SHIFTING TO CORNERBACK
Carter making adjustment
Duron Carter is playing catch-up as a defensive back.
All the CFL’S defensive backs had years of experience in the secondary before making their respective teams’ rosters. Carter, by contrast, was a receiver throughout his CFL career until he started at cornerback Oct. 20 against the Calgary Stampeders.
Carter was forced into starting on defence for one game last season due to an injury suffered by Kacy Rodgers II.
Fast forward to 2018 and Carter is preparing to make his fourth consecutive start at cornerback Thursday when the Riders play the Hamilton Tiger-cats at Tim Hortons Field. The Riders defeated the visiting Tiger-cats 18-13 on July 5 before embarking on a bye week.
“That was my (fifth) game starting at defensive back and I’m still getting into it,” Carter said. “I felt better in the fourth quarter than I did in the first quarter of the last game, especially being more comfortable seeing the ball better when it comes out and getting my hands on balls a little bit more.
“The more reps I get, the better I will get.”
Carter began the season as a wide receiver, a position at which he has four receptions for 45 yards.
He was switched to defensive back for the Riders’ second regular-season game after rookie Nick Marshall was placed on the sixgame injured list due to a broken finger.
Carter has had mixed results as a defensive back. He returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown during a 40-17 loss to the host Ottawa Redblacks on June 21, but was also burned for a long TD in that game. He was beaten deep for another major when the Montreal Alouettes won 23-17 at Mosaic Stadium on June 30.
The Riders changed up their defence against the Tiger-cats, with defensive backs lining up against specific receivers rather than in their conventional positions. Carter covered Terrence Toliver and Ed Gainey, a defensive halfback, covered Brandon Banks.
Banks was Hamilton’s leading receiver on July 5, with seven receptions for 113 yards. Toliver had three catches for 70 yards.
The Riders are expected to employ the same defensive scheme — a strategy that Carter welcomes — in Thursday’s rematch.
“It’s all in the defensive schemes,” Carter said. “(Head coach Chris Jones) spends his days and nights trying to figure out which is best for us. When you have one matchup on one guy, I was able to watch all of (Toliver’s) routes and know what he was doing. It’s always good.”
Carter has taken a few repetitions on offence while primarily lining up on defence. He knows that he could contribute to the Riders’ offence.
“We’re having troubles getting the ball to our receivers outside,” Carter said before noting: “Right now, I think it’s best for me to be on defence.”
Jones, who moonlights as the defensive co-ordinator, is steadfast in his commitment to having Carter play on defence, at least until Marshall returns from the injured list.
Carter, who led the Riders in receiving yards (1,043) and was tied for the team lead in touchdown receptions (eight) with Naaman Roosevelt while being named a CFL all-star in 2017, isn’t too concerned about losing his form as a receiver.
“It feels better when I’m out there at receiver because I feel like I can take advantage of my opportunities and I know the ball is coming,” Carter said.
“I have a plethora of moves that I like to use and I don’t have to use all of my moves early in the game. I like being the sixth man off the bench.’’
Thursday’s game marks the beginning of a key three-game stretch for the Riders before they embark on their second bye week.
After Thursday’s game, the Riders (2-2) play host to Calgary (July 28) and visit the Edmonton Eskimos (Aug. 2).
“We want to come out with a winning record going into our next bye,” Carter said. “Going into the back half of the season, you need to have that winning record because you don’t want to be scrambling to win games at the end of the season.”
I felt better in the fourth quarter than I did in the first quarter of the last game … The more reps I get, the better I will get.