Photo: Matt Johnson/3DownNation. All rights reserved.
Brayden Schager didn’t wear an eyepatch as he plundered a win away from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday night in Saskatoon, though he certainly could have used one.
The 23-year-old quarterback was still squinting as he addressed the media in the aftermath of his game-winning touchdown pass, right eye nearly swollen shut with a visible gash underneath.
“I still couldn’t see the last drive. I couldn’t see out of the right eye great, but it’s coming back a little bit now,” Schager grinned. “There were some times where I kind of had to close my eye and just throw it with the left eye. But, yeah, it was good.”
“I just keep fighting. That’s what I do. I’ve had a lot of adversity with football in my life, and I just keep fighting, no matter what. Never gonna quit, so I told those guys in the huddle, ‘Let’s go do something special.’”
The shiner came courtesy of a finger through the facemask from Winnipeg defensive lineman David Reese on the opening play of the fourth quarter. Schager was pulled for the remainder of that series to be evaluated, but forced his way back onto the field and insisted on staying there after blindly throwing a pick-six on his next pass.
It proved to be the right decision, as he led a seven-play, 84-yard drive capped by a touchdown pass to Daniel Wiebe in the dying moments to secure a 31-27 victory.
“I told the coaches I was good. I’m always going to tell them I’m good. I didn’t want to come out of the game in the first place,” Schager insisted. “That’s just my mindset. I don’t ever want to come out of the game. I want to stay in there. I’ll close my eyes and throw it if I have to. I just want to stay in there for my guys. I don’t want to quit. I don’t want to show any weakness. I want to show them I’m always ready to play, no matter what.”
Schager finished the game 14-of-19 passing for 179 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. While it is unlikely he captured any wheat and barley, the involuntary pirate certainly stole the hearts and minds of Rider Nation while playing minutes from the shores of the South Saskatchewan River. It remains to be seen if he made off with the team’s backup job, as well.
Much like the fictional Tractor Jack, promising young pivots tend to become folk heroes in the prairie province. It will be up to head coach Corey Mace to separate the reality from the burgeoning mythology.
“I thought he showed that he’s more than willing to be a good quarterback in this league, and we’ve got a few guys in that locker room that could do the same. That’s huge for us,” Mace told the media post-game. “How do you respond to adversaries? You guys know, we’re bounce back, not backwards. They ripped off his helmet, poked him in the eye, he threw the pick-six, and went down there and ended up going to throw the touchdown to the local boy. That was pretty cool.”
While Mace seemed heartened by Schager’s ability to right the ship in choppy water, he wasn’t the only pivot to do so. Jack Coan, who entered training camp as the favourite to win the backup job, also threw a pick-six in his time at the helm, but responded with some of his best throws and a touchdown pass to Johnny Johnson III. He finished his night 10-of-18 for 100 yards, with one score and one turnover.
“We’ve seen the greatest quarterbacks in this league have to bounce back from an interception. It’s part of football,” Mace emphasized. “I was really pleased with how both guys responded after those plays and put together drives to really be crucial in order for us to win. We’re in a good spot.”
With those performances, the preseason officially concluded for the Roughriders. The team has another week before final cuts have to be made on Saturday, May 30, and may be able to push some decisions even further down the road. The team is on a bye in Week 1 and will not play for the first time until Saturday, June 13.
Through two exhibition games, Schager went 24-of-37 passing for 318 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, while rushing six times for 42 yards and another major. Coan completed 19-of-33 passes for 198 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, while rushing three times for 22 yards.
It is clear that Trevor Harris will be the team’s starting quarterback, and Tommy Stevens is secure as the third-stringer due to his short-yardage value. The question is whether Coan or Schager will be the number two, and if both players can be kept around.
“We have (kept four quarterbacks) in the past, but I think ultimately we’ve got to look at the totality,” Mace said. “(It’s a) completely different team, and there’s a lot of great players outside of that position group. As always, we’ll sit down as a staff, and then we’ll sit down with the front office, and we’ll make the right decision for the team.”
Beginning this season, CFL teams will be able to keep two additional players on a reserve roster at full salary, replacing the old model where some players were stashed on the one-game injured list. That could allow the Riders to keep an extra quarterback. They could also ask the loser of the backup battle to stick around for cheaper on the practice roster, though that would leave either player exposed to other teams.
Still, Saskatchewan could elect to use those spots on other positions, severing ties with the runner-up entirely. Schager’s preseason impact would seem to make that the least likely of the three scenarios, and the one farthest from his mind while soaking in his one-eyed victory.
“It makes it all worth it,” Schager said of the celebration. “I’ll take all the pain if we can get a win, and I can go out there and perform for my teammates.”
