RIDERS SECOND PLACE
Unhappy with their performance Saturday, Sask. players get vocal.
CALGARY — The West Division showdown between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Calgary Stampeders was a statement game.
The most emphatic statements were expressed by defensive back Dwight Anderson and head coach Corey Chamblin after the Stampeders beat the Roughriders 29-25 at McMahon Stadium on Saturday. Calgary clinched first place in the CFL’s West Division with a 14-3 record and will host the division final on Nov. 17. The loss relegated the Riders to second place with an 11-6 record. They will host the B.C. Lions (10-7) in the West Division semifinal on Nov. 10.
It sounds like some Riders are looking past Saturday’s regular season finale against the Edmonton Eskimos at Mosaic Stadium and the semifinal versus the Lions to a possible rematch with Calgary in the division final.
“We’re coming here and we’re going to beat them. Period,” Anderson told reporters after Saturday’s loss. “We’re the better team. Calgary sucks!”
Anderson’s statements were made before he retreated to Riders’ locker-room at McMahon Stadium. It was behind those closed doors that Chamblin angrily voiced his displeasure with the Riders’ performance.
Chamblin told the players in no uncertain terms that they had two weeks to fix what went wrong Saturday before 33,761 spectators. Chamblin added that they could beat the Stampeders and vowed they would be ready for the next game.
“It was about not losing it,” Chamblin said. “We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to win this game, but this wasn’t the Grey Cup. This wasn’t the West final. It was us playing a good team in the regular season. We know through all things that we learn from them. If we want an opportunity to play here (in the division final), we’re going to have to learn from it.”
Chamblin’s post-game tirade resonated with defensive tackle Tearrius George.
“He’s a passionate coach,” said George, who had four defensive tackles, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. “We know he did it because he cares and he really wants to win. We don’t take it to heart in that way.
“We have to get it together and he’s telling us the truth. By him raising his voice, he’s serious about it. It’s not a secondary thing and it’s something that needs to be fixed. That’s what raising his voice came from.”
The schedule favours the Riders in terms of fixing what ails them. Saturday’s regular season finale against Edmonton won’t have any impact on the standings because the Eskimos are already eliminated from the playoffs.
The Riders can rest starters with an eye toward being as healthy as possible for the semifinal. Chamblin said that’s something the Riders will look at leading up to Saturday’s game.
There are advantages and disadvantages to resting starters, especially considering what took place on Saturday.
Playing backups wouldn’t allow the Riders to address an offence that managed just two Chris Milo field goals off five Calgary turnovers. One 20-yard field goal came three plays after George set the Riders up on Calgary’s five-yard line with a fumble recovery in the second quarter.
Resting starters wouldn’t provide an opportunity to deal with unhappy Kory Sheets, who was held to 42 yards on 11 carries. The tailback was so frustrated by his limited role in Saturday’s offensive scheme that he was seen expressing his displeasure to offensive coordinator George Cortez on the sidelines.
“That’s going to stay inhouse,” Sheets said. “What’s said between me and George is going to stay between me and George. That’s not something I need to talk to the media about. Me and him dealt with it and it’s over.”
Maybe, but it’s likely that Chamblin will have to deal with the outbursts by Anderson and Sheets in the upcoming week.
“Dwight has some things to clean up,” Chamblin told reporters after returning to Regina on Sunday. “We can’t make comments just because we’re frustrated. That’s a sign right now that we’re not mentally tough enough in a couple of different areas to be able to win those big games. It’s not about being frustrated and talking about it. It’s about us doing our jobs 100 per cent of the time.”
On Saturday, the Riders were in a position to keep alive their hopes of finishing first in the West Division after a 28-yard touchdown reception by receiver Taj Smith. Milo’s convert provided the Riders with a 25-22 lead with five minutes left in the fourth quarter.
That’s when Drew Tate, who took over at quarterback for starter Kevin Glenn at the start of the second half, directed Calgary on a seven-play, 80-yard touchdown drive. Jon Cornish’s three-yard run and the convert by Rene Paredes gave Calgary a 29-25 lead with 1:48 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Calgary may not have been in that position if not for pass interference by cornerback Terrell Maze on second-and-12. The Riders bench was then flagged for objectionable conduct and the 10-yard penalty moved Calgary to Saskatchewan’s 54-yard line. Four plays later Tate connected with Jeff Fuller on a 37-yard pass that moved Calgary to the Riders’ three-yard line.
“( The Maze penalty) was one of those frustrating calls and one we didn’t think was a call and some of the guys overreacted,” Chamblin said. “We can never get to the point where we overreact. We have to keep a level head and be ready to go.”
The Riders weren’t able to move the ball after the ensuing kickoff. Quarterback Darian Durant, who was 17 of 31 for 202 yards and rushed for one touchdown, was intercepted on the Riders’ final offensive possession of the game.