Riders put veteran quarterback Harris in harm’s way with final offensive play call

By Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press on June 12, 2023.

They got the win, but head coach Craig Dickenson and the Saskatchewan Roughriders didn’t earn any extra points for style Sunday night.

The Riders were able to effectively run the ball late in their 17-13 road victory over the Edmonton Elks. But the decision to have veteran quarterback Trevor Harris roll out on a third-down pass play in the dying seconds was questionable.

To be fair, the Riders found themselves in no-man’s land. The offence faced a third-and-six situation at the Edmonton 24-yard line with roughly 10 seconds remaining.

Already leading, kicking a field goal – and risking the block – wasn’t much of an option. Neither was punting, so the Riders kept the offence on the field, understanding Edmonton would likely get the ball back one final time.

So the decision Dickenson faced was whether to run or throw the football. The Riders opted for the pass, however how they went about it was very debatable.

Often to run time off the clock, a quarterback will line up under centre, take a five-step drop at the snap, set up and then throw the ball as high and as far (out of bounds preferably) as possible. But Saskatchewan had Harris line up in shotgun formation, take the snap, roll out to his right and then throw the pass.

That created two issues. First, the 37-year-old Harris was unable to entirely get his feet beneath him and thus not throw the ball as high or as far as he could otherwise.

But more importantly, the Riders exposed their starting quarterback to being hit on the play, which he was – and hard. After throwing, Harris was writhing in pain on the ground, clutching his right hip area and struggling to get to his feet.

And once Harris did get up, he hobbled off the field.

Harris predictably said afterwards he was fine. But he doesn’t have a lot of time to recover as the Riders host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday night.

The turn of events left TSN’s Glen Suitor, a former Riders defensive back, scratching his head.

“I just really do not understand why Saskatchewan decides to roll their quarterback out with just a handful of seconds to go to throw it deep,” Suitor said during TSN’s game telecast. “There’s the thought of the head-to-head if it comes down to it 20 weeks from now.

“But you’re putting your quarterback in harm’s way one-time when you just absolutely do not have to.”

As expected, Edmonton got the ball back with two seconds remaining. But the Riders’ defence cemented the victory by sacking Elks’ starter Taylor Cornelius on the game’s final play.

Many coaches would’ve gone the safer route with a run play, as it would’ve taken Harris out of harm’s way. And running back Jamal Morrow was playing well and had the ability to break a tackle, get the first down and thus end the game.

Even had Morrow been stopped short, Edmonton still would’ve only had time for one play following the turnover.

There’ve been suggestions that maybe Dickenson should’ve gone with backup Shea Patterson on the final offensive play. It’s understandable, though, that the Riders stuck with Harris as he’d played the entire game and wasn’t coming in cold.

“In hindsight, I could have put someone else in but Trevor knows the play and he knows he has to get it out of his hand before he gets hit,” Dickenson said after the game.

Harris finished 20-of-33 passing for 179 yards with a touchdown, two interceptions and 19-yard run in his Riders’ debut. But TSN football panellist Jim Barker _ a former CFL head coach/GM and five-time Grey Cup champion _ questioned Saskatchewan’s execution of its final offensive play.

“That is a renowned seven-second play,” Barker said. “The quarterback throws it as high as he can and the clock won’t stop until the ball hits the ground.

“He (Harris) threw it a little off-balance because they did it rolling . . . the game should’ve ended on that play. Again, I think a miscalculation in game strategy . . . you can’t do that.”

Barker had kudos for the Riders’ ability rush the football late in the contest. Morrow ran for 80 yards on 14 carries in the contest, with 58 yards coming on six attempts during Saskatchewan’s final drive.

Frankie Hickson ran six times for 19 yards but registered 12 yards on two carries during that final drive.

“When you take the ball from the three-yard line and hold it until the end of the game, well, it should’ve been hold until he end of the game . . . that is a great thing,” Barker said. “When you can run the ball when they know you’re going to run it, that’s what it’s all about.”

Saskatchewan’s defence had come up huge earlier, stopping Edmonton on three straight runs from the one-yard line to preserve the team’s 17-13 lead.

With the loss, Edmonton extended its CFL-record home losing streak to 19 games. It last won at Commonwealth Stadium in October, 2019.

Edmonton visits B.C. on Saturday before returning home June 25 to face Grey Cup-champion Toronto. The Lions opened their season with a 25-15 road victory over the Calgary Stampeders while the Argonauts had an open-week bye and will host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday night.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2023.

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