Inside the CFL: Injuries are the great equalizer

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on August 25, 2022.

With 1:46 gone in the fourth quarter last Friday in Regina, Nathan Rourke slipped to the turf. Teammates carried him to the sideline where the trainer wrapped an ice pack around his right foot. It was disclosed that he would undergo surgery to repair the Lisfranc ligament, the most critical ligament in the middle of the foot. It is between the medial cuneiform bone and the second toe bone. If it is torn or sprained, the mid-foot becomes unstable. His season is likely over but he’s young and could be back for the playoffs.

Injuries are the great equalizer.

The injury to the brilliant, young star is obviously a serious setback for the Lions. It is also a huge loss for the CFL. Rourke is the best thing to happen to the tired old league since Doug Flutie came north in 1990. Although it is hard to say whether he increased attendance around the CFL, he represented star power and will be sorely missed.

My, oh, my, what he accomplished in his first nine games. He was on pace to break Flutie’s record of 48 TD passes in a season, and Ricky Ray’s 77.2 mark for percentage completions. So far this year, he was good on 248 of 313 passes for 3,281 yards (79.8), 25 touchdowns, 10 interceptions. Most importantly, he won eight of nine games.

His replacement is another Canadian, Michael O’Connor. Coach Rick Campbell has said all season the players and coaches have complete confidence in O’Connor’s ability to get the job done.

The 26 year old is 6-foot-5, 223 pounds. He was born at Orleans, Ont., grew up in Ottawa. He won a scholarship to Penn State but after a year of seeing no action, he left for UBC where he led the Thunderbirds to a Vanier Cup title in 2015. He was the MVP. After a brief stint with Toronto, he joined the Stampeders two years later and came to B.C. this past February. He has dressed for 24 games but started none. But he is not taking over the Titanic. He has the opportunity to lead an excellent team.

Advice for Michael O’Connor?

In 1995 when Stampeder Doug Flutie was hurt halfway through the season, he was replaced by an unknown named Jeff Garcia. After throwing six touchdown passes to lead his team to a 51-26 Labour day win over Edmonton, Garcia said, “The main thing I try to do is play within myself. I have tremendous athletes around me, especially great receivers. The thing is to get the ball to them and let them do what they do best. With that kind of supporting cast, I don’t need to go and make everything happen. I feel confident and that helps me calm down and feel comfortable.”

Just as the injury to Rourke has given O’Connor a chance to shine, one team’s misfortune is another team’s opportunity. The Roughriders have lost four of their last five games, including two to the Lions. A win tomorrow night in Vancouver would give Saskatchewan a chance to get back into contention. Last week, Cody Fajardo was benched with 1:43 left in the first half, his team trailing 21-3. He was furious at being pulled in favour of Mason Fine who immediately engineered a touchdown drive but then faded into mediocrity the rest of the way.

Asked later who head coach Craig Dickenson would start in the rematch, he said, “That’s a big decision that we have to make about what we’re going to do at that position. We still believe in Cody and we still believe in our team. We do need to play better.”

Fajardo will start tomorrow. The fact Dickenson didn’t immediately endorse him as No. 1 made him even madder.

Although Rider running back and CFL rushing leader Jamal Morrow is out with a broken hand, outstanding receivers Shaq Evans and Kyran Moore are returning to active duty. Duke Williams is still battling a hip injury and will not play.

The shrewd Dickenson knows how to push Farjado’s buttons. He’s hoping his quarterback will channel his anger into a top-notch performance. If so, the Riders may come away with a win over a badly wounded pride of Lions. If Saskatchewan loses due to poor offence, look for coordinator Jason Maas to be fired.