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Morning Coffee: Riders at a crossroads entering Week 10 of CFL Season
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It’s one of my favourite times on the sports calendar.
We’re about to hit the midway mark of the CFL season.
On the other side of the border, the NFL pre-season is about to get into full swing, while the college football season is right around the corner.
It’s the perfect prelude to the absolutely loaded football calendar that’s right around the corner for September.
It won’t be long before November rolls around and we’re parlaying the CFL Eastern and Western semi-finals with the full college football Saturday and NFL Sunday slates.
Tonight, the NFL pre-season continues on TSN with the Detroit Lions and New York Giants wrapping up a physically intense week of joint practices with their first exhibition game.
The Giants are currently a 3.5-point favourite at FanDuel.
Elsewhere, a new era is set to begin in Foxborough tonight as we get set for Jerod Mayo’s debut as head coach and Drake Maye’s first exhibition game at quarterback for the New England Patriots.
Mayo has already confirmed that Maye, fellow rookie Joe Milton, and the veteran Jacoby Brissett will all play against the Carolina Panthers tonight.
Bryce Young will be sitting this one out for the Panthers.
The Patriots are a 6.5-point favourite at FanDuel.
Switching gears to the CFL, Week 10 begins with a highly anticipated showdown between the Ottawa Redblacks and the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Thursday Night Football.
The Redblacks, fresh off a bye week and riding a three-game win streak, own the second-best record in the CFL at 5-2.
Ottawa is a perfect 4-0 straight up and against the spread at TD Place this season.
Meanwhile, Saskatchewan has trended in the opposite direction following a hot start to the season.
Tonight, the Riders find themselves in what could ultimately turn out to be a critical juncture in the season on a short week on the road against a tough opponent.
This is the Morning Coffee for Thursday August 8th, 2024.
Riders At A Crossroads Entering Week 10 Of CFL Season
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are at a crossroads as we hit the midway mark of the 2024 CFL season.
A couple of weeks ago, the Riders looked like a legitimate Grey Cup contender sitting at 5-1 both straight up and against the spread.
It’s been a rough ride for Corey Mace’s squad ever since.
In Week 8, Saskatchewan seemed poised to secure their sixth win of the season when they led the Montreal Alouettes 16-3 at the half.
However, the Alouettes stormed back in the second half, scoring 17 unanswered points to rally for a 20-16 victory.
Then in Week 9, the Riders closed as a 4.5-point favourite against the winless Edmonton Elks.
Despite leading in the third quarter, Saskatchewan was outscored 22-10 in the fourth quarter of a 42-31 loss.
It was Edmonton’s first win of the season.
On the heels of back-to-back losses to the Alouettes and Elks, the Riders are at a critical juncture entering Week 10.
They’re currently a 3.5-point underdog for tonight’s game in the nation’s capital at FanDuel.
A win tonight in Ottawa would propel Saskatchewan into sole possession of first place in the West Division and quiet any concerns surrounding their recent struggles.
Conversely, a third consecutive loss would leave the Riders just one game above .500, with a rematch against the current Grey Cup favourite in Montreal looming in Week 11.
The immediate road ahead is potentially daunting.
After tonight’s road game against the rested Redblacks, Saskatchewan will host Montreal, travel to face the Toronto Argonauts in Week 12, then return home to face the suddenly surging Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Meanwhile, we could also see the Riders make a change at quarterback following tonight’s game in Ottawa.
Shea Patterson has thrown for 1,300 yards and four touchdowns in five starts for Saskatchewan.
If he can lead the Riders to a win tonight, Patterson’s record this season would improve to 3-3.
A loss would drop Patterson’s record to 2-4.
Saskatchewan is set to active Trevor Harris from the six-game injured list, and the expectation is that he will retake his job as the starter once he’s ready to return.
The Riders went 3-0 straight up and against the spread with Harris as their quarterback.
However, those three wins came against the Elks and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, two teams that are a combined 3-13 this season.
As we enter the second half of the CFL season, there’s still plenty of question marks to be answered around the league.
Saskatchewan is currently the third choice to win the Grey Cup at +500 at FanDuel.
Only the Alouettes (+170) and the BC Lions (+340) have shorter odds to win it all this season.
Are the Riders a legitimate Grey Cup contender?
Or are they bound to cool off as a second-tier team following a hot start versus inferior opponents?
FanDuel’s updated Grey Cup odds point to the former.
Then again, it wasn’t that long ago that the Bombers were the Grey Cup favourite and now they are the sixth choice in that market at +1000.
Saskatchewan is at a crossroads entering Week 10.
With Harris set to return and a tough slate of opponents around the corner, we’re about to find out whether the Riders have what it takes to be a legitimate championship contender this season.