NO MORE YEAH BUTS..........

VANSTONE: No more 'yeah buts' for the Saskatchewan Roughriders


By Rob Vanstone, Leader-PostSeptember 25, 2009Be the first to post a comment


REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders could use a but-kicking.
If the word “but” can be eliminated from any appraisal of a Roughriders game, that will constitute a breakthrough for the Green and White.

Lately, qualified successes have become routine. The past four games, in particular, have elicited a reaction along the lines of, “Yeah, but …”

The trend began Aug. 21, when the Roughriders travelled to Montreal and registered a 25-34 moral victory over the Alouettes. Although Montreal prevailed, the Riders were applauded for throwing a scare into the CFL’s best team.

Afterwards, Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman labelled the visitors a “championship-calibre team.” Roughriders players and coaches talked about making a statement by being as competitive as they were.

There was only one snag. Montreal 34, Saskatchewan 25.
Yeah, the Riders played well, but …

Following a bye week, the Riders returned to action Sept. 6 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Saskatchewan won 29-14, but an asterisk was required because the victory was at the expense of the feckless Bombers. Yeah, but …

The same critique applied one week later, when the Roughriders concluded a home-and-home set by eviscerating the hosts from Winnipeg 55-10. Yeah, but …

Saskatchewan carried a two-game winning streak into Sunday’s matchup with the visiting Edmonton Eskimos. Edmonton emerged victorious, 31-27, on the strength of a pinpoint passing performance by Ricky Ray, who threw a game-winning touchdown bomb to Maurice Mann with 1:09 remaining.

Nonetheless, the Roughriders and their fans could derive solace from the fact that even on an afternoon when Ray was in classic form, the resilient home side was in the game until the final gun. Yeah, but …

“It was pretty impressive,” Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant said of Ray. “This is a guy who has been doing that basically his whole career. To see it first-hand, it was kind of special for me. Not only do I love the game, but I’m a fan of the game, also. When guys go out there and move the ball up and down the field and make plays the way Ricky does, it’s a good sight to see — not against us, but you know …”

Another “but.” Another ellipsis. Etc.

Appropriately, the Roughriders began the 2009 season in “yeah, but …” fashion on July 3, defeating the B.C. Lions 28-24 on Taylor Field. The desired result was achieved, but only because the Lions’ Ryan Grice-Mullen dropped a bomb from Buck Pierce in the waning seconds.
Fast forward to Aug. 1. With just under two minutes remaining, the Calgary Stampeders’ Sandro DeAngelis missed a 51-yard field goal that, if successful, would have secured a victory for his team. Instead, Weston Dressler returned the errant kick 55 yards, setting the stage for a game-winning, 65-yard TD toss from Durant to Chris Getzlaf. Luca Congi’s convert proved to be the difference as Saskatchewan won 24-23.

The miss by DeAngelis is a trivial “yeah, but …,” considering the length of the attempt. The larger story was an impressive performance by Durant, who threw three touchdown passes to help Saskatchewan upend the defending Grey Cup champions.

Since then, Durant has continued to progress. Even this past Sunday, when Ray was virtually unerring, Durant was not far off his counterpart’s torrid pace. After Ray and Mann silenced the gathering at Mosaic Stadium, Durant coolly marched the Riders into scoring territory, only to have a last-ditch pass from the 17-yard line fall incomplete in the end zone as time expired.
“We did a good job of responding when Edmonton drove the ball,” Durant said. “I think we only had three possessions in the first half. We did what we had to do when we had the ball. If we could have scored more touchdowns instead of kicking field goals, of course that would have been better.

“I think as long as you counterpunch when they hit you, you put yourself in position to win.”
A knockout performance is required if the Roughriders are to win today in Edmonton. Saskatchewan could certainly use a statement game — a pronounced contrast to four consecutive weeks of “yeah, but …”

rvanstone@leaderpost.canwest.com