Nightmare 2.0: Riders lose Darian Durant for season in 30-26 loss to Winnipeg

The Saskatchewan Roughriders 2015 season is off to the worst start imaginable. Not only did they lose 30-26 to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, but franchise quarterback Darian Durant is again out for the year.

Late in the first half, Durant went down after a seemingly innocent play and did not return to the game. Durant was carted off the field and eventually leave the stadium. 

Soon after the post-game press conference with head coach Corey Chamblin, the Riders announced Durant had suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon and is out for the season. 

“It’s terrible luck. That’s all you can chuck that one up too,” said offensive lineman Brendon LaBatte.

“It wasn’t like he was forced or he was trying to make anything. It looked pretty routine.”

Event Centre funding

City may hire lobbyist for event centre money

8h ago

International honours

Raiders' Kubiesa to represent Czechia at IIHF U18 Men's World Championship

11h ago

Learn the signs

How often should you change your brakes?

15h ago

Thanks to everyone for their prayers…especially my fellow q’s around the league and #RiderNation

— Darian Durant (@dariandurant) June 28, 2015

That moment sucked all of the air out of Mosaic Stadium. It was a new season with a fresh start for the franchise quarterback under a new offensive coordinator.

That cloud hung over the stadium for much of the rest of the game, especially during half-time when the team was honouring former president Jim Hopson. 

The team was likely deflated as well. But, they had to pick themselves up and finish the football game.

“It’s tough. But, being around this sport you’ve experienced injuries to key players on teams,” said quarterback Kevin Glenn.

“With it being the actual first game of the season, you never want it to go down like that. So, your other leaders have to rally the guys up and put us in a more comfortable space.”

Now, with 17 more games to go, the team is right back where they were the second half of last season. 

The difference this time is they have in Glenn an experienced quarterback ready to step up to the plate.

It’s almost becoming a strange phenomenon how these sorts of events have a way of following Glenn in his career. He filled in for an injured Travis Lulay in B.C. last season, for a few years before that he was in and out of the line up in Calgary. 

“My thing is that I’m always prepared that I’m always going to play,” said Glenn.

The plan for the Riders going forward will be Glenn, and they’ll have to bring in another quarterback to have three on the roster again. 

More on Durant is expected to be announced on Monday. 

Busy medical room

Durant wasn’t the only one keeping the Riders medical staff busy on this night. 

Linebacker Shea Emry, receiver Nic Demski, and defensive backs Keenan MacDougall and Marshay Green all left the game with injuries.

“It’s going to be a long night to sit down with (general manager Brendan Taman), the medical staff (and) see where we go from here,” said Chamblin.

“The roster is going to change a little bit. It’ll be a test within itself and there’s some other things we have to fix but it’s a part of football.”

None of their injuries were disclosed. Green was spotted in the locker room with a brace on his left leg. Demski and MacDougall were both in slings. 

Defensive woes

If the injuries weren’t enough on this night, the defence has plenty to work on as well. 

Play after play, the defenders in green and white whiffed on tackle after tackle.

“We just didn’t tackle this game. We’ve been working on the fundamentals. We just got to tighten our fundamentals up,” said defensive back Weldon Brown.

“Something we got to work on more.”

Chamblin was confident the defence would tighten up going forward.

“We’ll be a better tackling football team than we showed tonight,” he said.

“We have some work to do there.”

Number Crunching

Before leaving the game, Durant was 13-for-18 with 165 yards passing and two touchdowns. Glenn finished the night 13-for-18 for 120 yards and an interception.

As a team the Riders rushed for 212 yards including 105 from Anthony Allen and 75 from Jerome Messam. 

Ryan Smith was the team’s top receiver with three catches for 77 yards and one touchdown. 

The Riders next game is next Sunday against the Toronto Argonauts. 

JGasson@rawlco.com
Follow on Twitter: @JGasson_21
Follow on Twitter: @homeofthefans