Riders lose seventh straight game, 2022 season comes to an end

The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ 2022 season has come to an end with what has become a familiar result over the past few months — a loss.

The Riders (6-12-0) fell 36-10 to the Stampeders in Calgary on Saturday. It was the seventh straight loss for the Riders; their last win came on Aug. 26, a 23-16 victory over the B.C. Lions.

Despite the slide, head coach Craig Dickenson said the Riders believe they had enough talent to feel like they should’ve made the playoffs this season.

“It is what it is. Your record — we’re 6-and-12 — and we weren’t good enough near the end. We needed to play a lot better, we needed to coach a lot better and we needed to do a lot of things better and we needed to stay healthy,” Dickenson said. “There’s lots of things.”

“It’s disappointing not to be in the playoffs. That’s not a good thing. We’re frustrated, we’re upset about it and we’ve got to look ourselves in the mirror (and) see what we can do in the off-season to get better,” said quarterback Mason Fine, who started in his second straight CFL game.

With a season going downhill in the fashion it did, there are Rider fans who are clamouring for changes.

Dickenson admitted he doesn’t know what his future holds.

“I know this much – (Sunday) we’re going to go in early, watch the film as a coaching staff then we will meet the players and try to do a good job on the exit interviews,” Dickenson said. “That’s my immediate future.

“I’ve seen coaches fired with winning records. The fact we host the Grey Cup and we’re not going, that’s disappointing. Ultimately the coach is responsible for the performance of the team and we didn’t perform the way we needed to this year. (My future) is up to the powers that be. I’m going to keep coming to work and do the best I can to help this organization move forward.”

Calgary had 212 rushing yards in its 32-21 win over Saskatchewan last week. On Saturday, the Stamps had 310 yards on the ground.

Calgary reached that total despite the CFL’s leading rusher — Ka’Deem Carey — not dressing for this game.

Third-string quarterback Tommy Stevens led the rushing attack for Calgary. He had 163 yards on the ground, including an 85-yard touchdown scamper in the first quarter. Dedrick Mills had 125 yards and a touchdown in the game as well.

“We had some new guys in different spots and we didn’t set the edge on that big (Stevens) run and we couldn’t tackle their big dudes. I think they were just that much stronger than us,” Dickenson said. “It wasn’t a lack of effort.

“We weren’t good enough to beat them tonight but I was very proud of the guys’ effort.”

Fine threw for 168 yards without a touchdown.

“Everyone came to work this week like any other week and prepared hard and was intent with their focus and prepared the right way. It just didn’t go our way,” Fine said.

The Riders gave up six sacks in the game, bringing their total to 77 given up this year.

“We know going forward we’re going to have to upgrade the O-line. We’re going to have to do a good job of looking at why scheme-wise we were giving up so many sacks,” Dickenson said. “We’ve got to cut that in half.”

Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Jamal Morrow, left, runs the ball for a touchdown as Calgary Stampeders’ Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund chases him during second-half CFL football action in Calgary on Oct. 29, 2022. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh)

Jamal Morrow scored the only touchdown for the Riders and had 63 yards on the ground.

Riders kicker Brett Lauther was good on his lone field-goal attempt. Stamps kicker Rene Paredes went 3-for-3 on field-goal attempts.

Calgary quarterback Jake Maier threw for 105 yards and a touchdown to Reggie Begelton. Stevens came into the game to play the second half, throwing for 32 yards and a touchdown to Jalen Philpot.

Bo Levi Mitchell entered the game late in the fourth quarter but didn’t throw a pass. With Mitchell heading to free agency, it is believed Saturday was his final game as a member of the Stamps.

The Riders’ defence had a couple of players reach milestones in the game.

Linebacker Darnell Sankey recorded five tackles, giving him 120 on the season. That broke David Albright’s Riders’ single-season record of 118, set in 1987. Sankey is Saskatchewan’s nominee for CFL awards as most outstanding defensive player and most outstanding player.

Linebacker Larry Dean finished the season with 101 tackles. He and Sankey are only the second pair of teammates to reach 100 or more tackles in a season. Linebackers Solomon Elimimian and Adam Bighill accomplished the feat for the 2016 Lions.

“Once everything calms down, we will sit back and look at it and be in awe of (the accomplishment) but right now we take it with a grain of salt because of the situation we’re in,” Dean said.

The Riders’ season came to an end while the Stamps (12-6-0) will head to B.C. for the West Division semifinal a week from Sunday.