Saskatchewan Roughriders looking to fix slow starts after bye week

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are leading the CFL, but they say slow starts are putting them in danger of losing that edge.

The Riders have started from behind in nine of their first 13 games, and Saturday’s 48-31 loss to the Montreal Allouttes at Mosaic Stadium was the latest example. An early interception and costly penalties left the Riders behind from the first quarter, a trend quarterback Trevor Harris said trend cannot continue.

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“We’re just not starting well, and it’s got to stop,” Harris said.

“It’s not something we want to make a habit, because we’ve been able to dig ourselves out of holes all year, but today the hole was a little too big.”

The Riders managed to battle back in the second half against Montreal, but never fully recovered. Harris said it’s his responsibility to set the tone early in games and make sure the offence sustains drives.

“Two-and-outs are something that we can’t do, because it keeps our defence on the field,” Harris said. “I need to be better and a little more crisp so we can stay on the field, finish drives and end in points.”

Receiver Ajou Ajou, who had his best game since returning to the lineup, said the personal milestone meant little to him after the result.

“Any loss is tough, so you just gotta be resilient. Bounce back. That’s it,” Ajou said. “We know what we got in this locker room… we’re gonna keep on working.”

He said the solution lies in execution.

“We’re intrinsically motivated,” Ajou said. “We just gotta work on the details.”

Head coach Corey Mace was blunt about his team’s defensive lapses, pointing to missed tackles and breakdowns that allowed Montreal receiver Tyson Philpot to rack up more than 200 yards.

“We didn’t tackle for nothing tonight,” Mace said. “Ultimately, there were plays out there for us. We just have to make them, and we didn’t.”

Mace said he’s concerned by how often his team has been left digging itself out of early deficits.

“I do agree with Trevor,” Mace said. “If we can figure out how not to wait a quarter to get that done, the outcome is different. We just got to go execute from the first whistle.”

But despite the loss, the Riders still hold a 10-3 record and first place in the league, with five games left in the regular season. Mace said the bye week is coming at the right time, giving the players a chance to heal and reset, but he stressed that his expectations do not change.

“If you don’t come with it, you’re going to be in for a long night, and we were tonight,” Mace said. “Remember who we are. We work our ass off, so let’s continue to do that.”

The Riders return from the bye week on Sept. 27, when they face off against the Elks in Edmonton.