It is now a legitimate question: "What's wrong with the Saskatchewan Roughriders?"
We've heard it, at times, over the course of the summer of 2012 but it never seemed like there was too much wrong with the Green & White. Their perfect play during a 3-0 start seemed too good to be true and it was unreasonable to expect it would continue for the rest of the season.
However as we close in on the halfway mark of this CFL campaign, even the most optimistic of Rider Priders has to be concerned over the state of this team as they seemed to have collapsed into a tailspin.
Sunday's 24-5 loss in BC was the club's fourth consecutive defeat and the team appears to be reeling. How couldn't they be? The club's last win was in Week 3, a 23-20 triumph over the Lions in Regina.
Yet, remarkably, had the Riders won in B.C. on Sunday, they would have held top spot in the West with the season series advantage over the Lions. Instead they are 3-4, tied with Calgary for third, and are technically in fourth in the division as the Stamps hold the tiebreaker.
So, all is not lost and head coach Corey Chamblin continues to be positive despite the slide.
"I looked at it as we came out aggressive and stayed aggressive with play-calling," Chamblin said after the match. "They (B.C.) are a veteran group and they just came out stronger. We'll grow into that role.
"Once again this team fought to the end. The biggest thing is there are couple of units who played better than they have in the past. We need all three phases playing together and I know we'll get there."
As is usually the case, a handful of plays dictated the outcome and some seriously questionable calls took the Riders out at the knees at critical times.
We can safely say the Lions are the CFL's best team and the Riders went toe-to-toe with them for most of the contest until a 55-yard touchdown by Arland Bruce broke their back in the last minute of the third quarter.
"The game was in reach near the end but a few plays late broke it open," Chamblin explained. "It was close for a long time at 7-3."
So what ails this team right now? That's tough to say. The offence certainly didn't seem to be a problem as they averaged close to 30 points per game in the first six games but their one measly field goal in Vancouver easily stood out as their worst offensive showing of the season. Defensively, they relentlessly pounded Lions quarterback Travis Lulay but the reigning league MVP kept getting back up for more. He's just that good, and that tough.
In the final analysis all that matters is that there are 11 games left to play and there's still plenty of time to turn things around. They have held the lead in every one of their first seven games and it's clear this team is as good as any in the league.
However now is the time to find answers to the questions because they can't afford to squander divisional games any longer.
