Miller Says Durant Will Start

The Saskatchewan Roughriders were back at Mosaic Stadium on Tuesday afternoon for their first practice since seeing their playoff hopes come to end with their fourth straight loss over the weekend.

The Riders’ 29-18 loss to the BC Lions eliminated them from the playoffs and turned their attention to 2012 for the rest of this season.

Head coach Ken Miller says many young players will get a shot at playing, but there will not be wholesale changes to the roster, “The changes in our roster are going to be tempered with reason and in line with what we need to do with the salary cap...  We'll do them at the pace that we decide is best.”

One change Miller wasn’t ready to make was at quarterback.  Many thought that Darian Durant would take the remaining three games off after the Riders were knocked off due to a broken bone in his foot.  Miller stated that’s not the case.

“Let me just say this, Darian is our starting quarterback,” Miller answered to the opening question from the media on Tuesday.  “You know he doesn't have all the experience in the room.  Every snap that he takes, he learns something.  If you think about 2012 and beyond, any growth he makes in the next three games will be beneficial for there.  That doesn't mean he has to play every snap from now to the end of the season, but he is our starting quarterback and he's going to start in this upcoming football game.”

That was in contrast to what Durant was telling the media after he finished up the workout, “It's something that I'll have to sit down a little bit more with Coach Miller and talk about it. I think we're in the process of giving some other guys some looks, all across the board. I'm going to go in right after this, talk with him, and figure out what we’re going to do for the rest of the year.”

Miller did say other players will be getting a look, “We've seen Ryan some and Cole will probably will get some opportunities.  I don't know just what his role is going to be.  It might start this week as our short yardage quarterback just to get him into a football game and get him used to being in a situation with a crowd and maybe with a game on the line.”

Durant added that he would play if there was still something to play for, but didn’t want to risk any of 2012 for more of 2011, “I want to play. This is the game I love. This is the game I grew up playing, and I want to play, but I also understand that we're in a situation where we have to look forward to next year. If the best thing is for me to sit out and heal up so I can go into this offseason at 100 percent, then that's what we're going to do.”

We’ll see how this progresses throughout the week in Riderville.  The Riders are back on the practice field on Wednesday morning at 11:15am.  They head to Calgary on Friday.

RIDERS NOTES: Miller said after practice on Tuesday that the tampering charge filed to the league against Edmonton Eskimos general manager Eric Tillman was handled by a higher level then him.

Tillman was cleared by the CFL earlier on Tuesday of any allegations regarding receiver Andy Fantuz.

In Other CFL News . . .

The Calgary Stampeders have sent former Riders QB Henry Burris to the bench.  Drew Tate will start against the Riders on Friday.

Tate came in for last week’s second half and almost led the Stamps to a comeback victory over the Toronto Argonauts.  He was 19-of-28 for 263 yards and two touchdowns.

Burris was 6-for-11 with 65 yards and two interceptions before being yanked.