Onus is on Riders’ coach
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have adhered to a streak pattern since Corey Chamblin took over as head coach.
And that is fine in times of prosperity, but the swing of the pendulum can lead to considerable exasperation.
Last season, for example, the Roughriders finished off with a five-game losing streak — the capper being a 36-30 loss to the host Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League’s West Division semifinal.
The Roughriders had endured another five-game losing skein earlier in 2012. They opened that season with three victories in succession before losing five in a row, winning five of six, and completing a oncepromising campaign with a five-game tailspin.
The wild fluctuations in performance have persisted in Year 2 under Chamblin. The 2013 Roughriders won their first five games, but have subsequently lost four out of seven.
An 8-1 start — the best in franchise history — has been followed by three consecutive losses.
Can the Chambl i n - coached Roughriders prevent this losing streak, and this season, from spinning out of control?
The Roughriders can spin it all they want, while pointing to the fact that an 8-4 record still places them in the league’s upper echelon, but there are signs of decline.
Indefensibly, the Roughriders managed to lose 25-13 to the woeful Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Banjo Bowl on Sept. 8. The Bombers blitzed, blitzed and blitzed some more, sacking Saskatchewan quarterback Darian Durant eight times. The Blue Bombers’ strategy caught everyone, including Chamblin and offensive coordinator George Cortez, off-guard.
Six days lat e r, the Roughriders gassed a 23-12 lead against the visiting Toronto Argonauts and ended up swallowing a 31-29 defeat.
Saskatchewan could have tied the game with a two-point conversion in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter but, in a reprise of the meltdown in Manitoba, were unable to counter a ferocious blitz.
Then came Sunday’s 24-22 loss to the B.C. Lions, who celebrated Paul McCallum’s 42-yard, gamewinning field goal on the final play. Durant had found Weston Dressler with an eight-yard touchdown pass with 38 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The ensuing convert by Chris Milo gave the Roughriders a temporary 22-21 lead.
The final minute was eerily reminiscent of the 2012 playoff game, in which Durant found Greg Carr for a 24-yard touchdown pass with 52 seconds remaining. The conversion by Sandro DeAngelis then snapped a 29-29 deadlock.
Calgary stormed back, needing only 32 seconds to erase Saskatchewan’s lead. Drew Tate’s 68-yard scoring toss to Romby Bryant ended the Roughriders’ rollercoaster of a season.
All things considered, it was a commendable debut campaign for Chamblin as a CFL field boss. Following the 5-13 ordeal of 2011, the Roughriders returned to the playoffs after outscoring the opposition 457-409 during the regular season.
Chamblin and general manager Brendan Taman resolved to clean up the loose ends, pinpointing leadership (or lack thereof) as an evident void. There was a consequent off-season infusion of veterans such as defensive ends John Chick and Ricky Foley, middle linebacker Rey Williams, slotback Geroy Simon and defensive back Dwight Anderson.
The additions of players who fall into the “been there, done that” category were, in theory, supposed to make the Roughriders less susceptible to stretches of adversity during the season, or even within a game.
The formula was a smashing success during the first half of the season. Chamblin became the only head coach in franchise history to boast an 8-1 record. That is a notable, laudable feat, considering that the likes of Eagle Keys, John Gregory, Don Matthews, Kent Austin and Ken Miller have coached the Green and White.
But the coaches who make history, and who make the biggest difference, savour their greatest triumphs after the leaves change colour. That places the onus on Chamblin to ensure that his team peaks with a timely winning streak.
The pressure to succeed is intensified by the fact that the 101st Grey Cup is to be played in Regina on Nov. 24. The Roughriders’ torrid start buoyed fans’ hopes that their team would be showcased in the ultimate home playoff game.
Lately, though, optimism is waning.
The Roughriders have lost three consecutive winnable games while facing opponents quarterbacked by Justin Goltz (Winnipeg), Zach Collaros (Toronto) and Thomas DeMarco (B.C.).
Along the way, the Roughriders have lost some important mangames due to a spate of injuries — a factor that cannot be discounted as an explanation for the September slide — but other teams are finding a way to cope when frontline players are sidelined.
The John Hufnagel-coached Stampeders, for example, lead the league at 9-3 despite starting three different quarterbacks (Tate, Kevin Glenn and Bo Levi Mitchell) and losing two key offensive players (slotback Nik Lewis and guard Dimitri Tsoumpas) to season-ending injuries.
The Lions, under head coach Mike Benevides, won in Regina last week without their No. 1 quarterback (Travis Lulay) and his most dangerous receiver (Emmanuel Arceneaux).
The week before, the Scott Milanovich-coached Argos left the Queen City in a celebratory mood despite the absences of quarterback Ricky Ray, receiver-returner Chad Owens (the league’s reigning most outstanding player), middle linebacker Robert McCune and tailback Chad Kackert (the latter of whom left the game late in the first half).
Milanovich, Benevides and Chamblin all became firsttime CFL head coaches in 2012. Milanovich proceeded to guide his team to a Grey Cup championship. Benevides boasted a 13-5 record as a freshman field boss. And Chamblin, too, has done some impressive things — revitalizing the Roughriders in 2012 and playing a primary role in this year’s unprecedented start.
But ultimately, Chamblin will be appraised on the basis of how and where he finishes.