Riders take one on the chin in Montreal

What looked to be a promising game at the start ended with the Saskatchewan Roughriders being brutally outscored 40-9 by the Montreal Alouettes on Monday.

The Green and White, led by running-back Anthony Allen, actually took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter of the game. Tino Sunseri started the game but wasn't actually used much out of the gate; Allen ran wild to pick up the bulk of his 126 yards in the first quarter. That included the Riders' only offence of the game, an 11-yard touchdown reception.

However, Allen wouldn't be seen much for the rest of the game; he didn't pick up a single yard in the second half. Allen was pulled out for a fumble early in the third quarter.

"That's the name of the game, I'll take the rap all day, I'll never blame anyone else," said Allen. "It's up to me, I have to be able to get the mesh and get the ball."
It could be argued that the fumble wasn't his fault as it appeared Sunseri  botched the hand-off. Either way, the Riders were already in full self-destruct mode by then.

The game turned for the Riders early in the second quarter when Alouettes linebacker Chip Cox got a free run at Sunseri. The pivot fumbled and the Alouettes soon had a 14-7 lead. The snowball kept getting bigger from there as the Riders were barely able to convert a first down, let alone get to the Alouettes side of the field.

Sunseri was eventually pulled for Seth Doege, who didn't fair much better.

"I'm all about the team, understanding that everybody has a role, everybody has a situation," said Sunseri. "I'm just going to go in, make sure I know my role, understand what I know I can do better."

Sunseri finished the day 7-for-12 for 72 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Doege was 3-for-6 for 37 yards and an interception.

Head Coach Corey Chamblin will again face a barrage of questions this coming week about the quarterback situation; both Sunseri and Doege proved ineffective Monday afternoon. However, veteran Kerry Joseph could be in the mix to start next Sunday in Edmonton, a notion Chamblin wasn't thinking about just yet.

"That's not in my mind set right now, I'm not even thinking about next week," he said. "I got to finish this one and see where we need to get better."

Joseph madeone appearance in a successful short-yardage conversion.

Another trend emerging for the Riders is their poor play on the road without Durant. The Riders beat Ottawa at home and nearly beat the Stamps at Mosaic Stadium. On the road, they've been out-scored 92-12.

"We just got to find a way to make it gel and find the magic again," said Chamblin.

The Riders only have three more games this season beginning Sunday when they host the Edmonton Eskimos at Mosaic Stadium. The Riders are heading to the post-season despite the loss thanks to the Eskimos blow-out win over Winnipeg.

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