TV or not TV? That was the question.
The inquiry was fielded by Craig Dickenson, who was asked whether he would tune in to TSN’s telecast of Friday night’s CFL game between the Calgary Stampeders and the host B.C. Lions.
“I’ll watch it, because I’m a CFL fan,” the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Head Coach responded. “We will all watch that because we all know that if (the Stampeders) lose, we can win and we’re in.”
Calgary and Saskatchewan are battling for third place in the West Division — and a playoff spot.
The Roughriders (6-11) enter this weekend’s play with a two-point edge on the Stampeders (5-11), who have one game in hand.
As Friday Night Football looms, the possibility exists that Saskatchewan or Calgary could be eliminated as a post-season possibility by late Saturday afternoon.
The best-case scenario for the Roughriders: B.C. beats Calgary. Saskatchewan could then nail down a playoff berth by defeating the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday (2 p.m., Mosaic Stadium).
The worst-case scenario: Calgary and Toronto both win, thereby dashing the Roughriders’ playoff hopes.
“(Whether the Stampeders) win or lose, we’ve still got a shot,” Roughriders quarterback Jack Dolegala said. “We’ve got to take care of our end of the bargain (on Saturday).
“It would be nice for B.C. to win, but we’ll see.”
A wait-and-see mindset will apply if the best- or worst-case scenarios do not materialize this weekend.
Saskatchewan has a bye during the final weekend of regular-season play. Calgary finishes up with an Oct. 27 home game against Winnipeg.
If the Roughriders and Stampeders finish with identical records, Calgary will get the nod by virtue of having won two of three regular-season meetings with Saskatchewan.
The Stampeders clinched the season series last Friday by defeating the Roughriders 26-19 at McMahon Stadium.
Neither the Roughriders nor the Stampeders finish up with a sweetheart schedule. Between them, they face the top three teams in the league over the final two weeks of October.
Winnipeg (12-4) and B.C. (12-5) are fighting for first place in the West. Toronto clinched top spot in the East on Sept. 15.
“Toronto’s really good,” Dickenson said. “They’re 14-2.
“They lead the league in all sorts of categories — and the important ones, like turnover ratio, sacks for and against, average gain on first down.
“It’s a loaded team with good coaching and outstanding football players.”
But, as has been the case for slightly more than a month, the Argonauts are facing a game that will not influence their post-season placing.
The same will apply to the Blue Bombers for their Oct. 27 game in Calgary if the Stampeders upend the Lions on Friday night or, failing that, Winnipeg beats the visiting Edmonton Elks on Saturday.
With so many possibilities to ponder, the Roughriders are not getting caught up in the complexity of it all. They are focusing on winning Saturday’s game … period.
“We know we still have an opportunity, so we have to take advantage of this opportunity,” Roughriders running back Jamal Morrow said. “It just comes down to executing and making sure we’re doing the right things on the field.”
Dolegala echoed those sentiments.
“We’ve just got to execute,” the Roughriders’ signal-caller said. “We keep talking about it.
“We have the players in the building. We’ve got the coaches to get it done. We’ve just got to put it all together.”
SHAWN’S STATS
The Roughriders’ Shawn Bane Jr. needs five catches to register the 11th season of 90-plus receptions in franchise history.
With seven catches, he would be eighth all-time at 92.
Saskatchewan’s 90-receptions club includes just six players: Don Narcisse (who accomplished the feat twice), Joey Walters (twice), Craig Ellis (twice), Ray Elgaard (twice), Weston Dressler (once) and Curtis Marsh (once).
A Roughrider has not reached 90 catches since Dressler registered 94 in 2012.
Bane Jr. has a chance at becoming only the third first-year Roughrider to make 90 or more receptions.
Marsh caught 102 passes in 2000. Ellis made 91 receptions out of the backfield in 1991.
Ellis was claimed on waivers from Calgary on Oct. 28, 1983, but did not suit up for Saskatchewan until the following year.
