Saskatchewan Roughriders looking for first in the West against Stampeders, but they need some help

The doorway to archetypal spot successful the CFL’s West Division is unfastened somewhat for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but it whitethorn beryllium firmly closed by the clip they measurement connected the tract Saturday for their regular play finale.

The 9-7-1 Riders are presently successful 2nd spot successful the West, 1 constituent down the 10-7-0 Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Both teams play connected Saturday, with the Bombers visiting the Montreal Alouettes earlier the Riders big the Calgary Stampeders.

If the Bombers bushed oregon necktie the Alouettes, who are successful archetypal spot successful the East Division with a 12-4-1 record, Winnipeg clinches archetypal spot and location tract for the West Division final. However, if the Alouettes win, that gives the Riders the accidental to instrumentality archetypal spot with a triumph implicit the 4-12-1 Stampeders.

The Riders volition beryllium monitoring the Winnipeg-Montreal crippled closely. But if it turns retired their accidental astatine archetypal spot is nary longer available, they are inactive focused connected beating the Stampeders.

“Once the crippled starts, we don’t truly attraction what happened. We conscionable privation to triumph the game,” said Riders linebacker C.J. Reavis. “Obviously, you privation to play for archetypal spot and get that crippled astatine home, but astatine the extremity of the day, erstwhile you spell connected the field, you don’t privation to bash little than you’re susceptible of doing.”

Head manager Corey Mace has been emphasizing each play to taking the docket 1 crippled astatine a time, and that hasn’t changed going into Saturday’s game. Even with the Riders connected a four-game winning streak, Mace has continued to punctual his players astir focusing connected the crippled astatine hand.

“We are successful nary presumption to beryllium complacent with wherever we’re astatine oregon what we’ve done,” helium said. “We’re truly trying to location a playoff mentality, and truthfully, we benignant of person connected the backmost extremity of the season. The main happening is conscionable we privation to proceed to instrumentality the adjacent measurement based disconnected immoderate we did.”

It has been a trying play for the Stampeders and caput coach/general manager Dave Dickenson. Calgary is connected its archetypal nine-game winless streak (0-8-1) successful 48 years, dating backmost to 1976.

“The extremity for america is to amusement up and play good and finish,” Dickenson said. “You know, it’s conscionable similar thing else, you’re trying to marque definite that radical cognize you’re a nonrecreational shot player, a nonrecreational coach, that you volition amusement up and bash your occupation to the champion of your quality with maximum effort,” said Dickenson.

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Dickenson said helium besides has a bully crushed for fielding his halfway roster, alternatively than slipping newcomers into the lineup for valuation purposes.

“I’ve got to enactment the champion players retired there,” helium said.” I bash judge successful the integrity of the league. Other radical beryllium connected our effort arsenic good and we volition amusement up. I’m counting connected these guys to springiness maine their champion and hopefully travel retired determination with a win.”

The Riders person antithetic plans successful spot for the lineups for each of the 2 scenarios. In the extent illustration they released Friday morning, 5 players — antiaircraft backmost Rolan Milligan, receivers KeeSean Johnson, Samuel Emilus and Colton Hunchak and moving backmost A.J. Ouellette — person “Game Time Decision” designations.

Should Winnipeg bushed Montreal, those 5 players are apt to beryllium retired Saskatchewan’s crippled against Calgary.

Riders backmost Trevor Harris didn’t person a GTD designation, but it’s expected that if the Bombers win, helium volition not commencement against the Stampeders. Neither Harris nor Mace would corroborate this possibility, but the backmost gave a sly reply erstwhile asked astir its probability of occurring.

“You could work betwixt the lines. We’re each adults here, we tin fig it out,” said Harris.