Thud.
That's the sound of the Saskatchewan Roughriders crashing back to earth.
In a shocking outcome, the Saskatchewan Roughriders were denied a fourth-consecutive victory when they lost 25-13 to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Sunday's tenth annual Banjo Bowl at the brand new Investor's Group Field in the Manitoba capital.
Simply put, it just wasn't the Roughriders' day.
With the whole province and the entire Rider Nation still elated over the team's first 8-1 start in club history, Sunday's performance didn't look anything like the Saskatchewan team to which we've become accustomed.
We've gotten used to the slow starts to games, but the team's struggles in the redzone in the early going of this one sure seemed like an omen for bad things to come. In three early trips deep into Bomber territory, the club came away with a pair of field goals and Darian Durant's second interception of the year.
Remarkably the Bombers never had a first down in the entire first half and trailed the Riders 12-10 at the break. However Winnipeg stepped on the gas in the second half by outscoring the Riders 15-1 on the way to victory.
It's pretty simple to see how the game was won as the Winnipeg defensive front ate up Durant to the tune of eight sacks. They were all vicious. Ironically the Riders had seven sacks of their own but they didn't make an impact on the game.
Really the only good thing about the road trip was getting to see the Bombers' splashy new stadium which truly is a sight to behold. Rider staffers felt it's the loudest crowd they've ever experienced and I would have to agree!
Bomber fans and Winnipeg media alike were deliriously happy at the game's conclusion and several said it's the first time all year the crowd many any noise at all. Amazingly Sunday's victory was the first for the Bombers in their new digs after four straight losses to open up the joint.
"And it couldn't have come against a better opponent," smiled Blue Bomber radio colour commentator Doug Brown in the press box afterwards.
Indeed they don't like the Riders much over there and why would they? Saskatchewan has inflicted an incredible amount of heartbreak on that franchise over the years but for now, Winnipeg has the bragging rights.
And they earned this one. Full marks.
"They played like they had nothing to lose," said Rider coach Corey Chamblin after the game. "On the flipside, we didn't have our best game. They had theirs and we didn't have ours."
Chamblin was pretty calm after the contest despite his club getting beaten up pretty badly on the field. There were a lot of limping players toting icebags when it was all said and done.
They'll learn from it and quickly move on. The club was missing defensive back Dwight Anderson (hamstring) and offensive lineman Chris Best (foot) in Sunday's game and it showed. Anderson's expected to be back for the team's next game, against the first-place Toronto Argonauts from the East Division Saturday night at Mosaic Stadium, but Best is gone for awhile.
"Definitely not happy with the sacks given up," Chamblin continued. "But we have a very good football team and coaching staff. We'll learn from this, regroup and move on."
Indeed they will. And the intrigue which has come with this 2013 season continues to be endlessly entertaining.
Win or lose.
