CALGARY — The Saskatchewan Roughriders and Calgary Stampeders both have playoff spots locked up.
But that doesn’t mean the CFL teams won’t have anything on the line when they meet at McMahon Stadium on Saturday (5 p.m., CKRM, TSN).
In light of the B.C. Lions’ 42-32 victory over the Edmonton Eskimos on Friday, the Roughriders can’t clinch a home playoff game with a victory over Calgary — but Saskatchewan can keep alive its hopes of finishing first in the West Division.
If the Roughriders win Saturday, they will take the season series with the Stampeders. If the teams finish the regular season tied with 12-6-0 records, the Roughriders would finish first and would play host to the Western Final.
Calgary, meanwhile, can clinch first place in the West — and a bye into the division final — if it beats the Roughriders on Saturday. Even if the Stampeders lose this game, they can lock up first with a victory in either of their final two regular-season games.
Here’s one man’s list of five things (or players) to watch during Saturday’s game.
- Bouncing back: The Roughriders maintain that they put last Saturday’s 31-0 loss in Winnipeg out of their minds right after watching the game film. That said, the sting of a 31-point blowout in a game that had significant playoff implications had to linger a little longer for some of the players who aren’t able to flush losses that quickly. Saskatchewan has to rebound from that loss Saturday if it’s going to build momentum heading into the playoffs — but the Stampeders no doubt have the same idea. This is the Roughriders’ second-last regular-season game before it finishes with a bye, while Calgary will have two more games after this one.
- On the offensive: Saskatchewan’s offence is coming off its worst showing of the 2018 regular season. The Roughriders had 170 yards of net offence and zero points in Winnipeg, where the offensive line allowed a season-high four sacks. Calgary’s offence didn’t fare much better in its game against the Lions, generating season lows in first downs (13) and yards rushing (38) and its second-lowest net yardage (230). The offences face a stiff test as they attempt to get back on track Saturday: Calgary’s defence entered the week with the league lead in the majority of the key defensive statistics, while Saskatchewan’s D was in the top three in many areas.
- Patrick Lavoie: The Roughriders’ newest receiver had three catches for 38 yards against the Bombers, just three days after he was acquired from the Montreal Alouettes — and after only one practice with Saskatchewan. The 30-year-old slotback fit right into the Roughriders’ roster and, on Saturday, is to make his first start with them. The 6-foot-2, 240-pounder is big, he’s tough and he’s dependable as a receiver (he has caught 16 of the 21 passes thrown in his direction this season) and he’s also a quality special-teams player. He’s also a winner, having been part of two Vanier Cup-winning teams with the Laval Rouge et Or and a Grey Cup-winning Ottawa Redblacks team.
- Josiah St. John: After serving as the sixth offensive lineman for the past nine games, St. John is to make his first start of the season at right guard Saturday. St. John replaced the injured Dariusz Bladek in the second quarter of the contest in Winnipeg and held his own the rest of the way. The first pick overall in the 2016 CFL draft, St. John has been primarily a backup since joining the Roughriders. He was passed on the depth chart in 2017 by Bladek, whom Saskatchewan selected in the second round of that year’s draft, so this may be St. John’s chance to reaffirm his place on the Roughriders’ roster.
- Eddie Steele: The veteran defensive tackle has been on fire of late, recording four sacks over his past three games to move into third place among Roughriders defenders (trailing only Charleston Hughes and his 15 sacks and Willie Jefferson and his nine QB takedowns). Part of Steele’s success can be attributed to a recent stretch of three games when he was one of Saskatchewan’s two scratches, a decision by the coaching staff that motivated Steele to prove that he deserved to be on the active roster. Steele’s playing time should increase Saturday with the absence of Mic’hael Brooks, who is out for the season after sustaining a leg injury against the Bombers.
