Durant a Victim of Phillips' Head Games - Lowell Ullrich

[WestCoastJoe]

http://www.leaderpost.com/sports/footba ... story.html

QB succumbs to head games

Ryan Phillips' mastery over Durant continues

By Lowell Ullrich, The Province September 25, 2011

The moment only lasted a second, a lot less time than it took Ryan Phillips to run down the field and drive an emotional dagger through the collective hearts of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and their quarterback, Darian Durant.

A moment, however, was all Phillips needed.

The mastery over which the veteran defensive back of the Lions has had on Durant over the years has been remarkable. It has started out prior to previous games with Phillips trying to make some form of contact with Durant. Anything to get into his headspace will do, he said.

Phillips went into the game with 31 career interceptions, 13 of which have come against the Riders, so it's hard to think Durant wasn't aware of the 29-year-old now playing wideside cornerback for the Lions.

Sure enough, however, before the game started, Phillips made a point to at least make eye contact with Durant. And before the second quarter had ended, Phillips stepped in front of a throw headed for Dallas Baker and scored an 81-yard touchdown, which was basically all the Lions needed.

"He tried to avoid me," Phillips said after his 14th pick against Saskatchewan and the Lions' impressive 42-5 pounding of the Riders Saturday.

"He's on the other side of the field and I'm like 'Hey D, I'll holler at you after the game.' He saw me and in my head I knew I had a chance [for an interception].

"For me to say I had him mentally at that point would be disrespectful to him as a competitor. And whether or not I could take advantage or not is something else. But mentally, I knew at that moment I had a chance."

The Phillips string of thievery is just one stat in a series that is being posted by the Lions lately. B.C. is the only team in the league to have a better road mark than at home since 2008. B.C. also has now not allowed any point off turnovers in five straight games.

But the cornerback's dominance over Durant tops them all, which is somewhat of a surprising development given the fact the Lions have had to move the Phillips around in the secondary during the early-season swoon as teams previously found his side of the field and attacked.

However, though he still rotates through the secondary, Phillips has increasingly grown comfortable working with Tad Kornegay, whose role in helping his teammate snare the Durant pass is not to be undervalued.

"I told Ryan a long time ago he can trust me," said Kornegay, a former Riders veteran who enjoyed the return to his former home more than most.

"If I see Tad do something I can make my reactions off him. That's what you can do when you're playing with another veteran," said Phillips.

The result has been a smothering defensive performance for more than a month.

"We have confidence in all facets of the game, and by that I don't mean offence, defence and special teams but in one another, the coaching staff and in the scheme," said Phillips. "The sky's the limit for us."

And the worst part for the Riders? It came as Durant was walking off the field, and the public address announcer reminded fans of the Riders' next home game, Oct. 16 against the Lions.

Phillips will try to get Durant's attention then no doubt as well.

[WestCoastJoe]

Very entertaining and interesting article by Lowell Ullrich ...

The mastery over which the veteran defensive back of the Lions has had on Durant over the years has been remarkable. It has started out prior to previous games with Phillips trying to make some form of contact with Durant. Anything to get into his headspace will do, he said.

LOL ... This is too funny. Contact. Durant has to avoid Phillips prior to games. Even eye contact. LOL

Phillips went into the game with 31 career interceptions, 13 of which have come against the Riders, so it's hard to think Durant wasn't aware of the 29-year-old now playing wideside cornerback for the Lions.

Sure enough, however, before the game started, Phillips made a point to at least make eye contact with Durant. And before the second quarter had ended, Phillips stepped in front of a throw headed for Dallas Baker and scored an 81-yard touchdown, which was basically all the Lions needed.

"He tried to avoid me," Phillips said after his 14th pick against Saskatchewan and the Lions' impressive 42-5 pounding of the Riders Saturday.

"He's on the other side of the field and I'm like 'Hey D, I'll holler at you after the game.' He saw me and in my head I knew I had a chance [for an interception].

"For me to say I had him mentally at that point would be disrespectful to him as a competitor. And whether or not I could take advantage or not is something else. But mentally, I knew at that moment I had a chance."

"had a chance" ... Ummmm, Yeah. And so it came to be.

Gracious, too. Acknowledging that Durant is a professional also. It's all fun. Lifetime memories for both. One to the good. The other ... not so much. LOL

But the cornerback's dominance over Durant tops them all, which is somewhat of a surprising development given the fact the Lions have had to move the Phillips around in the secondary during the early-season swoon as teams previously found his side of the field and attacked.

Phillips is still suspect on many tackle attempts, but, as a ball hawk, he is awesome.

However, though he still rotates through the secondary, Phillips has increasingly grown comfortable working with Tad Kornegay, whose role in helping his teammate snare the Durant pass is not to be undervalued.

"I told Ryan a long time ago he can trust me," said Kornegay, a former Riders veteran who enjoyed the return to his former home more than most.

"If I see Tad do something I can make my reactions off him. That's what you can do when you're playing with another veteran," said Phillips.

The result has been a smothering defensive performance for more than a month.

"We have confidence in all facets of the game, and by that I don't mean offence, defence and special teams but in one another, the coaching staff and in the scheme," said Phillips. "The sky's the limit for us."

Great partnership with Tad Kornegay.

Another great partnership re-united on the other side: Korey Banks with Dante Marsh.

Hey, KB, glad you are OK after refusing to give up the TD in garbage time, sacrificing yourself to make the play.

[TheLionKing]

Phillips got Durant psyche out. Funny how some players always seem to play well against other teams for some unexplained reason.

[Blitz]

Phllips has always been a tremendous ball hawk!! He was an outstanding wideside halfback.

However, that skill set is are less able to be demonstrated at the shortside halfback spot, where passes are thrown more quickly.

Phillips weakness is his tackling ability and most offenses also run the football to the shortside more often.

Banks is a great cover guy...perhaps the best cover guy ever in the CFL... and much more suitable to shortside halfback. Phillips is an antiicipation guy who knows how to set up a quarterback.

Banks is back where he belongs and Phillips, back on the wideside, now at corner, is also back in a position where his strength is best utilized and where his tackling weakness is minimized.

[Rammer]

I just hope the with Phillips impending FA status that he doesn't sign up with the Riders O, Durant to Phillips may be unstoppable.

[sasklionsfan]

I was at the game and durant almost threw a pick six on the same play earlier in the game, but threw it over the receivers head. Also you have no idea how much this game means to me, being a lions fan born in Saskatoon :D Hopefully we can keep this streak going and bring a home playoff game to the dome for the first time in four years :D

[Luke]

I was at the game and durant almost threw a pick six on the same play earlier in the game, but threw it over the receivers head. Also you have no idea how much this game means to me, being a lions fan born in Saskatoon :D Hopefully we can keep this streak going and bring a home playoff game to the dome for the first time in four years :D

If you were born in Saskatoon how did you end up a Lions fan?

[TheLionKing]

I was at the game and durant almost threw a pick six on the same play earlier in the game, but threw it over the receivers head. Also you have no idea how much this game means to me, being a lions fan born in Saskatoon :D Hopefully we can keep this streak going and bring a home playoff game to the dome for the first time in four years :D

If you were born in Saskatoon how did you end up a Lions fan?

Excellent taste knows no bounds.

[cromartie]

Excellent taste knows no bounds.

Agreed.

[Luke]

I was at the game and durant almost threw a pick six on the same play earlier in the game, but threw it over the receivers head. Also you have no idea how much this game means to me, being a lions fan born in Saskatoon :D Hopefully we can keep this streak going and bring a home playoff game to the dome for the first time in four years :D

If you were born in Saskatoon how did you end up a Lions fan?

Excellent taste knows no bounds.

True. Although, I catch *poop* from people because I moved here years ago and I'm still not Riders fan, I imagine you catch some serious *poop* for being from Saskatchewan and not being a Rider fan.

[Lions Fan in SK]

Thought I was the only Lions fan in SK. Moved here when I was 8, but will always cheer for the Lions. BTW, last Saturday made me a very happy girl after all the ribbing I got the whole week before.

[WestCoastJoe]

True. Although, I catch *poop* from people because I moved here years ago and I'm still not Riders fan, I imagine you catch some serious *poop* for being from Saskatchewan and not being a Rider fan.

Thought I was the only Lions fan in SK. Moved here when I was 8, but will always cheer for the Lions. BTW, last Saturday made me a very happy girl after all the ribbing I got the whole week before.

First impressions. Lifelong loyalty. It's interesting how fans stay loyal to the team they first loved.

And many Vancouver people are still loyal to the Maple Leafs since they became hockey fans prior to the Canucks' arrival in the NHL. Or the Canadiens. Loyalty dies hard.

Others change their loyalty when they change cities. A Vancouver friend who now lives in Calgary cheers for the Flames. Ughhhhh ... Although they had a nice team when they won the Cup.

I've never really moved from Vancouver, so I've always been a Lions's fan, and then a Canucks' fan. I loved the Canadiens for many years, especially when they were battling it out with Bobby Orr and the Bruins. As a kid, I did like the Maple Leafs of Punch Imlach. Not any more. LOL Now I have taken satisfaction in the travails of the Leafs. Poor John Ferguson Jr. was pretty much the bottom of the line for the Leafs.