'They've got to score some points': Wes Cates says improvements needed for Rider's offense following loss against B.C

The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ season record worsened to 3-3 following the club’s 19-9 loss against the B.C. Lions. Wes Cates says that Mason Fine played a solid first game as starting QB but offense remains the Rider’s main issue.

Brit Dort

Brit Dort alongside Wes Cates for another edition of X’s and O’s – a special remote edition for the both of us. Welcome in Wes.

Wes Cates

“Hey Brit, what have you got for me this week? It was an interesting game but let’s talk about it.”

We're going to break it down – a little part of me says there's not much really to talk about because it felt like there wasn't really anything going on for the offense for the Riders but Mason Fine – his first start taking over as the starter for the Riders. Evaluate his performance for me.

“You know, what I was I was fine with Mason Fine’s performance – he had his ups and his downs but I really liked the way he went through his progressions. I really saw him look off either look away from the side he wanted to go to. I saw him go through two, three, maybe four reads a couple of times. There was a couple of times in the end zone or in the red zone area where he kind of got a little rattled and made some bad choices. And then that pick he threw – that first pick that he threw up – I really thought it was because he took a little bit too far of a drop and then the rushing kind of got around the tackle, pressured him into backing it up in any kind of threw a throw fading away and it resulted in like a pick against good DB’s. But that second one, I really thought that was Tevin Jones that really he came out of his route looking like he was on breaking off flat towards the sideline. The DB played it well and then he tried to take it on a higher angle – but it was too late – Mason had already let go of the ball. But other than that, a couple of times where I think he maybe should have pulled it on the RPO, the Run Pass Option, I think that he played a solid game it was just the play calling didn't really help him out much.”

Well let’s go to the other side of the ball and talk about the Riders defense. Because we know they were lacking on the sack front heading into this game, but then they actually came out pretty strong and they really did hold the Riders in that game. What can you say about that?

“Jason Shivers and his defense, they answered the bell. I was really proud of the way they played. You know they're going up against a top tier team. People have been complaining about them, not getting home to the quarterback getting sacks, DB’s struggling a bit. You had Henderson get a pick, you had a slough of D lineman gets sacks. Really Christmas should have had a sack that was a terrible call. I thought that it was kind of just a natural motion although he did get up in the head area of the QB – I really thought that the ref should have let that go - overturn it. I thought that was a good challenge by Dicky. And then they just played solid up against the runs didn't really give up too much a couple of bad plays or missed tackles other than that they just played stellar. I was really excited with the way they played and they answered the bell.”

Well they’re going to have to answer the bell next week when they take on the top team in the east, the Argonauts. So what does this team have to do in order to get above 500 again?

“Brit, it’s about the O really. Its really, they’ve got to score some points. This is the CFL, the rules are designed to help offenses out. You really got to go into a game as an offense thinking we got to get around the 30 point mark. Anything around 21 is just really not doing enough in this league. So really 25 to 30 points is what you should be shooting for as an offense and really on a good day looking at 40 or 40 plus points because it's really about the offense. All one has to figure out how to get some push. They did a decent job of protecting Mason Fine considering that rush and that great defense that B.C. is playing. So I'm gonna maybe give them a little bit of slack because it was the best defense in the league but offence has to step up. Special teams - hopefully we can get Super Mario to take another one back for us - give us a six point, seven point cushion there and the beacons keep playing well and I think we have a chance. But it's about this offense putting up points.”

Okay well, very quickly, we’re low on time you got to give your grade for the team this week.

“Yeah, I saw some good things. I'm not going to fail them this week. But that offense really pulled down the grade. I'm given the D plus again. But the offense has to show me something this week or we're failing them next week, Brit.”

Yeah, we're really shooting for a pass these days. But alright thanks for this one Wes.