No Miracle But Definitely Hope

For almost three quarters it was a game best savored with a bottle of whisky and a pack of cigarettes, watching in subdued silence as the question raged through the stands, “Can we get a first down never mind a touchdown?”

Then after spotting the Calgary Stampeders a 24-0 lead with some wise-ass on the Calgary sidelines talking shutout, the Riders stormed back to tie the game at 24 before losing in the last minute 31-24. While the Riders lost another game, this one not just took the taste of the 24-0 defeat to Edmonton out of our mouths, it also showed that until Darian Durant comes back, Tino Sunseri is the immediate future of the club and the growing pains we expect will continue, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

It was playoff football at Mosaic Stadium, starting with the Jumbotron catching fire due to the pre-game pyrotechnics and starting Rider quarterback Seth Doege throwing three interceptions in the first half before being pulled for Sunseri.

To his credit, Doege was trying, but his interceptions were the result of a lack of familiarity with the receivers as his balls were basically too high, overshot the receivers and ended up in the hands of Calgary defenders. The expression on Doege’s face said it all after the third interception. Despite everything he could have done to prepare for this game, the speed and his touch for the ball abandoned him and he had no answers for the Stampeder rush.

Sunseri came back with a brilliant throw to Dan DePalma, the former New York Giant receiver who broke a 66 yard touchdown featuring two Stampeders running into each other. The two point convert to Weston Dressler brought it to 24-8.

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Sunseri showed on the throw that he had picked up the pace on making reads by making DePalma the third read on the play and breaking the goose egg that had lasted a game and a half lifted the offense to a new dimension.

The quickness that Sunseri had been known for in making his reads previously before he floundered against Edmonton and Hamilton. The Riders benefited by the Stampeders pulling running back Jon Cornish in the second half, but it could be argued that apart from a few runs, the Riders had kept Cornish in check for the most part.

An interesting part of the game was the nine defensive linemen dressed for the game. The rotation was designed to keep the linemen fresh and their plan was to use the defensive linemen to get pressure to bottle up the Calgary running game in their backfield.

On the Riders next possession, Chris Getzlaf got a 57 yard reception, which was unique because Getzlaf is usually a Stampeder killer, and then Dressler drew an interference penalty setting the ball up on the Calgary 1 yard line. Sunseri got the touchdown on a quarterback sneak and then the Riders hit their second two point convert to Dressler to cut the score to 24-16.

The change was electric at Mosaic and the intensity was picked up on the Calgary possession when Tate tried to hit a deep pattern but Marshay Green hit the receiver and laid him flat on the turf to the extent the medical staff had to take him off the field.

The Riders started at their 12 yard line and then Sunseri put together the first Rider drive to get a touchdown that started within their own 20. Brent Swain, who had been more like an afterthought in the receiving corps, started breaking open for receptions. Jerome Messam did his best mack truck impersonation on another long reception and made a solid contribution on a run before leaving due to an equipment failure.

The Riders benefitted from another interference call against Dressler placing the ball on the one yard line. When the initial first down sneak failed to get a touchdown, the Riders went back to Messam who leapt over the line of scrimmage to get a touchdown and then Sunseri in probably his best play of the night hit his third two point convert on a bit of a scramble before hitting Anthony Allen for a two point convert and a 24-24 tie.

The Riders got an interception on the ensuing Calgary drive and began another drive. Swain had another two catches to move things forward, but then the Riders following an interception had Sunseri run just short of a first down.

With just four minutes left in the game, Sunseri wanted to go for it, but the Riders went for a punt. This is where the Riders likely lost the game. Calgary put together a drive that took time off the clock and initially resulted in a field goal, but a penalty against Brad Peters gave the Stampeders another fresh set of downs and they got a touchdown on a quarterback sneak.

Peters had been injured and taken off the field, but instead of sitting out three plays, went back into the game before he could be cleared and the Riders got hit with an illegal substitution.  It was perhaps a stupid penalty, but understandable and with 30 seconds left, the Riders mounted another drive that ended with a sack and the Calgary win.

With 289 yard passing, Sunseri has ended the debate over who should take the quarterback reins until Durant’s return. This was about the best the passing game has looked since the start of the season and the Riders got the goose egg off their backs along with the inability to get a first down.

Darian Durant will be back on the roster on October 24, and will likely play in the final game against Edmonton. Winnipeg losing to Ottawa earlier in the day has made fourth place more likely for the Riders, although they cannot be counted out for second place.

At this point the Riders need help on Saturday from Hamilton and Toronto, not totally impossible sources, but if they can continue the momentum they have gained offensively, should be able to squeeze out two wins before Durant’s return.

It was not the miracle that many of us had hoped for, but in a strange way, it was better. It was hope that the Riders season was not totally over and the Riders can play with anyone in the league. The one intangible for the Riders that is lacking on other teams is character, and if they keep up this scrappy style, whether they enter the playoffs in the east or the west, they will be a formidable foe for their opponents.

And the hope a repeat Grey Cup win is still alive.