Fajardo seeks first playoff win after crushing 2019 defeat

It has been a long two years and a week for Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Cody Fajardo.

On Nov. 17, 2019, a Fajardo pass hit the crossbar of the north end zone at Mosaic Stadium, securing a 20-13 CFL West Division final win for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. While Winnipeg advanced to the Grey Cup — which it won — the Riders’ season came to a crashing halt.

Fajardo admits he has been thinking about that pass since it happened.

“That has been my driving factor; it has been everything for me. My entire offseason has been that and giving myself another opportunity to play in another playoff game,” Fajardo said Wednesday. “I remember going on runs in the offseason and when I got tired, I would push through and tell myself, ‘2021 Grey Cup.’ ”

The loss in 2019 meant Fajardo moved to 0-1 as a starter in the playoffs.

In order to move to .500 in the post-season, the 29-year-old will need to beat a team he has only beaten once before: The Calgary Stampeders. Kickoff for the 2021 West Division semifinal is set for 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Fajardo earned his first win against Calgary with a 20-17 win on the road on Oct. 23.

“Given my record against Calgary, I think we’re still trying to search for what works best,” Fajardo said. “If you look at the three games we’ve played them, all of them were within one possession, and (in) all of them, Calgary got off to a fast start.”

While the Riders are hosting the West semifinal, they do feel like they’re the ones with something to prove.

The Riders have won four of their past five. The games have been close contests, excluding the recent 24-3 loss against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats when a majority of Saskatchewan’s starters were sitting.

Meanwhile, Calgary has won six of its past seven games — including two over the Riders — and have won a couple by double-digit margins. Those are a 39-10 win over the B.C. Lions on Oct. 16 and a 26-13 win over the Ottawa Redblacks on Oct. 29.

“Calgary has been hot the last five or six weeks and they’ve gotten a lot of praise and we’ve found a way to win games and we haven’t been quite there (in terms of praise),” Fajardo said.

“That’s a good thing to be overlooked or being an underdog because we want to go out there and have that mentality that we’re going to show this league that we’re a good football team.

“It seemed like all year people have been bashing us or finding a way to point out the negatives, but we continued to win football games. There’s a lot of teams out there that would give anything to be in our position and host a West semifinal game.”

And it gives Fajardo a chance to put to rest the ghost of a crushing playoff loss.

“We have an opportunity to make a run to the Grey Cup,” he said, “and that’s what starts this weekend.”

Notes: Riders defensive end A.C. Leonard was named a CFL top performer for November. Leonard recorded four sacks, 10 tackles, two tackles for a loss, and a forced fumble in three games … Slotback Ricardo Louis suffered a torn Achilles in the loss to Hamilton. Paul McRoberts is set to start in his place Sunday … Slotback Justin McInnis (hamstring) missed practice … Offensive tackle Brett Boyko (calf) and safety Loucheiz Purifoy (ankle) were back at practice.