Sask. Rush aims to end playoff drought as training camp begins
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The final weekend of training camp is set for Nov. 22-24 back in Saskatoon.
While the CFL playoffs are still over a month away, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are nearing must-win territory.
The Riders have lost seven of their last nine games and while the playoff picture is getting clearer, the Riders’ possible future in the post-season continues to get murkier.
Saskatchewan will try to get what has become a rarity for the team – a win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The Riders haven’t beaten the Bombers since a 21-6 win on Oct. 5, 2019. The last time the Riders won in Winnipeg was a 32-27 win in the 2018 Banjo Bowl.
Kickoff for Friday’s game at IG Field is set for 6 p.m. The Green Zone pre-game show begins at 4 p.m.
“Every game from here on out is a playoff game,” Roughriders wide receiver Shaq Evans said. “I feel like this week the urgency kicked in. I think we understand what we have to do. We’re still fighting for our playoff lives.
“This is the first time I’ve been fighting for a playoff clincher this late in the season. Usually, we’re fighting for a one seed or a two seed. This is kind of new, but at the end of the day, our urgency is up and we’re a veteran team and we understand what we need to do these last four games.”
If the Riders lose and the Calgary Stampeders win Saturday against the Toronto Argonauts, the only way Saskatchewan could qualify for the playoffs would be through the crossover.
The Riders currently hold a 6-8 record – just two wins more than the 4-10 Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
For the crossover to happen, a fourth-place team in one division has to finish the regular season with a better record than the third-place team in the other division.
Saskatchewan’s offence is getting a boost this week along the offensive line with some familiar faces returning.
Centre Dan Clark headlines the list of returning Riders this week. Clark hasn’t played in a game since a 26-16 win over the Edmonton Elks on June 18, a game in which he suffered a broken leg.
The 34-year-old veteran believes he brings one key element back to the offensive line: Violence.
“I think that’s one thing that we’ve missed the last little bit,” Clark said. “It’s something that I can’t wait for – to headbutt another human. God put me on this Earth for one thing and that’s to headbutt another human. I can’t wait to be able to have that opportunity to be out there and play.”
Also returning to the group is left tackle Terran Vaughn (who hasn’t played since Aug. 13 due to a hamstring issue as well as going home for the birth of his son) and left guard Logan Ferland (who has been out with a back injury since the Labour Day Classic).
The Bombers will be without one of their top pass rushers with defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat (hip) not playing this week. But the Bombers will still have defensive end Willie Jefferson and linebacker Adam Bighill to try to stop the Riders’ offence.
Saskatchewan’s running back situation also became murky this week with injuries aplenty for the group.
Jamal Morrow is still two or three weeks away from returning from a broken hand, Frankie Hickson has been diagnosed with a fractured wrist and could miss the rest of the year, and Shaun Wilson has a groin injury that kept him out of practice this week.
That means the only true running back dressed for Saskatchewan is veteran Kienan LaFrance, with kick returner Mario Alford listed as his backup.
“That’s why we play ball — to get out there and get an opportunity to play and do what you do,” said LaFrance, who only has three carries for 15 yards in 2022. “I’m excited to get out there and contribute to the guys. We’re putting a good week of practice together, so it will be good to be a part of it.”
The ground game has been one of the Riders’ strong points this season, with an average of 106.5 yards a game – the third-highest average in the CFL entering the week.
But the Riders will also be without slotback Duke Williams, who is still recovering from an ankle injury.
The Bombers are dealing with their own injuries on the offensive side of the ball. Drew Wolitarsky (knee) and Greg Ellingson (hip) have both been ruled out for the game. Bombers left tackle Stanley Bryant (ankle) didn’t practise all week but is set to play.
Saskatchewan’s defence will look for a better showing this time out after giving up 54 points in the Banjo Bowl.
“We try to focus on the task at hand. It’s a new game, it’s got a new life (and) it’s a new week. We can’t look backward, we’ve got to look forward,” linebacker Derrick Moncrief said.