved to carry around and I think that's part of it too that they're they're carrying around a chip on their shoulder thinking the entire league is out to get them and they're the great Cup champions for crying out loud they're they're a good football team but and they're pretty strong really strong on offense and Jason Moss is doing a great job at coach but that defense by nol Thorp is just playing unb believably well and that's I think how much all beat Toronto and if Saskatchewan can get its defense playing as well as it should it hasn't been a great defense so far played a great game against Hamilton probably won that one but we're expecting a lot more out of that out of that saskin defense aren't we and if if they get a real good performance out of the defense against Toronto I think that I think it will come down to defense but also as I mentioned if AJ olette has a big game and and kind of carries this team on his back and takes the pressure off of Patterson I think Patterson will be just fine I don't think he's going to throw for 300 and then three touchdowns but I think if he puts together or Mueller puts together an effective game plan that that uses some pass and more run um with Patterson with ulette I think that's how they'll be successful so we'll see if the argonut have an answer for what I expect to will be a a run heavy Riders game plan on Thursday yeah I agree with you they have to run the football they started to against Hamilton who let go some openings they were throwing the football to him him to him and running him outside a little bit more so than than you expect because you think of AJ olette as a straight up the middle Runner but uh they got him going and I think that's going to be a huge huge part of all right well that's it for episode 139 of the ryer Rumblings podcast so Daryl thanks again for joining us and we'll talk to you next week you see you in practice