It was a different Saskatchewan Roughriders preparing for their Week 12 contest against the B.C Lions. The team seemed to be back in a training camp mode where everything was serious as guys while fighting for jobs to see who would stay and who would go. While no one’s job is seemingly on the line as the team prepares to meet their Western Division opponents for the first time this season, there was more of a business-like demeanour to the team this week. Head Coach Corey Chamblin says it’s just a matter of getting re-focussed after stumbling the past two weeks.
“We just wanted to hit the reset button and come back to playing with an intensity and a focus that we had at the start of the year,” Chamblin said. “That isn’t to say there is a lack of confidence,it’s just us getting back to what we want to do.”
The two game losing streak has gotten under the skins of what is a very confident team. The losses have bothered quarterback Darian Durant, but he is bothered by a loss at any time of the season. He says in a way, losing is probably a positive for him because it gets him more fired up to play the next week and he is ready to come out and end this two game losing streak against the 7-4 Lions.
“Losing creates negativity around you,” Durant said. ”You want to go out and prove yourself especially when people start doubting you and you start moving down in power rankings and things like that. It’s a little bit of extra motivation for me and I think for us as well.”
While the two game losing streak is nothing for Durant during his time as a Rider, he has experienced longer losing streaks. It’s times like when the team has dropped several in a row that he looks back upon to draw some motivation for Sunday’s game.
“You look back and watch the film and see what you can do better. You see what you did wrong in those games and you correct those mistakes,” Durant preached. “The main thing is we can’t go out there and start hurting ourselves, we have to come together as a team and get a win. That’s the most important thing is getting that win and going 1-0 this week.
Durant won’t have the services of the CFL’s leading rusher this week as Kory Sheets will miss the game with a knee injury, but that creates an opportunity for former Bombers running back Chris Garrett who will make his Rider debut. He says he’s not like Sheets, but he can certainly break a game open the way Sheets can.
“I won’t sit here and tell you I’m the same type of back as Kory because we present a different skill set.” Garrett said. “I’ve learned a lot of this offense and I can do a lot of things that Kory can. Coach George Cortez has been drilling me with plays over the past few weeks in case this opportunity came around and I aim to show him and everyone I can get the job done when called upon. It may be only be a one-game stint, but I’m ready to get back out there.”
Chamblin is also looking forward to seeing what the 5″7′ Garrett can do when given the chance.
“He’s a hard nosed runner and he’s a smart player, “Chamblin said. “He’s a different style runner from Kory, but he is a gifted back and you could see that from his time in Winnipeg. I’m looking forward to seeing him in there.
There is talk this game is like a playoff game because the Lions are right on the Riders tail and could actually end up dropping Saskatchewan to 3rd place in the West if they should win. Safety Tyron Brackenridge agrees with that somewhat, but he says the bottom line is there is a lot of football to be played yet so you can’t start talking playoff seedings yet. He says that while the defense has played an intense style over the past two weeks only to come up short, there is still room to turn that intensity switch up another notch or two.
“Oh yeah, we can turn that intensity up.” Brackenridge proclaimed. “We just have to get back to playing our style of football. We’ve got to make good plays all over the place whether it be offense, defense or special teams. For the defense, we just have to make some big plays and stay away from some of the penalties we’ve had. If we do that, I’m pretty confident this streak will come to an end.
Game time Sunday afternoon is 2:30 with a crowd of around 40-thousand people expected at Mosaic Stadium. TSN will have television coverage with Chris Cuthbert and former Rider Glen Suitor on the call. 620 CKRM will start the longest and best game-day coverage in the CFL at high noon when Michael Ball, John Lynch and former Rider Matt Dominguez bring you “Roughrider Gameday”. You can also see that show live from Pilsner Place on www.riderville.com/riderslive/. That will be followed by the play-by-play as Rod Pedersen and Carm Carteri bring you every touchdown and tackle while providing you with the information you need whether you are at Mosaic Stadium or not.
GAME NOTES:
• The game will feature the number one ranked offence in the league against the number one defence. The Riders average 394 yards a game while the Lions are giving up an average of 311.
• Former Lion Geroy Simon meets his old team for the first time since becoming a member of the green-and-white. He goes into today’s game just 6 catches away from being the CFL’s all time leading receiver. Former Alouette Ben Cahoon holds that title at 1,017.
• Darian Durant could pass his quarterback coach Khari Jones and move into 28th place all time in CFL passing yards. Durant goes in with 21, 253 passing yards. Jones had 21,383 in his stellar CFL career.
• Riders punter Ricky Schmitt is quietly putting together a banner year. Schmitt leads the CFL in kickoff average at 66.2 yards per kickoff. He is punting at an average of 45.3 yards and his net punting is a league high 38.2 yards.
