If the Riders thought things couldn't go any worse after their Banjo Bowl defeat to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, they were dead wrong. After a lead up to Saturday night's game against the Toronto Argonauts filled with questions about the legal issues of key players Dwight Anderson and Taj Smith, the Riders didn't do any favors in lifting the spirits of the Rider Nation by allowing the Argos to score 19 points in the final quarter to take a 31-29 victory without the services of Ricky Ray.
For Saskatchewan the loss came at an even bigger price of losing Kory Sheets to injury. Sheets touched the ball just four times before leaving the game and with "Mission 2K" put on hiatus, the Riders found out just how big of an impact their running back makes.
Saskatchewan posted an apalling -12 rushing yards without Sheets in the game, something that allowed the Argos to get back into the ballgame despite being down 23-12 entering the final quarter.
The 2012 version of Darian Durant coming out to play didn't help matters either as the quarterback threw three interceptions on Saturday, an out of character day for Durant who had appeared to have put his ball security issues behind him this season. With no Sheets and no Weston Dressler, it was clear that Durant was having troubles finding ways to put points on the board in the second half.
The loss wouldn't have been hard to swallow if the Calgary Stampeders failed to come back against Henry Burris and the Tiger-Cats to move to 9-2, putting them at first in the West Division right as Saskatchewan enters the most difficult part of its schedule.
Three games against the B.C. Lions and a road date with Calgary on the second last week of the season will now largely decide the Riders fate. With Kory Sheets confirmed to be out of the lineup this Sunday when the Riders host the Lions, head coach Corey Chamblin may come to regret dropping two in a row to Toronto and Winnipeg, especially the Toronto game considering that the Riders were up by two scores going into the fourth quarter at home, a position in which they should easily win.
Calgary has a much easier road than both the Riders and the Lions when it comes to clinching the all important first round bye and homefield advantage in the West Final. Already a game ahead, Calgary plays B.C. twice and Saskatchewan at home, but also gets to play the Argos and the Blue Bombers at home, with a game at hand the Riders now need to hope that they can win out until their October 26 game in Calgary if they want to host the West Final.
That homefield advantage is something that shouldn't be taken for granted, Saskatchewan should know. They lost in McMahon Stadium last year in the playoffs. If they want to avoid going there again they will need to turn things around.
