Durant injury a major blow
The news is DDevastating.
Darian Durant — the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Double D — has a torn tendon in his right elbow. He is expected to miss the remainder of the 2014 CFL season.
Also shelved is any realistic chance of the Roughriders repeating as Grey Cup champions.
In an ultra-competitive West Division, where there is not a huge disparity between first and fifth place, every weapon is required. The slightest detail can make a huge difference.
And now the Roughriders are missing their starting quarterback?
The challenge facing the Green and White has become infinitely, and likely insurmountably, tougher.
This is not intended as a slight against Tino Sunseri, who assumes the starter’s reins. Sunseri will likely perform commendably at the controls of an offence that was run-oriented even before Durant was sidelined. But he is not Darian Durant. He can’t be.
By virtue of being one of only four Grey Cup-winning quarterbacks in franchise history, Durant qualifies as Roughriders royalty. His absence creates a king-sized void — one that an understudy with scant CFL experience should not be expected to fill.
The 32-year-old Durant has three Grey Cup starts and two all-star berths to his credit. He is 19th on the CFL’s all-time passing-yardage list with 24,503, only 80 behind the legendary Russ Jackson.
Sunseri, 25, has thrown 43 passes as a CFLer.
Durant and Sunseri are simply at different stages in their careers. Accordingly, the expectations should be adjusted with Durant out of the equation.
Durant’s absence suddenly bumps Saskatchewan down a notch or two when the Grey Cup contenders are assessed.
Yes, the Roughriders have an 8-2 record, thanks to a seven-game winning streak.
Yes, they have a carnivorous defence — see: Chick, John — that can overwhelm the opposition.
Yes, the special teams have demonstrated an ability to change a game, accounting for two of the Roughriders’ three touchdowns in Sunday’s 30-24 victory over the host Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Yes, the Roughriders have a run-first offence, which means that the quarterback does not have to be The Show.
Considering all of those factors, the composition of the 2014 Roughriders does reduce the pressure on their starting quarterback.
But we are still talking about THE starting quarterback — one of the best in franchise history.
It is sheer folly, or hopeless delusion, to think that the Roughriders can make a seamless transition from Durant to Sunseri.
Such is the uncomfortable, unavoidable reality of the situation.
Durant’s detractors will point out that the 2014 season has not been his best. Statistically, that is true — at least by some measures.
The passing totals are down considerably from 2013, due to the Roughriders’ increased reliance on the run. That is hardly Durant’s fault, considering the success of the running game.
But one statistic underlines Durant’s importance to the team. He has not been intercepted since July 26.
With Durant at the controls, the offence has not turned over the football since Aug. 2.
When necessary, Durant has demonstrated his ability to make a big play — such as the 59-yard touchdown bomb to Taj Smith in the Labour Day Classic, or a crucial fourth-quarter run for a first down.
With Weston Dressler back in the lineup after an unsuccessful NFL tryout with the Kansas City Chiefs, a Durant-led offence was bound to become more diversified, and more potent. And now … Well, the Roughriders and their fervent fans must hope that the pessimism is unfounded. They must hope that, against all odds, a second-string quarterback can quickly develop into someone who is capable of piloting a team to a championship. He must be given a decent chance to demonstrate that he can deliver a near-miracle.
But what if it becomes very clear that Sunseri is not the answer?
There is one possible Plan B — as in Burris.
Henry Burris is the quarterback of an Ottawa Redblacks team that, to this point, has won but one game. At 39, he is unlikely to be part of a long-term plan with an expansion team.
The Roughriders, meanwhile, have to focus on the short term. They need someone who can effectively quarterback one of the league’s elite teams for the remainder of this season.
If Sunseri doesn’t deliver, could that someone be Burris?
As one who has had two successful stints with Saskatchewan, Smilin’ Hank understands the market.
Plus, he has won a Grey Cup as a starter. He threw a career-best 43 touchdown passes for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2012, when that team was coached by George Cortez — who is now the Roughriders’ offensive coordinator.
The CFL’s trade deadline is Oct. 15. If the Roughriders’ offence is not purring at that point, it would be prudent for Roughriders general manager Brendan Taman to place a timely call to Renegades GM Marcel Desjardins and inquire as to what it would take to acquire Burris.
Perhaps that reads, and sounds, like a longshot.
But that label also applies to the Roughriders’ Grey Cup hopes unless, somehow, Durant can be replaced.