Every week of the 2016 season, CFL.ca columnists Pat Steinberg and Marshall Ferguson will debate over one of the league’s most contentious storylines. In Week 6 we ask the question: who will be the Riders’ starting quarterback in 2017?
Darian Durant is a fan favourite in Regina and considered an elite quarterback by many across the CFL. Yet for a player as proven as Durant, it’s hard to pick a more polarizing figure, especially if you venture into the province of Saskatchewan.
The 33-year-old won a Grey Cup on home turf in 2013 in an historic home field win for the Riders, all but immortalizing his name in Saskatchewan Roughriders lore. Just this season Durant had his banner added to the Mosaic Stadium wall along with the late legendary quarterback and coach Ron Lancaster.
Since that November when Durant led the Riders to their first Grey Cup win since 2007, however, things haven’t been as rosy. Injuries cost the Florence, S.C. native a large chunk of his 2014 and 2015 seasons and the Riders have paid dearly in the standings. This year, meanwhile, Durant got off to a hot start (731 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions in three games) before suffering a sprained ankle.
Durant survived an off-season purge that saw the departures of Rider stars John Chick, Ryan Smith and Weston Dressler among others following a three-win season, but questions still remain. Mitchell Gale has showed promise in Durant’s absence, while other young quarterbacks could become available via trade.
With Chris Jones always unafraid to make a big splash, how will the Riders’ quarterback situation play out heading into 2017? Steinberg and Ferguson debate in the latest Berg vs. Ferg.
BERG VS. FERG: WEEK 5 RESULTS
CFL.ca
Twitter
TOTAL
Ferguson – 1,593 (65%)
Steinberg – 867 (35%)
Ferguson – 144 (46%)
Steinberg – 169 (54%)
Ferguson – 2,773 (63%)
Steinberg – 1,036 (37%)
Last week, Berg and Ferg debated on who’s the better receiver: Chris Williams or Adarius Bowman. Ferguson and his argument for Williams won out with 63 per cent of the vote.
» View Week 5 Berg vs. Ferg
FERG (1-0): IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME
Marshall Ferguson, CFL.ca
@TSN_Marsh
Darian Durant deserves every opportunity to prove he can stay healthy and be the leader of the Riders as they christen their new home in 2017. That’s what a coach with a social conscience and a goal of long-term sustainability would say. Chris Jones is not that man.
Jones wants power, money and above all else, success. He has changed CFL organizations four times in the last eight years and might have finally found his perfect home: Regina, a place where the expectations are omnipresent and the pressure to do it sooner rather than later means a head coach and general manager (both positions Jones holds) can be as shrewd as necessary.
If the die-hard watermelon wearing fans in green believe it’s best for the organization, Jones can pull any move and be trusted so long as success is promised and eventually appears.
The ultimate swinging of the hammer would come in the form of saying goodbye to QB Darian Durant, but that could never happen right?
It’s about as likely as leaving a franchise a mere week after winning the Grey Cup, taking all your coaching staff and a significant number of players to a division rival. That didn’t seem likely either at the time did it?
Will the Riders win in Week 6?
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Jones has been wheeling and dealing Quarterbacks this season more than ever. Bryant Moniz, gone. Phillip Sims, farewell. Jacob Huesman, arrivederci. Brett Smith, au revoir.
Hello B.J. Coleman, G.J. Kinne, Mitchell Gale, Jake Waters and Vad Lee. The latest crop of gladiators to be thrown into Jones’s roman coliseum to fight for their professional lives as Riders.
Head coach and general manager types don’t make transactions at the most important position for fun. Jones is looking for an answer to the question who’s got next?
Durant is a reliable and respected 10-year veteran who turns 34 this season. Not an old man, but the kilometres on his body far exceed that of a man his age. The long list of career injuries is troubling but the two most recent are paramount.
In 2014 his season was voided by a torn tendon in his throwing arm and last year a torn Achilles suffered sans contact.
Jones is in a market which demands immediate success with a blood lust for quarterback transactions and an aging quarterback with injury history sidelined yet again after a slow start in 2016. It would take a perfect storm for a Rider legend like Durant to be on his way out sooner than later. Meet Hurricane Chris.
BERG (0-1): DURANT IS STILL THE BEST BET
Pat Steinberg, CFL.ca
@Fan960Steinberg
Durant is still the best bet
I absolutely agree with Ferg’s reasoning that Chris Jones and the Riders are wheeling and dealing in the hopes of finding Darian Durant’s replacement at quarterback. Durant turns 34 next month and Saskatchewan absolutely needs to figure out a succession plan. I just don’t think that plan will be in place for next season for a couple of different reasons.
First and foremost, the Riders are focused on one thing and one thing only: winning. Jones didn’t jump from Edmonton to Regina for a slow, measured rebuild. After going 3-15 one year ago, Riderville is impatient and external pressure is felt there more there than anywhere else in this league. Durant is Saskatchewan’s best chance to win in the immediacy.
Prior to his ankle injury earlier this month, Durant was on point and looked as good as he’s ever looked. A quick glance at his numbers below will tell that story.
2016 By the Numbers: Darian Durant
COMP
ATT
%
TD
INT
65
96
67.8
6
0
At 67.8 per cent, Durant was completing passes at the highest rate of his career and was doing a great job limiting mistakes. It was a small sample size, yes, but it was enough to convince me Durant is still one of the CFL’s better quarterbacks. If the Riders want to challenge for a Grey Cup in the next couple years, Durant is their best bet.
I’m even more convinced of that fact knowing the other options in the fold. Saskatchewan doesn’t look to have a Trevor Harris or Bo Levi Mitchell waiting in the wings. Mitchell Gale looked okay in his debut last week against Ottawa and there might be some potential there. But, for me anyway, that’s not enough to beat out an incumbent like Durant.
The Riders may very well find a true, more proven succession plan prior to the start of next season in which case my opinion could change. As it stands right now, though, Darian Durant is Saskatchewan’s best chance to win football games right now. I believe that’ll carry over to next season, too.
DON’T SIT ON THE FENCE!
While both sides are pretty convincing, someone’s gotta take that tough opening-day loss. Whose argument convinced you the most?
You can vote for this week’s winner both on CFL.ca and Twitter. Meanwhile, continue the conversation by tweeting @Fan960Steinberg and @TSN_Marsh. While the discussion never ends, polls close on Sunday night at 11:59 p.m ET.
The winner will be revealed on social and in the following week’s Berg vs. Ferg.
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