ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF
The last time the Boatmen squared off against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, veteran Kerry Joseph was behind centre. Fast-forward three months and what is old is new again as Head Coach Bart Andrus announced Friday that Joseph will indeed be his starting quarterback Saturday night when the Argos visit Regina.
Joseph returns to the place he once called his home turf, Mosaic Stadium, just as he did when he returned for the first time over a year ago – with something to prove.
“We should be on the same page by now (with both quarterbacks this far into the season). We just need to go out on the field and execute and it shouldn’t matter who is at quarterback. As long as we execute and everyone does their job, we should be fine“.
– Receiver Chad Lucas on his club’s switch at the quarterback position
Coming off a Most Outstanding Player season, Joseph returned to Regina in July of 2008 as an Argo, only a few months removed from capturing a Grey Cup for the team across the field. At that time, Joseph intended to prove that he was the Argos’ starting quarterback, still entrenched in a battle for the number one spot with Michael Bishop.
This time around, Joseph enters Saskatchewan with the desire to prove that he is the guy to lead the Argos on their final stretch drive to the playoffs after fulfilling a backup role for the past seven weeks.
Joseph has played well against the Riders since his trade to Toronto in early 2008. In three games against the Roughriders, dating back to last season, Joseph has completed 73 of 125 passes (58.4%) for 914 yards with 9 touchdowns and 1 interception. He threw for at least 300 yards in two of the three games (307 yards & 348 yards).
The decision to go back to Kerry Joseph is one that the Argos receivers say shouldn’t affect their preparation.
“We should be on the same page by now (with both quarterbacks this far into the season)”, said rookie WR Chad Lucas. “We just need to go out on the field and execute and it shouldn’t matter who is at quarterback. As long as we execute and everyone does their job, we should be fine”.
Both Joseph and QB Cody Pickett took reps throughout the week, splitting time with the first-team offence and Argos OG Jeff Keeping also affirms that the offensive line is comfortable with whoever is behind centre.
“In the last two games, we have had reps with both quarterbacks and they both have good huddle presence”, Keeping told argonauts.ca Thursday. “We are comfortable with both (quarterbacks) so we don’t really notice a difference”.
Aside from the change at quarterback, this will be the first time the Argos will enter the game with no personnel changes on their roster. For the second straight game, the Argos will deploy a new-look secondary (forced primarily by injury) as Alphonso Hodge starts at the Safety position and Will Poole move over to the field corner spot, starting ahead of CB Jordan Younger who is likely not to play.
Rookie CB Dovonte Edwards will make his third start of the season on the other side in place of CB Willie Middlebrooks who remains out of the lineup with a neck injury.
On the other side of the ball, the Argos offensive line will be in for one of its biggest tests of the year, facing a Riders defence line led by ends Stevie Baggs and John Chick.
“They try to confuse you”, said Keeping of the Riders defensive line. “They start in an unorthodox front and they move around…but we just have to be patient and take our proper steps and kind of flow into where they are going to end up”.
Kickoff is at 9:00 p.m. ET at Mosaic Stadium in Regina on Saturday night. The game can be seen on TSN/TSN HD or heard on the Fan 590 or Sirius Satellite Radio. Following the game, the Argos return to Rogers Centre and open a two-game home stand with the Edmonton Eskimos on Friday (Oct. 16) night followed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats the next Friday (Oct. 23). For tickets, please call 416-872-5000 or click here to purchase online.