ESKIMOS VS. ROUGHRIDERS PREVIEW
Starting QB 4 years older than coach
In the absence of No. 4, Darian Durant, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have turned to starting quarterback No. 4 this season.
Kerry Joseph — “the old man,” in the words of Roughriders head coach Corey Chamblin — is getting the nod Sunday at Mosaic Stadium in a game against his previous CFL team, the Edmonton Eskimos.
The 41-year-old Joseph is the Roughriders’ third starting pivot in as many games, following Seth Doege and Tino Sunseri.
“As a receiving corps, we have to continue to do our jobs and not worry about who is throwing the ball or anything like that,” Riders slotback Weston Dressler said Friday. “It’s our job to catch the ball, so it doesn’t matter to us who is throwing it.”
Needing to win Sunday to sustain their hopes of staging a home playoff game, the Roughriders are counting on the oldest player in franchise history to lead what has been a sputtering offence since Durant was sidelined Sept. 7 with a torn tendon in his right elbow.
“I didn’t think I would have a 41-year-old player,” the 37-year-old Chamblin said with a chuckle after Friday’s closed practice. “That’s pretty much life. That’s how I live it. Things change and we adapt with it.
“I’m excited. It’s just another challenge.”
Edmonton enters the game with a 10-5 record, which is good for second place in the West Division. Saskatchewan (9-6) has lost four of its five games, one of which was a 24-0 loss in Edmonton on Sept. 26.
Joseph had spent the previous four seasons with Edmonton before announcing his retirement in January. He began his CFL career in 2003 with the Ottawa Renegades. After three years in Ottawa, he spent the 2006 and 2007 seasons with Saskatchewan before a two-year stint with the Toronto Argonauts.
In 2007, Joseph quarterbacked the Roughriders to a Grey Cup title and was also named the league’s most outstanding player. Durant, who was the Riders’ thirdstring quarterback in 2007, emulated Joseph last year by guiding the Riders to a Grey Cup championship.
The 2014 Riders were rolling along until Durant was injured during the third quarter of a road game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Sunseri entered the game and helped the Riders hold on for a 30-24 victory, which improved their record to 8-2.
Sunseri started three more games before the reins were handed to Seth Doege. Sunseri was reinstated as the starter after a one-game hiatus, but was again relegated after Monday’s 40-9 loss to the host Montreal Alouettes.
Now the reins have been handed to Joseph, who resigned with the Riders on Oct. 9.
“He seems comfortable for a guy who just came in here last week,” Dressler, who believes Joseph’s experience will be beneficial, said on Friday. “Realistically, this is his second day throwing to the starting receivers. It’s a work in progress and we have to keep working together to get on the same page.”
Durant can come off the six-game injured list in time for Oct. 24’s road game against the Calgary Stampeders. He could be activated for that game and dress as the third-stringer. If all goes according to plan, Durant could start the Riders’ Nov. 8 regular-season finale against the visiting Eskimos.
The quarterbacks weren’t available Friday to the media.