Riders head coach Corey Chamblin ended the suspense Thursday when he announced that Kerry Joseph would be his starting quarterback in Sunday’s West Division semifinal against the Eskimos.
Kerry Joseph will start for the Riders in Sunday’s West Division semifinal (DON HEALY/Leader-Post)
It does end the uncertainty regarding who will be under centre, but it does lead to some uncertainty going forward with Darian Durant. Chamblin basically said that Durant is another week away from being his old self. That means Durant wouldn’t be ready to play quarterback on Sunday against the Eskimos.
I don’t think Chamblin’s decision was all that tough due to the circumstances. Once he watched film and saw that Durant still wasn’t ready, he had to go with Joseph.
I think that Durant is physically ready to play. I don’t think that he’s ready mentally to take the next step in his return to the active roster. A torn tendon is a serious injury and Durant has talked about it what it might mean to his career if he did injure it again. Considering he’s only 32, the cautious approach is likely the best approach for Durant.
Anyway, that was the big news after today’s closed practice. I’ll have more on Chamblin’s announcement and what it means going into the playoffs. I’ll also have a feature on middle linebacker Marvin Burdett, who is looking to make a name for himself in the CFL. They will be online later and for your reading pleasure in Friday’s Leader-Post.
