Mark Masters
CFL.ca
Darian Durant will determine who wins the Canadian Football League Western Division. And that is a good thing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Durant played a tremendous game in Calgary on Saturday and got his team a much-needed point on enemy soil. The Roughriders pivot completed 35-of-45 passes for 427 yards and two touchdowns.
Before the game in Calgary the Stampeders defence seemed eager to play against Durant, who leads the league in interceptions thrown (18).
“Any time that you see a quarterback with that many interceptions, as a defensive back, you get a little bit excited about that,” Brandon Browner told Sun Media in the lead-up to the game.
But Durant didn’t turn the ball over against Calgary even with one of his best weapons, Weston Dressler, sidelined by injury.
The South Carolina native completed passes to nine different receivers. He also ran for 40 yards on five carries. The 27-year-old’s mobility was on full display as the Stampeders only recorded one sack.
If Durant didn’t outplay Henry Burris he at the very least went toe-to-toe with him.
Burris threw for 280 yards and one touchdown. He also tossed one interception. Although, it must be noted, the Stampeders signal-caller spent a good chunk of the game handing the ball to Joffrey Reynolds who rushed for 129 yards on 18 carries.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Durant was his ability to perform when it mattered most. In overtime and late in the fourth quarter he was bang-on.
He showed a type of poise that CFL fans usually associate with Ricky Ray, Anthony Calvillo and Burris.
His performance needs to be put in context. Durant wasn’t just dealing with the pressure of a game with first-place hanging in the balance. Entering the contest his job security as the top quarterback in Saskatchewan was far from certain.
In recent weeks some have called for backup Steven Jyles to get a chance under centre. In a province where the Roughriders are followed religiously Durant was feeling the heat. Keep in mind, four different quarterbacks started for Ken Miller last season.
If Durant put up a dud versus Calgary there was a good chance he would lose his starting gig.
Week #16 did very little to clarify the CFL playoff race, but one thing became apparent in a weekend of excellent games: Durant deserves more respect.
Based on Durant’s performance, this space is now ready to move the Roughriders into first place in our Playoff Projection.
PLAYOFF PROJECTIONS
WEST
1. Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-6-1)
Projection: First in the West
Games remaining: vs. BC, @ Hamilton, vs. Calgary
Quick hit: The tie on the road against Calgary feels like a win, especially since they have the final head-to-head matchup against Calgary on their home turf.
2. BC Lions (8-7)
Projection: Second in the West
Games remaining: @ Saskatchewan, vs. Calgary, vs. Edmonton
Quick hit: They finish with two games at home and if they win both those games there is a good chance they will stay home for the Western Semifinal.
3. Calgary Stampeders (8-6-1)
Projection: Third in the West
Games remaining: vs. Edmonton, @ BC, @ Saskatchewan
Quick hit: They have only one home game left in the regular season and they better make it count.
4. Edmonton Eskimos (7-8)
Projection: Fourth in the West, crossover to East as third seed
Games remaining: @ Calgary, vs. Toronto, @ BC
Quick hit: One more easy game at home vs. the sinking Argonauts sandwiched between two tough roadies.
EAST
1. Montreal (13-2)
Projection: First in the East
Games remaining: @ Winnipeg, vs. Winnipeg, @ Toronto
Quick hit: One objective the rest of the way: Keep Anthony Calvillo healthy.
2. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6-9)
Projection: Second in the East
Games remaining: vs. Montreal, @ Montreal, vs. Hamilton
Quick hit: If they are ever going to beat Montreal it’s going to be this week with Calvillo banged up and the crowd behind them. Whatever happens they need to find a way to stay within a game of Hamilton so the regular season finale means something.
3. Hamilton (6-9)
Projection: Third in the East, miss the playoffs
Games remaining: @ Toronto, vs. Saskatchewan, @ Winnipeg
Quick hit: That was a valiant effort at Montreal on Sunday, but not good enough. The defence needed to get one more stop and they couldn’t. The game at Toronto this week is a must-win if ever there was one.
4. Toronto Argonauts (3-12)
Projection: Fourth in the East, eliminated
Games remaining: vs. Hamilton, @ Edmonton, vs. Montreal
Quick hit: In another lost season the Argos have one mission: beat their QEW rivals from Hamilton and deal the Ticats playoff hopes a devastating blow.
TWEETS OF THE WEEK
Winnipeg Blue Bombers safety Ian Logan has taken his competitive edge to the Twitterverse … at least it’s for a good cause.
@Ianlogan31 If I’m the 1st CFL player w/ 1000 followers, $500 goes to @unitedwaywpg. Let’s go!! #CFL (Oct. 17)
By the way, Logan has 435 followers as of Monday afternoon. Oh, and if you follow Logan, it may be good to Tweet him some positive messages based on his response to Sunday’s loss to the Lions.
@Ianlogan31 Still in shock we lost that game … (Oct. 19)
The Lions and Bombers put on a good show, but the game of the week if not the year, was in Calgary where the Stampeders and Roughriders engaged in an instant classic. But, not all fans were happy with the outcome.
@wunderbar What a football game. One of the best of the year and way to complicate the west playoff picture more than it already was #CFL (Oct. 17)
Some suggest the Toronto Argonauts are the real winners based on what happened Saturday in Calgary …
@CFLca Argos do lead the #CFL in one category! RT @shayman Argos Lead the CFL in Overtime Wins this season! With, uh, one. (Oct. 17)
Finally, the Grey Cup is just around the corner, and the organizing committee is getting set to offer fans a social media experience like never before.
@greycup2009 Grey Cup Festival Connect social media website will launch soon and we are very excited @calstampeders (Oct. 18)
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