CALGARY - The guys in green have had a rough ride so far.
Just don’t think for a second that the Calgary Stampeders are underestimating the current edition of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
On Thursday afternoon, the Stamps (4-2) will board a flight to Regina, a city that’s in panic over the performance of their beloved Riders (1-5), who are still seeking their first home victory of the CFL season as they prepare for Friday’s visit from the Red & White.
“Obviously, a desperate team is going to play extremely hard, right?” said Stamps fullback Tim St. Pierre. “I was in Edmonton last year, and we were in the same situation, so I know what it’s like being on the opposite side, too.
“I have no idea what’s going on in Saskatchewan or how they’re handling it, but you can either really turn on each other and things can go disastrous really quickly or, if you have a good group of guys, then you can battle out of it.
“I’m assuming Saskatchewan has a good group of guys there. They’ve been successful, so they’re going to come out and fight hard.”
Guys like quarterback Darian Durant, ball-carrier Wes Cates, receiver Weston Dressler and defensive back James Patrick have been mainstays on a Roughriders squad that has made back-to-back Grey Cup appearances and posted four straight winning campaigns.
This season hasn’t been so smooth.
They’ve dropped five of their first six games, including a 22-18 setback against the Stamps two weeks ago at Mosaic Stadium.
Their first-year head coach, Greg Marshall, has been endlessly scrutinized.
The leadership abilities of Durant are once again being called into question.
And fans are hanging onto any news about Andy Fantuz, the star receiver currently auditioning for the NFL’s Chicago Bears.
In between jokes about wearing paper bags to Friday’s game (7 p.m., TSN, QR77), some Saskatchewanites — or is it Saskatchewanians? — are already writing this off as another loss.
The Stamps, who have won three straight games away from McMahon Stadium, don’t want to hear any talk that the outcome is already a done deal.
“Teams like that are very dangerous,” said Stamps defensive end Charleston Hughes. “Desperation will bring the best out of a football team.”
“We know going into their house that they haven’t won a game at home and their record is where they didn’t expect it to be,” said former Riders signal-caller and current Stamps star Henry Burris. “They’re a wounded dog — they’re backed into their corner. When I was in Saskatchewan, we went to Hamilton, and Hamilton hadn’t won a game — I think they were, like, 0-12 — and the announcer kept saying, ‘We’re going to win this game.’ And what do you know, they ended up beating us.”
The crazy thing about the CFL is the Roughriders are still a definite contender in the West Division playoff race.
With six post-season invites and only eight teams, the Stamps don’t want to squander an opportunity to open up more ground in the standings on their fierce rival.
“Every game is so important, especially in a small league like this,” St. Pierre said. “In Edmonton last year, we started 1-6, and in the last game of the year, we still had a chance to make the playoffs.
“The more separation you can have in this league, the better.”
