The Saskatchewan Roughriders earned — and proved — a point on Thursday night.
Facing adversity in various forms, the Roughriders staged a late-fourth-quarter rally and ultimately played to a 22-22 CFL draw with the Ottawa REDBLACKS at TD Place.
“It wasn’t a win, which is what we always come out to do, but it wasn’t a loss,” Roughriders Head Coach Corey Mace said. “It was something to build off, momentum-wise.”
Especially when you consider that the Roughriders were devoid of momentum heading into Thursday’s game.
Just five days earlier, the previously winless Edmonton Elks had handed Saskatchewan its third defeat in a span of four games.
The Elks had amassed 276 rushing yards against a Roughriders team that had boasted the league’s stingiest run defence, by far, until that Aug. 3 game.
Meanwhile, an already expansive injury list continued to grow.
The Roughriders travelled to Ottawa, home of a resurgent REDBLACKS team, with only one full day of practice. Ottawa, by contrast, was coming off a bye week.
Then the game began … and the skies opened.
“When it rains, it pours” seemed to be a fair lament as Saskatchewan, missing half of its opening-day starters on offence, did not hit the scoreboard until the final play of the first half.
Even then, it was a field goal.
That was the extent of Saskatchewan’s output until just under two minutes remained in the fourth quarter.
Just when it seemed that the circumstances were aligned against the Roughriders, they erupted for 10 points within a 68-second span and subsequently had several chances to win the game.
One third-down stop on Ottawa’s final possession of regulation time would have sufficed.
A two-point conversion to conclude the first overtime period would also have secured a victory for Saskatchewan.
But the game went on, as did the craziness.
With Saskatchewan leading by three heading into the final offensive series of the game, Ottawa quarterback Dustin Crum was sacked on back-to-back plays. On the second play, he served up a fumble that was recovered by Roughriders linebacker Adam Auclair.
Cue handshakes.
Some Ottawa players even went to the locker room.
Hold on. The CFL’s Command Centre took another look.
Roughing the passer, Saskatchewan.
That turn of events — another mind-bending experience on an often-exasperating night — gave Ottawa a first down and, given the well-established reliability of REDBLACKS placekicker Lewis Ward, one point (for a tie) as a minimum.
Job 1 for the defence, which had been uncommonly pliable against Edmonton, was to regroup after celebrating a victory that was soon washed away on a rainy night.
It must have been deflating but, even so, Saskatchewan’s defence came tantalizingly close to making a game-winning play. Cornerback Marcus Sayles diagnosed an Ottawa passing play, made a break on the ball, and nearly intercepted Crum.
Ottawa’s offence soon stalled on the seven-yard line. Ward followed up with a 14-yard chip shot to conclude the scoring.
At that point, anyone who watched the game from the comfort of an easy chair had to be emotionally spent. Imagine how exhausting, physically and mentally, it must have been to actually play in that three-hour, 15-minute marathon.
“You go from a rollercoaster of a game, going through the highs and lows and fighting together,” Roughriders quarterback Shea Patterson said.
“You feel like you actually came out of it with a W. There’s the hugs and the emotions of winning and almost walking off the field, until it kind of gets taken away from you.
“Our defence didn’t let us lose. (Ottawa) had a chance to go win that game. I’m just proud of the way we fought together.”
Patterson, in particular, should be proud of the manner in which he performed.
Late in the first half, his second interception of the game set up Ward’s 14-yard field goal (Part 1 of 2). Alijah McGhee had a chance for a pick-six, but his return was halted at 43 yards when Patterson made the tackle.
Just 20 seconds remained in the first half when the Roughriders next possessed the football.
After a first-down running play gained three yards, a mere 13 seconds remained until halftime. There was every reason to believe that the Roughriders would be scoreless at intermission.
Patterson had other ideas. He found Shawn Bane Jr. for a 22-yard gain to put Brett Lauther in position for a 47-yard field goal that created a 3-3 tie.
Those three points proved to be the difference between a tie and a loss for the Green and White.
Saskatchewan was stuck at three until 1:53 remained in the fourth quarter. On third-and-goal from the seven-yard line, Patterson found a wide-open Bane Jr. for what turned out to be the game’s only regulation-time TD.
Patterson produced a second aerial major when his perfectly placed pass connected with Samuel Emilus in the back left corner of the end zone on Saskatchewan’s first possession of overtime.
“When it was crunch time, that’s when I thought (Patterson) was at his best,” Mace said. “To be honest with you, that’s how I feel about him. Moments aren’t too big for him.
“We stuck with Shea and had belief that he could put us in those situations and he made big plays when we needed them.
“I’m extremely proud of him, just with his mental toughness to battle through something like the game he was having and give us the opportunity to win the game.”
It didn’t look promising at times but, upon further review, the Roughriders came through with a resilient and resourceful performance.
On the road.
Against a very good team.
To conclude a short week.
With an uncommonly long injury list.
After a home-field loss that prompted Mace to hold himself accountable for the outcome.
All of that was part of the equation before four quarters of grind-it-out football and a two-period, three-Tylenol overtime session.
But the Roughriders refused to lose hope — or the game, for that matter.
“We got a point,” Mace said, “and I’m a glass-half-full guy.”
