Much of the province of Saskatchewan is in an uproar this week, as the Roughriders' 31-21 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Sunday dropped them to 0-5 for the first time in 20 years. Many see them as a team in crisis, and there have even been suggestions that the jobs of head coach Corey Chamblin and general manager Brendan Taman might be threatened. However, the team's leading the league in 17 of 30 offensive categories the CFL tracks weekly, including points, yards of offence per game, first downs, rushing yards per game, passing yards per game, gain per pass and gain per rush. So, just how bad are things for this team, and what should be done to fix it?

The biggest flaw with the current Roughriders is their defence. The Riders are last in the CFL in 15 of the 25 categories tracked weekly, including points allowed per game (33.0) and first downs (118). They're particularly bad against the run, allowing 6.8 yards per rush and 137.8 rushing yards per game (both worst in the league), but they've also struggled against the pass, giving up 75.0 per cent completion rate and 13 passing touchdowns (both league highs) while allowing 9.0 yards per pass (third-worst in the league). Some of that is what's boosting the offensive totals (the offence is getting more time on the field thanks to Saskatchewan's defensive struggles; however, they're still largely succeeding on a per-play basis too.) The defensive issues may be at least partly thanks to offseason attrition, but there appear to be schematic problems as well, and those would fall both on Chamblin (who's known for his defensive background) and on titular defensive coordinator Greg Quick.



Chamblin's defence has often relied on more basic schemes that allow players to let their athleticism shine, and it's possible the Riders don't have the pieces to make that work any more, but it's also possible offences around the league have figured out how to take advantage of it, particularly with short, high-percentage passes and well-designed runs. Saskatchewan's made some personnel changes on defence, bringing in veterans like Geoff Tisdale, but change on the schematic side may be needed too. Fixing the defence has to be the biggest focus for this team going forward, regardless of that's done by personnel, scheme or a combination of both.

However, there are concerns on the offensive side too despite the statistical success, especially now that Kevin Glenn was hurt in Saskatchewan's loss Sunday. Glenn suffered an arm injury in that loss, and he's questionable for Friday's game. The 36-year-old Glenn has turned back the clock this year, shining for the Riders and helping them lead the league in yards per pass (9.1), passing yards per game (332.0) and passing first downs (74) despite an early-season injury to starting QB Darian Durant. Yes, he's thrown bad interceptions at times, but by and large, he's been great for Saskatchewan. If Glenn isn't able to return soon, that will be really problematic for the Riders.

Despite the popular outrage and the 0-5 record, this isn't necessarily a team in full-blown crisis yet. Keep in mind that we saw a team win the Grey Cup after a 0-5 start just four years ago, and while that may be improbable for these Riders, they're not as bad as the record makes them seem. In fact, the offence has performed well above expectations, especially considering the Durant injury. It's the struggling defence that has really brought them down, but there are some good pieces there and some capable additions; schematic changes or adjustments could make that unit at least passable, and that might be enough to get them some wins. Glenn's health will be a key story to follow, though, as will which way the offence goes. If they can keep putting up points, this may turn around before too long, but if the offence starts to take a downwards turn (and there were some indications of that Sunday even with Glenn playing; they scored just 21 points, rushed for just 84 yards and threw for just 267) and the defence doesn't get better, there may be rougher times yet ahead in Saskatchewan.