We’re three weeks into the season and I feel pretty good about where we are as a team. I think everybody’s got a pretty good understanding of where we need to be and where we need to go if we want to be successful this year.

Right now, we’re still trying to find that chemistry that’s needed to give us that push down the road.

This week’s game is against Saskatchewan and they are our No. 1 rival, there’s no question about it. We’re playing one of the best and one of the hottest teams in the country. They’re playing great football, they’ve got arguably the best offensive unit in the country. We need to be on our game if we’re going to win this one.

The nine days we’ve had since our last game have helped us. You never like the quick turnaround that we had before our previous, although you never make excuses, but it’s nice to have an extended period to prepare for this game.

We’ve been looking forward to this one, especially since we didn’t do that well against this team last year. We’ve got that desire in us this year and we’re really looking forward to this opportunity to not only get a “W” against a West Division team but to play who I would say is our No. 1 rival at home in front of a painted red and green stadium.

As everyone knows, we have a rookie kicker this season in Rob Maver. I’m doing my best to show him things and to get him prepared — just some mental things. I never really had a mentor kicker to help me along. Sandro and I came in together as rookies and we went through our growing pains and learned on the fly.

I’m not doing a tremendous amount for Rob, but I’m just trying to make him feel relaxed and comfortable when it comes to game-time. Actually, that’s something I’ve got to continue to do myself going into my sixth season here. We’ve got pressure positions and it’s all about being comfortable, relaxed and focusing on the fact the next kick is the most important one.

Burke Dales, #16
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