By Joel Gasson

GAME DAY: Riders hope to end slide against Edmonton

Oct 19, 2014 | 9:14 AM

The Riders will again get another chance to turn their season around this afternoon as they host the Edmonton Eskimos at Mosaic Stadium.

The Green and White have lost three games in a row and four of five since franchise quarterback Darian Durant went down with an injured elbow in the Banjo Bowl on September 7, 2014.

This week has had a bit of a different feel to the previous week though as there does appear to be some anger from the coaching staff and the players.

“Not frustrated, that word doesn’t enter my vocabulary at all. Pissed off, maybe?” said head coach Corey Chamblin. “I think that’s what it is. Where these guys to a point where they said ‘hey we got to fight against every obstacle that’s in our way and remove them’ I think that’s where this team is.”

Over the last couple of weeks Chamblin feels his team has been taken steps toward getting out of this most recent funk, with the exception of the game itself in Montreal which he admits was a bit of a set-back.

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The coach does remain confident that this ship can still be turned around, with or without Durant.

“I’m always sure,” said Chamblin. “I was sure last year when (it was) said the wolves are at my door if I didn’t win that game (in B.C.), and I won that game. I was sure when (it was) said when were won on a four game losing streak, I was sure the year before in 12 when we had two, four-five game losing streaks and you guys were like ‘will he get it done?’ I always get it done.”

The major difference in those situations is the Riders did have Durant then to fight back. If they can this week and perhaps beyond without him is another question.

Chamblin wasn’t afraid to let his emotions show earlier this week when he was ripping into the players a few times during practice. A method Chamblin doesn’t always use, but his players tend to respond when they do.

That being said, them being challenged by the coach is nothing new.

“At home at night having a glass of wine, you might get a text from Coach Chamblin challenging you to watch some film or something,” said defensive end Ricky Foley.

Another new pivot

Without Durant, the team will start its third different quarterback in that time against the Eskimos.

Kerry Joseph will start for the Riders for the first time since the 2007 Grey Cup Game. Joseph isn’t sure how the emotions will react when he runs out of the tunnel this afternoon at Mosaic Stadium.

Joseph, however, doesn’t plan on going out there and being Super Man.

“It’s not about me, it’s about getting this team back in the win column,” he said. “I’m going to come out here and let the game come to me, get a feel for what they’re doing and just utilized the guys around me.”

An expectation that is the same from the coaching staff as well, an expectation that has been placed on basically every quarterback that has played for the green and white this year.

News and Notes

Left guard Brendon LaBatte won’t play for a second straight week with an unknown upper-body injury. Dan Clark will start in his place.

Running back Will Ford will also return to the line-up after being placed on the six game injured list just last week. Chamblin claims that it has nothing to do with Allen’s fumble, which he also wasn’t apparently benched for; Allen was sat down after taking a few hits in Montreal, according to the coach. Chamblin wants to add speed to the line-up, so that’s why Ford was pulled off the injured list.

Speed is also why receiver Korey Williams is in for Dan DePalma.

Defensive lineman Derek Walker returns after missing last week’s game with an unknown injury.

news@panow.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow