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First and Goal

The Saskatchewan Roughriders gave up their third loss in a row in Edmonton at Commonwealth Stadium on Sunday.



The Saskatchewan Roughriders gave up their third loss in a row in Edmonton at Commonwealth Stadium on Sunday. Not only did they lose the game, they have now gone more than 13 quarters without scoring a touchdown and have been outscored 99-9 in the past three games.

On a Wing and a Prayer! The playoff door in the West Division was slammed shut on the Riders with the loss to the Eskimos. The only way Canada's Team can now make it into the postseason is via the East Division. The Green and White need to win all four remaining regular season games while relying on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to lose their next four games to earn the crossover playoff spot. There is still hope for a playoff berth, but the way it sits right now, that's about all it is hope.

Wild Wild West! The Riders are out of the West playoff race, but for the three teams remaining what a race it is! Calgary, Edmonton and B.C. all currently sit with a piece of the first-place pie and a record of 8-6. With four games remaining it is set to be a sprint to see who gets the first place and a ticket to the West Final. Add in the fact that that Montreal and Winnipeg are tied for first in the East with records of 9-6, it's set to be a heck of a ride heading into the CFL playoffs.

Seize the Moment! With only a glimmer of a playoff hope left for the Riders, opportunity may come knocking for some second stringers and practice rooster guys. Most notably with Darian Durant suffering from a broken foot one can only think it will be a tandem of Ryan Dinwiddie and Cole Bergquist handling the quarterback duties for the remainder of the season. A lot of the key personnel will remain the same, but should that playoff glimmer fade out it might be a chance to try out some other young talent, like Nick Hutchins or Dan Clark on the O-line and give some of the seasoned old boys a rest. For those that do see playing time due to this ill-fated situation, they must capitalize on the opportunity and seize the moment with 2012 looming in the distance.

Let's hope the Riders find focus, determination, and luck with their 2011 playoff lives on the line. CFL post season without the Green and White just isn't right!

Be Loud and Proud!
Odog

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