Jamie Nye
CFL.ca
The Saskatchewan Roughriders enter the 2011 season the same way they entered 2010 – wanting redemption after another Grey Cup loss the previous season.
For the team to get that elusive extra victory at the end of November they need to be better across the board.
Quarterbacking, coaching, special teams, defence; all of it has to be better.
Not that I’m saying Darian Durant hasn’t proven himself as a star of the league. He was after all just named the third best player in the league by TSN’s nation-wide panel.
Durant has grown after another year as the sole starter and admits that leading the league in interceptions is not going to help the team achieve the ultimate goal of winning their second Grey Cup in five years, his first as a starter.
The North Carolina grad has everything the team hasn’t seen from a quarterback in a long time. He can run, throw and most importantly think the game with the best of them. If he takes another step in the mental aspect of the game, like making better decisions, Durant would be well on his way to a Most Outstanding Player Award.
The big question is who he will throw the ball to.
Durant has been disarmed with the departure of 2010 Most Outstanding Canadian Andy Fantuz to the NFL and with Rob Bagg starting the season on the nine-game injured list.
While he has the likes of Weston Dressler, Chris Getzlaf, Cary Koch and Jason Clermont returning, without Fantuz and Bagg, Durant is missing almost 2,000 of his over 5,500 yards of passing in 2011.
However, after the Riders had one very special player taken away by the NFL, they’re hoping they’ve done the same to the league down south. Both Terrence Nunn and Ernie Wheelwright are NFL castoffs who have looked very comfortable in the Roughrider offence and will be looked upon to pick up as much of that yardage as possible. Former Edmonton Eskimo Efrem Hill will also be in the mix.
Wes Cates returns to the backfield after leading the league in touchdowns last season, but the men in front of him have changed. Perennial all-star left tackle Alex Gauthier joins the ranks, but that comes with the departure of all-star centre Jeremy O’Day, who announced his retirement during the off-season.
O’Day, now in the Roughriders front office, will be replaced by veteran Marc Parenteau in the middle of the offensive line.
Another spark on offence may be the implementation of Hugh Charles. The team believes Charles could be ready for a larger, though not significant, role in the offence as a change of pace back to Cates. Charles is eager for the opportunity after showing his big play potential when given the chance during the past few seasons.
On defence, much has changed. A new coordinator means a new philosophy for the Roughriders.
Tad Kornegay will no longer be the smallest linebacker in the league. Though effective, Kornegay moves back to his natural defensive back position to fill the void from the loss of Omarr Morgan, released in the off-season.
There is a significantly different look in the front seven as new defensive coordinator Richie Hall is going with much larger defensive linemen. Dario Romero moves in from Edmonton, Tearrius George from Calgary and Jerrell Freeman, who played defensive end at times last season, moves to an outside linebacker role.
For the Roughriders defence to succeed, they need to maintain that playmaking mentality former coordinator Gary Etcheverry established after watching James Patrick lead the league in interceptions and Barrin Simpson do the same in tackles.
There has also been a change on special teams in Saskatchewan, with Craig Dickenson taking over the coordinator job.
The team calls it a coup that they were able to snag one of the most respected special teams minds out from under the other seven teams after Dickenson’s return from time with the Oakland Raiders.
The new coach appears to have already made a big impact – witness Hugh Charles returning a punt for a touchdown in pre-season action. Something Roughrider faithful thought was going to be as elusive as that next Grey Cup.
There is a problem on special teams, however. Luca Congi’s knee injury from October of 2010 has carried over into this season and the team has placed him on the nine-game injured list. His replacements, Eddie Johnson and rookie Christopher Milo, performed very poorly in the preseason and it’s definitely a problem the team needs to see resolved soon before it costs them a win and two points in the standings.
As for the new boss, Greg Marshall, he needs to be a rookie head coach that doesn’t make many rookie mistakes.
Marshall appears to have come prepared after over a decade of coaching in the league. In his first month on the job, Marshall has run a very disciplined and organized training camp and has implemented the way he’s wanted to run things while waiting for a team to finally give him the chance to lead.
There isn’t much doubt Marshall can handle the sideline. He is a complete 180 degree change from Ken Miller who was a stoic, calm, hands off boss
The new head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders may actually be the most important change of all in 2011, as he’ll bring more fire and edge to the position.
That extra edge may give the Roughriders the extra victory that sees the team hoist the Grey Cup in Vancouver.
