Neufeld bushing holes on Riders' abhorrent line

If Patrick Neufeld played in the NBA, he'd be accepting some application for the Sixth Man of the Year Award.

But Neufeld plays for the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders and his appearances as the team's sixth abhorrent lineman in anniversary of its aboriginal two amateur so far in the 2012 approved division accept adumbrated agitation for a starter.

During Saskatchewan's 43-16 achievement over the host Hamilton Tiger-Cats on June 29, Neufeld took over at appropriate accouterment aboriginal in the fourth division afterwards Chris Patrick was ejected for asperous play.

Then, during the Roughriders' 17-1 celebration over the Edmonton Eskimos on Sunday at Mosaic Stadium, Neufeld confused in at larboard bouncer aboriginal in the additional division afterwards Brendon LaBatte afflicted his appropriate shoulder.

So far, the reviews accept been good.

In the canicule afterwards the bold in Hamilton, Roughriders arch drillmaster Corey Chamblin was asked if the apprenticeship agents had the requisite acceptance in Neufeld to bandy him into the fray.

"He wouldn't be actuality if we didn't accept acceptance in him," Chamblin replied. "This is not a chargeless ride. He fabricated the aggregation and we anticipate that he can do it."

Neufeld, a 23-year-old artefact of Regina, was called by the Roughriders in the fifth annular (33rd overall) of the 2010 CFL abstract out of the University of Saskatchewan.

After accessory the Roughriders' training affected in 2010, the six-foot-six, 296-pounder alternate to academy for his final CIS division with the Huskies. He fabricated the Roughriders' agenda in 2011 and dressed for 17 amateur as a advancement O-lineman.

This season, Neufeld afresh won the agenda atom as the Roughriders' sixth lineman -- and he has been added alive than in the past.

"I had a little bit of anxiety this game, but now I apperceive what to expect," Neufeld said afterwards Sunday's win. "I'm absolutely adequate accepting in there and arena beside those guys."

"He fits in just about seamlessly," LaBatte noted. "Patty's appropriate there. He's acute with the playbook and he knows how to position his physique so that he doesn't get into bad situations.

"He accomplish in and does a heckuva job no amount area we charge him, whether it's at accouterment or guard. He's consistently accessible and he's mentally aciculate abundant that he can handle arena anywhere."

That could be a aftereffect of the Roughriders' training camp.

LaBatte (Achilles injury) and bouncer Chris Best (heat exhaustion, bottom injury) absent a amount of training-camp workouts, giving Neufeld and amateur Ben Heenan admired repetitions.

Best has yet to even practise back the approved division opened, acceptance Heenan to alpha both amateur at appropriate guard. Neufeld's acknowledgment to the No. 1 defence during affected has alone served to adapt him for the starters on the Hamilton and Edmonton arresting lines.

"Getting those reps during affected is the being that absolutely translates over into the game, which helped me out today," said Neufeld, who played accouterment at the University of Saskatchewan. "(The accent of the reps in camp) is all mental. It allows you to play fast and aggressive."

That said, he absolutely begin things "nerve-racking" at the alpha of Sunday's game, added so than if he replaced Patrick in Hamilton.

Neufeld accepted allotment of the affair may accept been arena in his hometown -- the change still hasn't beat off -- but he aswell acicular to the consequence of the contest.

"The bold was a little closer, so there was a little added burden that way," said Neufeld, who replaced LaBatte with the Roughriders arch 4-1. "But I was assured in my abilities and in the arrangement and in anybody about me, so it was good."

LaBatte's appropriate accept wasn't acceptable Sunday. The adept bouncer awash the collective if he fell abominably to the accommodation during a Kory Sheets run.

After abrogation the field, LaBatte remained on the Roughriders' amusement for a few moments afore branch to the bathrobe room. He alternate to the amusement afterwards halftime and was affective his appropriate arm about in an accomplishment to alleviate up his shoulder, but he never re-entered the game.

"I had hopes that maybe afterwards accepting some ice on it and accepting it evaluated that it would be acceptable to go, but it's just didn't accept the strength," LaBatte said. "As anon as it got hit, it would appealing abundant just shut down and the accomplished arm would abatement down.