The Saskatchewan Roughriders are looking to Stamp their ticket to the playoffs.
A victory over the Calgary Stampeders on Friday night at McMahon Stadium would suffice.
“We’re steering the ship for our own destiny,” Roughriders quarterback Jake Dolegala said. “We win this week and we’re in. It’s just what we’ve got to do.”
Saskatchewan and Calgary are fighting for the third and final post-season berth in the CFL’s West Division.
The Roughriders (6-10-0) have a four-point cushion on the Stampeders (4-11-0), who have one game in hand.
Simply put, the magic number is two. Any combination of Saskatchewan victories and Calgary losses totalling two would pave the path to the playoffs for the Roughriders.
“We’re still where we need to be,” Head Coach Craig Dickenson said. “We’ve still got it all in front of us, but it’s our responsibility to take it.”
That sentiment was echoed by middle linebacker Larry Dean, who is hoping to help the Green and White snap a losing streak that has reached five games.
“At the end of the day, we’re not where we want to be, but we’re still where we need to be,” he said. “We need to win and take care of business.”
When the Roughriders last won a game, it was at the expense of the formidable Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who lead the West at 12-4.
The Roughriders outlasted Winnipeg 32-30 on Sept. 3 at Mosaic Stadium, following a bye week.
In Saskatchewan’s previous game, it had defeated the visiting B.C. Lions 34-29 on Aug. 20. B.C. (11-5) is a strong second in the West.
“We haven’t really just lost it,” Dean said. “We’re still the same people. At the end of the day, we just have to go out and prove it.”
Over those two games, the Roughriders’ defence proved it could make impactful plays against two of the league’s elite teams. Now the objective is to recapture that mojo.
“I think if there was a blueprint for that, there would be some rich people,” Dean said. “We have to keep plugging away.”
That is especially important when you consider the very real possibility of a down-to-the-wire game.
The teams’ first two meetings of the season have been decided on the final play.
On June 24, Saskatchewan won 29-26 in overtime at McMahon Stadium, with the clincher being a walk-off interception by Nic Marshall in the Roughriders’ end zone.
When the teams met on July 15 at Mosaic Stadium, Rene Paredes’ 50-yard field goal on the final play of regulation gave Calgary a 33-31 victory.
Saskatchewan had assumed a 31-30 lead with 36 seconds left when Brett Lauther converted a 69-yard touchdown pass from Mason Fine to Tevin Jones.
“We’re very evenly matched teams,” Dickenson said. “I think it’s going to be a very close game. It might end up in overtime again, like the first one did.”
Saskatchewan is to complete its regular-season schedule on Oct. 21 against the Toronto Argonauts (2 p.m., Mosaic Stadium).
After Friday, the Stampeders play in B.C. (on Oct. 20) before welcoming Winnipeg (Oct. 27).
Although the Roughriders would love to apply the finishing touch that results in Calgary missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004, the focus is internal in nature.
“Our guys have enough to play for for our own selves that it doesn’t necessarily matter who we’re playing,” Dickenson said. “That it happens to be the team that can catch us in the West is a good thing.
“I think our focus has been laser-sharp. I think we’ll come out of that tunnel as a team together with a real sense of purpose. Hopefully we play well and get it done.”
