Aug
Riders not a second half team
Courtesy Regina Leader Post:
There was a touch of frustration in Darian Durant’s voice on Thursday when asked about the Saskatchewan Roughriders’woes in the second half of Canadian Football League games this season.
The personable quarterback has seen and contributed to the Riders’ third-quarter collapses. He also knows the Riders have been outscored 71-8 in seven third quarters this season. It’s likely the numerous questions about the Riders’ performance after the break that have alleviated Durant’s frustration.
“If I could pinpoint what happens, then I would, and it wouldn’t happen week after week,” Durant said in advance of tonight’s game against the host Montreal Alouettes.
“We just need to be better in the second half. Maybe we don’t need to score as many points in the first half as we do and save them for the second half.”
The Riders’ second-half struggles surfaced during a 43-10 loss to the Alouettes on Week 3. The Riders trailed 14-8 at the half after surrendering a late touchdown.
The Alouettes raced out of the break with 16 unanswered points in the third quarter while the offence was stymied.
“We’ve played well in some games in the second half,” said Durant. “We need to make a conscious effort to come out at halftime and get something established, whether it’s on offence or defence. If that Montreal game is an indication, it’s something we need to remember.”
There are other instances. In Week 4, the Riders raced into a 22-0 lead over the Edmonton Eskimos, only to lose 38-33 at Mosaic Stadium. On Sunday, the Riders grabbed a 23-0 halftime lead, then watched as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats roared back to tie the contest 23-23 early in the fourth quarter.
The Riders rallied to pull out the win against the Tiger-Cats, which Durant stresses are the only points that count.
“We score a lot of points, whether it’s in the first or the fourth quarter,” said Durant, whose Riders are third in the CFL with an average of 27.7 points per game.
“We would love to score every quarter, but the only stat that really matters is you score more points than the other team at the end.”
While a seven-point performance in the third quarter stands out, Riders head coach Ken Miller prefers to look ahead.
“If you worry about a problem, you’re adding credence to that situation,” said Miller. “The thing we need to do is keep taking it one play at a time in the third quarter. We need to attack it like we do the first quarter or the fourth quarter, where we have been highly successful.”
There have been many theories floated about the Riders’ third-quarter woes. Some wonder about the team’s halftime adjustments. It seems that the opposition does a better job of adjusting to game situations than the Riders.
Others point to the Riders’ lack of intensity coming out of the break. That’s not a theory the Riders are too happy to consider.
“It might be insulting to say we’re coming out flat, but the stats speak for themselves,” said Riders centre Jeremy O’Day. “It’s a fact that we come out flat, but we could help ourselves by executing better after the half and making those adjustments.”
Durant feels the coaching staff is making adjustments at the half. He said it’s up to the players to execute those changes.
“The coaches can only do so much,” said Durant. “We just have to be better as players coming out of the half.”
The Riders salvaged a win over the Tiger-Cats. That may not be as easy against the Alouettes, who boast the league’s best record at 6-1.
The Riders are 4-3 and are still tied with the Eskimos for first place in the West Division despite their problems in the third quarter.
“(The Alouettes) are a great team, but the last time we played we made a couple of big mistakes on defence, which gave them two touchdowns,” said defensive back Eddie Davis.
“That made it a totally different game.”
