WOW What else can you say ?

WOW !!! That is about the only way to describe the Riders overwhelming win over the Calgary Stampeders on Sunday 49-8.as the fourty one point spread differential is one of the largest in the Stamp -Rider rivalry. It was a case of error free football by the Riders which is so refreshing.---no dumb penalties, no procedures problems ,no mixed up and confused players. Just a smart well oiled efficient machine hitting on all cylinders just like it is drawn up on the drawing boards. The team is playing with a great deal of confidence and concentration and as a result their execution percentage is very high.

Kent Austin has to be given the major credit for getting his charges to perform at this consistently high level for two games in a row outscoring their opponents 65-15 and making life miserable for opposition signal callers with twelve quarterback sacks. over those two games. The Prairie Marauders fine themselves tied with the defending Grey Cup champion BC Lions for first place in the West at two and zero which is a spot this team is not accustomed to.

The surprise has been the performance of the defense which has undergone some major changes. and was not expected to perform at this intense a level until later on in the season.but veteran defensive Co-ordinator Richie Hall has done a fantastic job of getting spectacular efforts out of both veterans like Eddie Davis, Reggie Hunt ,Scott Shultz and newcomers like defensive end John Chick and outside linebacker Sean Lucas. The defense has given up only one touchdown in two games.

Kerry Joseph looks like a different Quarterback from last year as he is making quicker reads and is getting the ball off faster. and his ability to scramble and throw on the run is an added plus. The all out effort of receivers to catch the football was exemplified by the spectacular touchdown receptions of Jason Armstead and D J Flick on Sunday..The offensive line with three newcomers on it is for the most part protecting the quarterbacks and opening up holes for a better than expected ground game.

Special teams which have in the past been an Achilles heel for the Roughriders have this year under the direction of Alex Smith been almost perfect with outstanding kick coverage and punter and kick off specialist Jamie Boreham is doing a tremendous job of keeping Rider opponents hemmed in deep in their end of the field with some booming punts and kick offs.

All in all things are rosy in Riderville like they have not been for a long time and the die hard Green and White lovers see a genuine ray of hope at the end of the rainbow. Nobody is planning a parade route yet but some are looking at possible locations as more and more of the hangeroners become believers.

All agree on one thing the ultimate test for this team is this Friday nights encounter with Wally Buono and his BC Lions. at Mosaic Stadium in an early season showdown battle for first place in the West. The Leos are the defending Grey Cup champions and have not looked that overpowering in their two victories.over Toronto 24-22 and over the Eskimos 29-9. but still have the ability to make it happen when they have to.

The Roughrider defense will have their biggest test on Friday facing the best offensive line in the CFL anchored by the Outstanding offensive lineman in the league last year in Rob Murphy a six foot fiive inch three hundred and twenty five mean monster from Ohio State and three NFL teams at offensive tackle who the Lions recruited last year for the sole purpose of protecting quarterback Dave Dickenson.Murphy is generally regarded as the best ,meanest , intimidating and dirtiest lineman in the league and he along with Jason Jiminez at the other tackle position who was also recruited
last year give the BC squad the best tackle tandem in the league.They will have their hands full as the Riders front seven are the best in the league right now and with Dickensons lack of mobility they should experience there most difficult test in a long time. as the Saskatchewan crew come all out on every play with a combination of blitzing and stunting packages that are very hard to pick up.They believe in sending more after the Quarterback than there are blockers to handle them and thus one man should be completely free to pursue the signal caller.This was a strategy used by the Eskimos in their incredible run of success when they won five Grey Cups in a row from 1978-1982 in which Rider defensive Line Coach Ron Estay was a key member.and to date has driven Anthony Calvillo,Henry Buriss and Akili Smith crazy.


The Lions are loaded with Outsatnding personnel on both sides of the line with last years outstanding CFL player wide receiver Geroy Simon back to terrorize enemy secondaries and defensively the CFL,s outstanding defensive player from last year Canadian defensive end Brent
Johnson. leads the defense which was number one in 2006.

The Lions lost only five games last year but three of those were to Saskatchewan who defeated them three times in regular season play but lost their fifth meeting in the Western Final 45-18.as the Lions came up big when they had to.

Friday nights contest should be the best game to date in the CFL as we go into the third week and if the Riders are victorious the Province of Saskatchewan will be in a frenzied state of euphoria after the game and do not bet against it.