OFFENSIVE LINE NEEDS TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS

The Saskatchewan Roughriders' offensive line prepares to take on the host Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Banjo Bowl on Sunday.
Photograph by: Roy Antal, Leader-Post

REGINA — They say first impressions are lasting.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers' Odell Willis and Phillip Hunt certainly impressed members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders' offensive line during Sunday's Labour Day contest, their initial meeting of the 2010 CFL season.

"They're both pretty good," said Riders 16-year veteran Gene Makowsky. "We definitely had our hands full with them. They gave us tackles a hard time, for sure."

The Riders allowed three sacks in the 27-23 victory, but those numbers don't tell the whole story. Willis and Hunt, who have a combined 13 sacks this season, pressured and disrupted Riders quarterback Darian Durant for much of the contest.

Despite throwing for more than 300 yards, Durant was hurried in a lot of his reads, was knocked down more than a few times and had a handful of passes deflected at the line of scrimmage. Willis and Hunt were often the usual suspects.

Makowsky knows he and his fellow linemen will have to be better for Sunday's rematch in the sold-out Banjo Bowl in Winnipeg.

"They have really good speed and some good moves and they have some power behind them too," Makowsky said. "You can't ask for much more in a defensive lineman.

"There have been a lot of great defensive ends over the years, and I guess that's why I have a few more grey hairs than I used to. But (Willis and Hunt) certainly have the complete package."
Dan Goodspeed, the Roughriders' right tackle, said he and Makowsky had watched plenty of game film on the Blue Bombers' defensive front four leading into the Labour Day clash.

Goodspeed said the biggest adjustment he'll need to make in the rematch with Willis and Hunt is simply to get out of his stance quicker and get his hands on the smaller and quicker defensive ends.

"I'd go to punch at them and they'd dodge it and move around me," Goodspeed explained. "They were good at not letting me get my hands on them. But now that we've seen them up close, we know what to do to change our approach."

He also said the Bombers' pass rush didn't come as a surprise.

"They're a new entity in the CFL," Goodspeed said. "I have notebooks piled up from over the years on pass rushers that I've seen. I didn't have one for these guys.

"(But) it wasn't like all of a sudden these guys showed and came as a surprise to us. We knew they were good and we knew they had been giving their opponents fits all season."

In order to keep Willis and Hunt on their heels on Sunday, Makowsky and Goodspeed agreed that Wes Cates and Riders' running game would need to be established.

"You don't want to have a pass-only offence," Makowsky said. "Hopefully we can get the running game going and mix it up a bit on them ... maybe run some screens, draws, that sort of thing, to slow them up."

EXTRAS: S James Patrick and LB Daniel Francis did not participate in Wednesday's practice. Head coach Ken Miller expects Francis to return to practice today, but Patrick's status is still up in the air. Patrick, who leads the CFL with eight interceptions, injured his knee in the first half of Sunday's game. He did return in the second half and finished the game, but Miller wants to makes sure Patrick is 100 per cent before he's back on the field. Tad Kornegay replaced Patrick at safety on Wednesday, while Leron Mitchell filled in at the wide-side corner position.

cslater@leaderpost.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post

Read more: http://www.leaderpost.com/sports/Riders+linemen+make+adjustments+handle+elusive+Bombers+pass+rushers/3497068/story.html#ixzz0yzmGPpkv