Riders must bury the past
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are preparing for what is likely to be an amazing race.
There is every reason to suspect that the Roughriders, Calgary Stampeders and B.C. Lions will go right down to the wire before the CFL’s West Division champion is crowned.
The Roughriders did their part for parity by losing 42-27 in Calgary on Aug. 9. With a victory, Saskatchewan could have opened up a four-point cushion on Calgary and B.C. In addition, the Roughriders were in a position to clinch the season series with Calgary and therefore assume a three-game lead over the Stampeders.
But even after being bounced from the ranks of the undefeated, the Roughriders remain in an enviable position.
They have enjoyed a 5-1 start despite playing four of their first six games on the road. Calgary is also 5-1, with B.C. next in line at 4-2 as it prepares to play host to the Stampeders tonight.
The first game on today’s slate features the Roughriders and the 2-4 Montreal Alouettes (2 p.m., Mosaic Stadium). Based on the disparity between the teams’ records, a victory today should be a formality for the Green and White.
Failing that, an uncomfortable feeling could envelop the Rider Nation.
After all, it was only last year when the undefeated Roughriders rolled into Calgary and assumed a 3518 fourth-quarter lead, only to implode and lose 41-38 in overtime. That unravelling ignited a five-game losing streak and was a major reason for the team’s sub-. 500 record. Just last week, Saskatchewan was again riding high before being rudely welcomed to Calgary. Hence, today’s game represents a character check for the Roughriders.
Quarterback Darian Durant, for one, acknowledges that the matchup with Montreal is an opportunity for the Roughriders to eliminate any notions of deja vu by demonstrating that this team does not bear a resemblance to the streaky 2012 edition.
“No doubt about it,” Durant said. “Regardless of when and where you lose, you want to bounce back. If you want to call it deja vu, then so be it.
“It’s all about moving on, focusing, and making sure that we don’t let what happened in Calgary happen again.”
Durant has been especially assertive in conveying that message. He is one of the Roughriders’ leaders who rallied the players in the days following the disappointment in Calgary, where the team incurred deficits of 16-0 and 26-7.
“We had an opportunity to watch the film as a group, without the coaches,” Durant said. “The vets spoke up about what they thought went on in that game and what we could do to prevent certain things from happening. I think that definitely is all about our leadership.”
In an effort to improve the leadership, the Roughriders made a series of noteworthy player moves in the off-season — which was triggered by a 36-30 loss to the host Stampeders in the 2012 West Division semifinal.
“REGARDLESS OF WHEN AND WHERE YOU LOSE, YOU WANT TO BOUNCE BACK.” DARIAN DURANT
During an endless winter, and into a belated spring, the Roughriders added veterans such as defensive ends John Chick and Ricky Foley, middle linebacker Rey Williams, defensive back Dwight Anderson and slotback Geroy Simon. The dual objectives were to upgrade the team’s personnel and to add some players who have seen it all and done it all, in the hope that the Roughriders’ fragility of 2012 would not recur.
“They understand that no matter how great you are, even when guys are in a championship run, there are always going to be losses,” Saskatchewan head coach Corey Chamblin said of the veterans.
“The guys have come back (after the Calgary game) and I think their focus is there and their energy is there. Everything was there this week for good practices.”
Which veterans in particular led the way?
“I think it’s all the guys that we brought in,” Chamblin responded. “Those guys understand that we have to wipe it away. We have to learn from our past and go on.”