Mitchell Blair
After an outstanding first half of the season and a disastrous second half, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are just two wins away from doing what they did last November which is hoist the Grey Cup.
The green-and-white look to keep this roller-coaster season going as they battle the Eskimos in the Western Semi-Final at Commonwealth Stadium with the Calgary Stampeders awaiting the winner.
As the team gets set to tackle their Western Division foes, they are a confident group with part of that confidence stemming from a victory last weekend over the same team at Mosaic Stadium.
“Winning last week against these guys was huge,” Dressler said. “I don’t think our confidence has ever wavered, but having that winning feeling was good. Offensively, we are more comfortable with Kerry Joseph in there and he has done an amazing job in getting up to speed and getting to know this offence. We have been building each and every week and I think we can build again on what we’ve done.”
The spotlight continues to shine on the 41 year old Joseph who has helped pick this team off the canvas in the wake of the Darian Durant elbow injury. He is well aware of what the Eskimos defense can do and says he can’t divert off the path he has taken to be successful and keep Edmonton on its heels.
“I just have to be K-J.” Joseph stated. “I don’t need to be Superman by trying to win the game by myself. I just need to be efficient, mistake-free and let the game come to me. I just need to make sure I know where I want to go with the football and utilize my legs when I have to if I need to make a play. Playoff games are different. Every little play and every little rep counts a lot more in games like this. It comes down to making more plays than they do and I think we can do that if we can run the ball and keep them off-balance and keep them guessing.”
If that running game is to succeed, it will be because of an offensive line that knows how to create some big holes for Anthony Allen and Steven Miller. Brendan LaBatte says this is the time of year he loves the most.
“Absolutely!” LaBatte said with a smile on his face. “This is what an o-lineman loves, especially a Canadian o-lineman because these d-linemen from down south get out in the cold and they don’t like it. They like it in July and August, but they don’t like it now so its nice when the rabbit gets the gun. They’ve got a great defensive line and if that weather can prove to be a plus to us late in the 4th quarter when its getting cold, that’s the way we like it. In the end, we will just go out and try and establish our running game and keep them from coming after K-J.”
The reason why so much confidence is coming from the dressing room is because of their leader. Head Coach Corey Chamblin fully believes his team can walk off the Commonwealth turf and make plans for Calgary, but without guaranteeing any victories which is something he would not do, he is confident his team has what it takes to get past the Eskimos.
“When it comes to playoff football, it’s about experience. That is what we’re relying on is experience.” Chamblin said. “They have guys who have been in a lot of playoff games, but they also have a lot who don’t. We know there are a lot of guys in that room who were here last November and know it’s a brand new season. They know if you don’t get it done, it’s time to go home and I don’t think my team is ready to do that just yet. There’s not a crack or a leak in that room as far as I’m concerned. This team is ready to win and I’m sure they are saying that in Edmonton as well. It will take every man wearing that helmet making the contribution needed to keep going.
The questions that have been asked all week will start getting answered at 330 Sunday afternoon Saskatchewan time. As always, the game will be televised on TSN with radio coverage coming from the official voice of the Riders—620 CKRM. They will begin their coverage at 1:00 with “Roughrider Game day” live from the 4 Seasons Sports Palace on 909 Arcola Avenue East before throwing It to Rod Pedersen who will bring you all the information you need to know prior to kickoff at 230 with everything getting underway at 330.
GAME NOTES:
- These two teams have not played one another in the playoffs since 2004 when the Riders beat the Eskimos 14-6 in a semi-final game at Edmonton. This is the 17th playoff meeting between the two.
- In six career playoff games, Weston Dressler has caught 33 passes with five of them going for TD’s
- 26 players on the Riders roster were on the roster last year that won the Grey Cup. Several players have multiple Grey Cups, but Darian Durant. John Chick and Neal Hughes are the only ones to have won both of their titles with the Riders having been on the team last year and in 2007. The quarterback of that 2007 team was Kerry Joseph
- The game time forecast for Edmonton is cloudy skies with a small chance of morning flurries and a high of minus 9
