Riders look to bounce back following Labour Day Classic loss

It’s a rare feeling for the Saskatchewan Roughriders as they prepare for the Banjo Bowl.

The team will need to bounce back from a 23-8 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL’s Labour Day Classic showdown Sunday. It was only the second time in 16 Labour Day weekend games the Riders found themselves on the losing side.

“Being from this province, it’s the biggest game of the year,” centre Dan Clark said following Tuesday’s practice. “If you lose every other game, you don’t want to lose that one. We’ve just got to take the next step.

“There’s 12 steps to the Grey Cup left and it’s just about taking that next step and focusing on what Saturday will bring.”

With the loss to Winnipeg, the Riders (3-1) find themselves now in second place in the CFL’s West Division, trailing the Bombers (4-1). The Riders will try to even the season series in Winnipeg on Saturday. Kickoff for the game is set for 2 p.m.

The offensive line will once again have its hands full with the Blue Bombers’ defence. The Winnipeg crew sacked quarterback Cody Fajardo three times Sunday and was constantly putting pressure on the Riders pivot.

“They capitalized on what they figured they could attack and we gave up things we didn’t want to as a unit,” Clark said. “As an offensive line, we need to be better.”

Fajardo said in order for the Riders to walk out of Winnipeg with a win, he needs to play better.

“Too many times in (the Labour Day Classic) I thought they were doing one thing and then they would switch into another and it just threw me off my rhythm,” Fajardo said.

Fajardo finished the game with 23 completions in 39 pass attempts for 211 yards, with three interceptions and no touchdowns. The Bombers’ defence is the league best so far this year, giving up an average of only 13.4 points a game so far in 2021.

And the Bombers’ defence has had the Roughriders’ number in their last two meetings, not surrendering a touchdown in both. Winnipeg beat Saskatchewan 20-13 in the West final in 2019.

“I think I left a few big plays on the field … (I was) a little out of rhythm (and had) a little bit of timing issues but a lot of that I would feed into the bye week and us getting back and Ricardo Louis’ first game,” Fajardo said, referring to the receiver who made his first CFL start Sunday.

“I think guys are excited. They came out to Day 1 (of practice) ready to give Winnipeg our best shot. We feel like we didn’t do them justice by showing up on Sunday and we didn’t do our fans any justice offensively speaking.”

Derrick Moncrief signs with Edmonton Elks

The Riders won’t be getting back one of their top defensive playmakers from 2019.

Linebacker Derrick Moncrief has returned to the CFL, but has signed with the Edmonton Elks.

Safety Mike Edem admitted he tried to convince the 28-year-old Moncrief to come back to Saskatchewan after he was released by the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams.

“He probably got sick of Facetime. I was Facetiming him around the clock,” Edem said. “I tried to put the word in (general manager Jeremy O’Day’s) ear as well. Just doing my part as a cheerleader.

“When the idea that Derrick could be back, that’s one of our brothers and we wanted to bring him back.”

Moncrief spent three seasons with the Riders, with his best season coming in 2019. During that season, he was named a CFL all-star as he recorded 69 tackles, four sacks and three interceptions.

Following that season, he spent 2020 splitting time between the Las Vegas Raiders and Rams.

Notes: Defensive lineman Micah Johnson (ankle) practised and the team will evaluate his status later in the week. He missed the Labour Day Classic … Defensive backs Ed Gainey (foot) and Loucheiz Purifoy (neck) were given the day off.