Liam Richards/Electric Umbrella
OTTAWA — Ed Gainey’s memory didn’t fail him.
“It was my first year in Hamilton,” he began. “First week up coming off the practice roster. Labour Day Classic. There was probably about two minutes left after that. Helped my boy Courtney (Stephen) on a deep route outside.
“I definitely remember.”
The play in question occurred Sept. 1, 2014, when Gainey was a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. In the late stages of a CFL game against the Toronto Argonauts, the defensive back intercepted a pass thrown by quarterback Ricky Ray.
Now, Ray has thrown 184 interceptions in regular-season and playoff action over his 15-year CFL career. But the one by Gainey is notable because it’s one of only three picks Ray has thrown in his career to players who now are members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ secondary and linebacking corps.
Unofficially, those defenders have combined to play 68 CFL games against Ray in their careers. The only current Saskatchewan DBs or linebackers to pick him off are Gainey, Jovon Johnson (Aug. 5, 2011) and Henoc Muamba (Oct. 7, 2017).
Others may have chances Sunday, when Saskatchewan visits Ray and the Argos in the East Division final (noon, CKRM, TSN).
“It’s definitely a daunting task (facing Ray) simply because he has seen all the different looks that you can give him,” Johnson said. “He’s going to do what he does best and that’s throw the ball.
“Whether they throw the ball 30 times or 50 times, that’s yet to be determined, but we know Ricky Ray is going to have the ball in his hands a lot. It all boils down to us being disciplined, doing our jobs and having tight coverage.”
Johnson was a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2011. The Bombers were leading Ray’s Edmonton Eskimos 26-16 in the fourth quarter when Johnson got his mitts on a Ray pass intended for receiver Fred Stamps.
“We got (Ray) off his first read,” recalled Johnson, who has played 16 career games against Ray. “Back then, we knew that if we could get him to move around in the pocket, his percentages went way down.
“The receiver scrambled to try to get to a spot where he could get open. Ricky scrambled and tried to throw the ball deep and I jumped over Stamps and (Bombers defensive back Jonathan) Hefney and caught the ball.”
The play stuck in Johnson’s mind because Hefney and Stamps immediately got into an altercation that resulted in three unnecessary roughness penalties, including two against Stamps.
The pick helped seal Winnipeg’s 28-16 victory.
Gainey’s theft occurred in the fourth quarter of Hamilton’s 13-12 defeat of Ray’s Argos.
Muamba intercepted Ray early in the third quarter with Saskatchewan trailing 16-10; the Roughriders eventually prevailed 27-24.
“It was about being disciplined and being able to read not only his eyes but also the route-running,” said Muamba, who snagged a pass intended for Toronto slotback Armanti Edwards.
“It was a play that we talked about before the game when we talked about their concepts. It was about getting good depth and reading his eyes. Hopefully we get more of those.”
It’s not easy.
Ray has thrown more than 20 interceptions in only one CFL regular season (24, in 2005). He has thrown for 60,429 yards with 324 touchdown passes and 176 picks in the regular season in his career, and 4,681 yards with 20 TDs and eight picks in the post-season.
“That name speaks for itself, especially up here in this league,” said Roughriders cornerback Kacy Rodgers II, who has played two games against Ray. “The man has been playing forever at a high level and he’s a Hall of Fame quarterback.
“If we don’t get there in a hurry (Sunday), he’s going to be able to pick us apart and do what he wants to do. He knows exactly where to put the ball and how to put it there. The touch on his passes is one of the best in the league, if not the best.
“As DBs, we really have to be on our game.”
Defensive co-ordinators have to be, too.
Asked about facing Ray in the post-season, Roughriders head-coach GM Chris Jones — a defensive co-ordinator back in the day — said: “Unfortunately, in 2002 and 2003, I saw him.”
In 2002, Jones’ Montreal Alouettes beat Ray’s Eskimos 25-16 in the Grey Cup game. The following year, Ray got his revenge in Edmonton’s 34-22 victory over the Als in the CFL final.
Quarterback and co-ordinator have gone at it several times since then.
“We’ve got to mix our coverages up and we’ve got to do a good job of getting him off his spot,” said Jones, referring to Ray’s favoured position in the pocket. “If we can get him off his spot, then we may have some success.”
At this point in his career, Ray has seen every form of man and zone coverages and has faced innumerable blitzes, including many designed by Jones.
In Toronto’s two previous meetings with Saskatchewan this season, the 38-year-old Ray has completed 57 of 78 pass attempts for 727 yards with five touchdowns and one interception (by Muamba). But the Roughriders won both games — and they’ll be looking for a season sweep on Sunday.
And Gainey will be looking to add to his career interception total against the Argos’ QB.
“I’d say (a pick against Ray) is a feather in your cap,” said Gainey, who’s about to face Ray for the ninth time. “He’s one of the best. He’s probably going to be in the Hall of Fame whenever he’s all done, so it’s a nice accolade to have on your resumé.”
