Rock solid: Armstead's 207 rushing yards ends Riders' 7-game slide
5h ago
The Roughriders beat the Stampeders for their first win since July.
It was a dose of reality.
Cody Fajardo, and some others on this Saskatchewan Roughriders team, found out that there is a big difference between the East Division and the West Division in the Canadian Football League. Even with a backup quarterback in, the defending Grey Cup champions were too much for the Riders’ defence on Saturday night. Nick Arbuckle threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns against what was a formidable defence.
On offence, Fajardo was confident, but he and his offensive teammates were not ready for Chris Casher, Tre Roberson and a defence that dominated Saskatchewan’s offensive line. Evidence of this came when the Riders had no rushing yards after the first quarter.
There is no shame in being beaten by the defending Grey Cup champions. There were no excuses by the Riders after the game, nor should there have been. Injuries and a short turnaround time may have played a factor in a close loss. Saskatchewan’s issues obviously go far beyond that when beaten by 27 points at home.