For the second successive season, the Saskatchewan Roughriders boast 11 sacks after five games.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s sack total is especially noteworthy when you consider that three key defensive linemen with the 2025 Grey Cup champions \u2014 Micah Johnson, Malik Carney and Habakkuk Baldonado \u2014 are no longer part of a formidable front four with Saskatchewan.<\/p>\n
Johnson still influences the equation, though, as the Roughriders\u2019 Defensive Line Coach. He works closely with a unit that has produced 10 of the team\u2019s 11 sacks. Middle linebacker Jameer Thurman is the Roughriders\u2019 only non-defensive lineman with a sack so far this season.<\/p>\n
Last year at this juncture, linebackers (Thurman included) accounted for four of the first 11 sacks.<\/p>\n
With the defensive linemen handling a greater proportion of the sacks, it is clear that the Roughriders have weathered Johnson\u2019s retirement as a player and the departures of Carney (now of the Edmonton Elks) and Baldonado (Ottawa REDBLACKS).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first thing is that Micah is doing a great job,\u201d fourth-year Roughriders defensive tackle Caleb Sanders stated. \u201cHe\u2019s coaching his butt off and doing all the right things. Obviously, he\u2019s a guy who has played in the league for a long time and he has a lot of knowledge to spread.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn top of that, we\u2019ve got guys who can just make plays, across the board. It doesn\u2019t matter whether it\u2019s at D-end or D-tackle. We\u2019ve got good guys who can make plays and we\u2019ve got good depth and, at the end of the day, that helps us win games.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sanders, for example, forced a turnover on downs with a sack during the Roughriders\u2019 38-7 home-field victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on July 12.<\/p>\n
Defensive end James Vaughters, whose four sacks put him in a five-way tie for the league lead, felled the Hamilton passer on two occasions.<\/p>\n