Saskatchewan Roughriders

With Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive end John Chick recently signing with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, and the future of Riders' defensive end Stevie Baggs up in the air, the pressure may be off in Riderville next season.

The Riders were quite successful in putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks last season. Much of this success was thanks to Chick and Baggs. Chick was a dominating presence on the line, finishing with 11 sacks on the season and constantly demanding double teams, while Baggs flew around the field making tackles and finished the year tied for the league lead in sacks with 12.

Trying to replace the combined 23 sacks of Chick and Baggs could be quite the ordeal for the Riders management, especially when no other player on the Riders’ roster even had five sacks. Linebacker Sean Lucas was third on the Riders with four sacks.

But all is not lost in Riderville.

There is always the chance that Chick will not stick with the Colts, and perhaps join the Riders near midseason. Though, based on Chick’s three-year contract with the Colts, it seems the Colts are committed to him.

Baggs, on the other hand, still could reach a deal with the Riders. Unfortunately for the Riders, this seems less likely than Chick coming back in the near future. It has been reported that Baggs will be looking to “cash in” during the free agency period, and the Riders have 16 potential free agents to sign.

So, what can the Riders do to ensure pressure on the opposing quarterback next season?

The team could of course look to fix the problem internally. Kitwana Jones, who joined the team during the season after being traded to the Eskimos in the offseason, has played defensive end for the Riders before. In 2008, when Jones was converted from a linebacker to a defensive end, he had five sacks on the season.

The Riders also have defensive end Joe Sykes, who was heavily touted coming into the '09 campaign but never had much playing time.

Seeing as the internal options do not look very pleasing, the Riders could look to trade for a defensive end.

There have been some Rider fans voicing for former Rider Fred Perry to be brought back. Perry, who currently is under contract with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, was a fan favorite during his time in Riderville. In his three seasons with the club, Perry averaged 11 sacks a season and was loved by the fans for his hustle play.

Since leaving the Riders, however, Perry has not been nearly as effective which could make management hesitant to bring him back.

If nothing else, the Riders can look to free agency where there are a few appealing free agent defensive ends on the market.

One would be Montreal Alouettes defensive end John Bowman. Bowman had 12 sacks last season and appears to be entering his prime. Ricky Foley of the British Columbia Lions, who also had 12 sacks, would be a solid pickup. Calgary’s Charleston Hughes, and Toronto’s Jonathan Brown have also proven to be solid pass rushers in their career.

So, while it seems the Riders are in dire need of some defensive ends, there are a few routes they can take to continue applying the pressure.

Jonathan Hamelin writes articles about the CFL for Examiner.com. You can also follow his articles by becoming a friend on Facebook.

While the Montreal Alouettes and Saskatchewan Roughriders met in the Grey Cup for the first time ever in 2009, do not be surprised if both teams make a repeat performance in 2010.

The Als are already making their Grey Cup plans for next season.

It appears that two of the team’s most valuable assets, Anthony Calvillo and Marc Trestman, will be returning to the Als next season.

According to the Montreal Gazette, Anwar Stewar said that on Tuesday, Calvillo told his teammates he will return next season: "bigger," "faster," "better," and "stronger." When Trestman was asked if he would return, he told the Gazette, “Yes sir. I plan on coming back next year.”

With both Calvillo and Trestman returning to Montreal next season, it is apparent that team is hoping to repeat as Grey Cup champions next season. Coming off a season in which the Als posted a combined record of 17-3, there are likely few who doubt they will have what it takes to make it back next season.

While the Als may be looking forward to defending their Grey Cup title next season, for the Riders, getting a chance to avenge their loss to the Als in the Grey Cup will be the only thing on their minds during the offseason.

According to Riders quarterback Darian Durant, the goal for next season is to make it back to the Grey Cup.

"Someone told me once that success is a journey, not a destination...and we're well on our way," Durant told the Regina Leader-Post. "We're going to be back next year and the year after and the year after. Get used to seeing the Green and White in the Grey Cup every year."

So, it is clear that both the Alouettes and Riders already have high hopes to return to the Grey Cup next season. With the talent present on both teams, this potential Grey Cup matchup does not appear all that far off.

There is of course one other party hoping for an Als-Rider rematch in the 2010 Grey Cup: TSN.

Over 14 million Canadians tuned in for at least part of the Grey Cup this year. This was a Grey Cup record. If Montreal and Saskatchewan meet in next year’s final, it is almost a guarantee that this record will be shattered, especially since this year’s game was a classic.

For proof of this, look at the recent viewing patterns of the NHL Stanley Cup.

In the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Finals featuring the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins, there was an average audience of 4.48 million per game. In next year’s rematch, the average audience jumped to 4.8 million per game. The Game Seven of that series also drew a record 7.51 million viewers.

It would not be a stretch to say that fans would be interested in watching a rematch between the Als and Riders next season, largely to see if Saskatchewan could exact  revenge on Montreal.

Ironically, if both teams do meet in the Grey Cup next season, they will experience a role reversal. Montreal will no longer be playing to prove the critics wrong, while Durant and his Rides will be looking to prove they can win the "big game".

So, while next season's Grey Cup is ages away, it is never too early to contemplate a juicy rematch between the up-and-coming Riders and the powerhouse Als.

Jonathan Hamelin is the Canadian Football League Examiner. For the latest news on the CFL, subscribe to his page at http://www.examiner.com/x-31495-CFL-Examiner .

In a game where big mistakes are costly, the Saskatchewan Roughriders learned the hard way that this saying is all too true. Though the Riders were underdogs to the opposing Montreal Alouettes, they proved themselves, leading the game for all but the last second. After leading by as many as 16 points, the Roughriders fell short in the 97th Grey Cup at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.

With just over 30 seconds left to play in the fourth quarter, Anthony Calvillo threw two game—making passes to Jamal Richardson and Kerry Watkins. With the clock at :00, Damon Duval attempted a 43—yard field goal to win the Grey Cup for the Al's. Duval missed the uprights to the right and the sea of green went wild in the stadium.

However, penalty markers went down as soon as the play started. As fans watched nervously waiting for the call, there seemed to be a glimpse of hope for Duval and the Alouettes.

Montreal coach Marc Trestman and his Als had hope as Rider's coach Ken Miller stood in disbelief that the Roughriders had 13 men on the field. This moved the Als closer to victory, and Duval made the clutch field goal to put the Als up over the Riders, 28-27 the final score.

Riders special teams co—ordinator Kavis Reed took all the blame on himself and refused to name the player who cost his team the loss.

"The player's name is not important," Reed said. "What's important is that a mistake was made and ultimately I think I'm responsible for that mistake.

During the post-game report, there was an interesting question asked that caught my attention: Did the Als win or did the Riders lose?

Though everyone may think the Riders lost, I have to disagree with this. With the astounding difference in energy and commitment to playing that the Als had in the second half compared to their worst first half of the season, I think the Als deserved to win.

With the kind of skill it took for Anthony Calvillo to throw such on—target passes in possibly the highest stress levels in sports, and the level of playing the Als offence showed during their final drive, I firmly believe the Als deserved to win this football game.

Notes:

Avon Colbourne won the Grey Cup MVP Award

Ben Cahoon won the Most Valuable Canadian Award

This will go down in team history as a completely wasted opportunity.

You can only wonder if Kent Austin was really making the right decision to take the offensive coordinator position at the University of Mississippi.

Kent, just be honest with yourself: you should have stayed in Regina instead of going down to Oxford, MS and watched your Ole Miss Rebels get punked by the Mississippi State Bulldogs yesterday.

Because the writing is on the pedestal: the coach who took over for you simply doesn't know how to win a Grey Cup.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders-the Chokers of 09-gave up a large rally capped by a Damon Duval late in the fourth quarter at McMahon Stadium to give up a 28-27 victory in the 2009 edition.

Ken Miller, you and the coaching staff (especially defensive coordinator Gary Etcheverry) should be ashamed of letter Marc Trestman's Montreal Alouettes come from behind.

In fact, it should have been a done deal at a few stages in the fourth quarter.

With 8:48 to go, a badly-thrown ball by Anthony Calvillo was tipped and was a clear interception. But instead, it's dropped and ruled incomplete. A good defense should be able to catch those tipped passes. You cannot drop these badly thrown balls against East champions, or they will capitalize.

And Calvillo made you guys pay with a 33-yard pass to Brian Bratton. Told you.

Secondly, with 6:19 to go, Riders QB Darien Durant throws a bad pass to Jerald Brown. This was not the only pick he made. He also blew a would-be touchdown pass to Rob Bagg with an interception to Billy Parker with 7:39 to go in the third.

Calvillo would then score his 9th Grey Cup touchdown pass of his career, a three yard pass to slotback Jamel Richardson.

Finally, your team gains the delusion that this is a rugby league game. Shame be the coach who cannot tell a legit 13th man (the crowd) from an illegit 13th man. That missed field goal by Duval would have ended it.

This goes to show you, Ken Miller, that you simply let your province and Roughrider fans around the world down with a lack of fundamentals combined with your team's inability to execute in the clutch.

Let this be on all of your heads for the rest of the off-season and into next year, Sasakatchewan Roughriders. This choke of a contest will be something that Green and White fans around the world will never be thankful for.

It is official; Jason Armstead has made the most out of the second chance with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Armstead played a huge role in the Roughriders’ two third-quarters touchdowns that helped the team defeat the visiting Calgary Stampeders 27-17, sending them to the Grey Cup on Sunday against the Montreal Alouettes.

Tied at 10 going into the second half, Armstead ripped off a 75-yard return that led Saskatchewan to a touchdown. On the next drive, Armstead connected with receiver Robb Bagg for a 42-yard strike on a slot back pass. The Roughriders went on to score a touchdown.

It was sweet justice for Armstead, who had been going through a rough patch in his career before signing with the Roughriders this season.

After coming over to Saskatchewan from the Ottawa Renegades in the 2006 dispersal draft, Armstead failed to live up to his 2005 all-star selection. In 2005, Armstead accumulated over 1,300 yards receiving. In 2006, Armstead gained less than half those receiving yards.

In 2007, Armstead felt he deserved a bigger role with the Roughriders, and was subsequently traded to the Hamilton Tiger Cats for return man Corey Holmes and receiver Chris Getlzaf.

Armstead ended up bouncing around the league, including stops in Montreal and Winnipeg. Finally, mid way through this season, the Roughriders reunited with Armstead. Some questioned the move, but the Roughriders had been lacking a consis10t return man all season long.

Armstead soon found new life with Saskatchewan.

He racked up over 800 yards in kick-off returns and nearly 400 yards in punt returns. For his efforts, Armstead was named the Roughriders special-teams’-player-of-the-year.

Last Sunday’s Western Final only confirmed that acquiring Armstead was a smart move. Armstead played a huge role in helping the Roughriders break out of their third quarter slump with two touchdowns.

And what a time to break out of a third quarter slump.

Up until that point, the Roughriders had been in a dog fight with the Stampeders. Thanks to a Roughriders’ turnover and poor field position in the first quarter, the Stampeders amassed a 10-point lead. The Riders managed to tie the game going into the second half thanks to a solid second quarter.

After an Armstead aided third quarter, the Riders never looked back, outscoring Calgary by 10 points.

Armstead finished the game with over 100 yards in kickoff returns.

It is apparent that Armstead has made the most of his second chance with the Roughriders, and that second chance has led Saskatchewan to their second Grey Cup appearance in three years.

Ever since his emergence into the Canadian Football League, Saskatchewan Roughrider receiver Weston Dressler has been a force to be reckoned with. He is unfortunately out for the rest of this season (his second in the CFL) with a broken leg. However when he is on field he gives opposing defences fits. The 5"8 180 pound receiver isn't big in size but he is big in heart and determination. Last year in his rookie season he was awarded the CFL rookie of the year award over Hamilton Tiger Cat receiver Prechae Rodriguez. He finished his rookie season with 56 receptions for 1123 yards and 6 touchdowns. He also added 5 catches for 93 yards in the Western Division Semi Final. The remarkable thing about those statistics is that Dressler didn't start at receiver until week 3 of the season.

Dressler must have never heard about the term "sophomore slump" because his second season was just as good as his first. He started off the season with 154 yards on 7 catches in the season opener against the visiting British Columbia Lions. He continued with a strong season up until October 10 against the Toronto Argonauts where he broke his fibula on a high caught ball and landing awkwardly. Being the warrior he is, he tried to hobble off the field the best he could but it was obvious he was in extreme pain. Dressler finished the season with 62 catches for 941 yards and 3 touchdowns. If he would have kept on this pace he would have had 1232 yards receiving on the year.

 Those stats however would have only put Dressler sixth in receiving yards in the CFL. However the stats can be misleading. Dressler's yards per catch average went down 5 yards from last year's average. This could be due to the fact that Roughrider Quarterback Darian Durant struggles at throwing deep passes which was Dressler's specialty in his first year in the league. Dressler only had 8 catches over 20 yards long and only 4 over 30 yards this year. In his rookie year in all 12 games where he started Dressler had a catch over 20 yards and 10 games with a catch over 30 yards. This shows how Dressler needs to receive more deep throws.

Dressler who was recently named to the Western Divison all star team, has the potential to put up record breaking numbers if he is given the oppurtunity to receive deeper passes.Darian Durant, the up and coming star is only going to improve so Dressler may get more oppurtunities next season.This article obviously shows how much the Riders will miss Dressler in the playoffs. Dressler will get another oppurtunity next season which is his last year in his contract to put up mind boggling stats and hopefully get a big contract extension with the Riders.

With 2009 being considered a year with a lack of talent in the CFL, the league sure has had it's fair share of intresting games and last minute victories. One team that has had more than enough of these is the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Riders have had many games that have come down right to the wire including two straight over time games against the Calgary Stampeders and British Columbia Lions in which they went 1-0-1. The Riders have gone through many tough battles on their way to first place in the CFL's Western Division.

Quarterback Darian Durant has gone through a lot this year with the Riders. Most of the season, fans as well as sports writers had been saying Durant was not ready to be a starting quarterback in the CFL, boy were they wrong. Coming on especially at the end of the year, Durant was the Roughriders' Most Outstanding Player nominee and many people felt he should have won the Western Division MOP, but that went to Calgary tail back Joffrey Reynolds who lead the league in rushing yards. At this point in the season, many consider Durant to be the best quarterback in the Western Division and a big reason for why they have the best chance at winning the Grey Cup.

Although Durant has slightly less yards and more interceptions than both Henry Burris and Ricky Ray, Durant has come on time and time again down the stretch in tight games and must win situations where he managed to capture first place in the Western Division. In the second half of the season, Durant had 12 touchdown passes, 9 interceptions and 2269 passing yards. Burris had 1916 passing yards, 8 touchdown passes and 9 interceptions. Eskimos quarterback Ricky Ray had 2244 passing yards, 10 touchdowns passes and 4 interceptions. Although the season stats of Durant are not as good as Burris or Ray, in the second half of the season he has outplayed Ray and heavily outplayed Burris.

The biggest reason Saskatchewan is the Grey Cup favorite coming out of the West is due to the fact that they only have to win one game to get there. Since the Riders are first place in the West, they have a first round playoff bye and will have home field advantage while playing the winner of the Western Conference semi-final. Whether it is Edmonton or Calgary, either team will have a lot of trouble hearing plays and signals in Mosaic Stadium due to the roaring croud of Saskatchewan.

Even though Montreal has been the best team in the CFL so far this season, I would not count out Saskatchewan to beat them should they meet in the Grey Cup. The Grey Cup is in Calgary this year which means should the Riders be there, at least eighty percent of the fans will be cheering for the Riders considering how close Calgary is to Saskatchewan and how many Rider fans live in Alberta. Also, Saskatchewan finished the season hot and firing on all cylinders while the Alouettes finished the season knowing they had first place locked up and resting Anthony Calvillo.

There are many things the Riders will need to do to win the Grey Cup. Darian Durant has to the effecient touchdown passing quarterback we have seen and not the one who throws interceptions on little dump passes and weak short throws. Also, the running game will be a big factor. Wes Cates was the only starting tail back in the league this year to not rush for 1000 yards. To be the best team by the end of the season, he will need to step up his game, as well as the Rider defense will need to shut down the opposing teams' running backs. Should these things happen, I believe the Saskatchewan Roughriders will be 2009 Grey Cup champions.

This article also appeared in The Carillon: The University of Regina Newspaper

Husain Aboghodieh recently got his first taste of the Saskatchewan Roughrider experience.

Aboghodieh, a University of Regina student going for a Masters in Public Administration at the Johnson Shoyama School of Public Policy, was in the stands for his first ever Canadian Football League game on October 24th as the British Columbia Lions travelled to Mosaic Stadium to take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

“Amazing,” said Aboghodieh, picking one word to describe the experience. “We were sitting in section 28 and it was pretty rowdy and crazy. It was an amazing atmosphere.”

Aboghodieh travelled to the game with friends from residence, some of whom were transfer students. He also went with a few people from Saskatchewan who had also never seen a Roughriders game before.

“I dressed in green,” says Aboghodieh. “We met up with a couple of people at the game. Guys were pretty dressed up. One guy had face paint on and one had a mask on.”

It was only fitting that the first Roughrider’s game Abodhodieh’s attended would be against the BC Lions. The Lions and Roughriders have been bitter rivals over the last couple of seasons, and their games have rarely lacked excitement.

The Lions have pulled off plenty of late demoralizing victories over the Riders, and the Riders responded in 2007 by beating the Lions in BC for the Western Final.

The latest edition of the BC-Saskatchewan rivalry didn’t fail to deliver excitement. There were lead changes, big plays both ways, and even a mini pre-game scrum between some of the Riders players and the Lion players.

“It was an exciting game because it was back and forth,” says Aboghodieh. “The Riders were up and then BC came back so quickly. I was wondering what was going on. I was afraid. It was my first Roughriders game and I wanted them to win. It was a good time.”

The game was tied 30-30 after the fourth quarter and headed into overtime. The Roughriders scored a field goal on their first possession. On the Lions first possession, they marched deep into the Riders end, before safety James Patrick picked off a Casey Printers pass to give the Riders the win. Aboghodieh notes the stadium was electric following the play.

“We were high-fiving everyone, fireworks were going off,” says Aboghodieh.

Roughrider fans have been heralded by some as the greatest fans in the world. They seem to pack the stadium no matter where the team is playing and can be found across Canada and other parts of the world.

According, to Aboghodieh, the Roughrider fans are well deserving of their label.

“I agree completely,” says Aboghodieh. “The noise [in the stadium] was crazy. The atmosphere was electric all the time. Everybody was standing and you had to stand as well. People were standing on the benches. The cheering and chanting was good. Everyone was wearing green.

It was like a "sea of green" all over.

There has been a lot of talk about creating a dome stadium in Regina. After going to the game, Aboghodieh said he enjoyed the atmosphere of an outdoor game.

“I kind of like the atmosphere of an outdoor game,” says Aboghodieh. “I’d never been to outdoor pro game.”

On the other hand, he can see why people may want a new stadium.

“When I saw the stadium, I started to really think, now I know why people want a new stadium,” says Aboghodieh. “The infrastructure is a little old. I thought everybody would have their own seat. Maybe they could just re-vamp the stadium a little bit.”

The Roughrider experience is undoubtedly unlike any other. Fans pack the stadium from all across the province. They all huddle up in often freezing temperatures, cheering loudly and embracing their only professional sports team. Aboghodieh cherished the experience, and would definitely recommend it to anyone else who has not yet seen a Rider game at Mosaic Stadium.

“I think it is important that you go out and see a game. It’s a good experience,” says Aboghodieh. “You should support your team and your province. It was a good experience and I would recommend it to anyone. I am thinking of going again.”

For the first time since 1976, the Saskatchewan Roughriders finish first place in the CFL Western Division. Although this is a huge feat and means a lot to the Roughriders' organization, they aren't near happy yet. This first place finish means that the Riders will have a first round bye in the playoffs and will play the winner of Calgary and Edmonton who play in the first round. First place also means that the Western Finals will be played at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

We all know that the Roughriders have the best fans in Canada. They sell more merchandise than all other CFL teams combined, all home games are nearly sold out and other teams hate travelling to Saskatchewan because of the immense noise produced by the 13th man (the fans). With the Riders now one game away from the Grey Cup, Rider fans could not be more excited.

To clinch first place, the Riders had to get through the Calgary Stampeders Saturday, November 7th, and oh baby did they ever. With constant chants of HENRY, to psych out Stampeder quarterback Henry Burris, the Riders came away with the victory 30-14.

The quarterbacking battle was won by the Riders and many fans thought that is exactly what it would take for the Riders to come away with the victory. Darian Durant, the Riders' nominee for the CFL's Most Outstanding Player award threw 36 passes in which he completed 24 for 296 yards and 2 touchdowns. On the other side of the field, Calgary quarterback Henry Burris threw for 221 yards and 1 interception on 15-25 pass attempts.

The rushing game was nearly the only area of Saturday's game that the Stampeders did better. The Stamps, (lead by Jofferey Reynolds with 107 yards) combined for 171 yards rushing and one touchdown while the Riders, (lead by Wes Cates with 54 yards) combined for 117 yards and 1 touchdown.

The Roughriders' 2009 award nominees all had good games. John Chick, the Riders' nominee for best defensive player had 6 tackles and 1 sack to show that he did really deserve to be the one nominated. Darian Durant had a fantastic game with nearly no mistakes as he had 2 more touchdowns than he had interceptions. Interceptions have really haunted him this season but this game he had none. He also seemed to have found a new go to receiver with Weston Dressler out in Andy Fantuz. Fantuz had 123 yards on 12 receptions. Outstanding Canadian nominee Rob Bagg had a critical touchdown reception and Outstanding LinemanGene Makowski and Outstanding Special Teams Player Jason Armstead had solid games like always as well.

First place in the West was key for the Riders this season. If they can just get that one win at home, the will be in the Grey Cup facing the BC Lions, Hamilton Tiger-Cats or (and most likely) the Montreal Alouettes. The reason first place is more important this year than most, is because if the Riders do make it to the Grey Cup, it will be pretty much a home game as the game is in Calgary. Rider fans have no problem travelling to the Grey Cup in Calgary as it is close to home and there are many, many Rider fans who live in Alberta.

The Roughriders still have some key players injured who have chances of returning before seasons end which just may propel them to a Grey Cup win. Receiver Weston Dressler, halfback Eddie Davis and offensive tackle Wayne Smith are all not ruled out to be back by the West Final or Grey Cup which could seriously help the Riders.

All season long, Darian Durant has been going through critisizm but that finally seems to have ended. Multiple times this season, Rider fans have called for Durant to be pulled and have backup Stephen Jyles put into the game. Rider coach Ken Miller also hasn't had full confidence in his quarterback as multiple times he has stated they will rotate quarterbacks throughout the game. The most recent of time he said this was two weeks ago before their game against Calgary. Durant responded to this comment by throwing for 198 yards, 3 touchdowns, no interceptions and had a quarterback rating of 131.8.

The Riders are currently tied for 1st place in the West at 8-6-1 with the Calgary Stampeders whom they just recently tied. In that game, Darian Durant heavily out dueled opposing quarterback Henry Burris. Durant had a better completion percentage by over 10%, had 1 more touchdown, 1 less interception, 147 more passing yards and 4 more rushing yards.

Durant ranks in the top 4 in nearly every statistical quarterback category. He currently sits 4th in passing yardage at 3670 (5th is 1558 yards behind), second in touchdown passes with 20 and has the 4th best completion percentage among starters. Durant's biggest problem has been interceptions. Right now, Durant has the most interceptions in the league at 18, but in the last two games has had no interceptions and 5 touchdown passes.

Another aspect of Durant's game that makes opposing teams scared is his ability to use his legs. Durant is constantly running around in the backfield avoiding sacks. He has had many plays this season where he has had to extend the play with his legs by a couple of seconds and has ended up completing the pass. Durant is also second among quarterbacks in rushing yards with 413. He has four less fumbles then the leading rushing quarterback (Henry Burris) and has the highest yards per carry average among starting quarterbacks with 8.8.

In my opinion, Darian Durant is one of the leagues best quarterbacks. At this point and time, the only quarterback playing better is Anthony Calvillo while Kevin Glenn is starting to come into his own as well.

Should the Riders finish first place in the West, Darian Durant should be a very legitimate contender for the Western Conference Most Outstanding Player Award.