Riders look for crucial win against Tiger-Cats

While neither the Saskatchewan Roughriders nor Hamilton Tiger-Cats can clinch a playoff spot Friday, their CFL game still has an elimination feel to it.

“It’s win-or-go-home at this point. We don’t win this one, it gets worse from there,” Roughriders defensive tackle Miles Brown said. “Every game has been important and every game is important and we’ve been focusing all week on finding ways to win and that’s what we plan to do.”

The only way the Riders (6-9) can make the 2022 CFL playoffs is by way of the crossover. In order for that to happen, Saskatchewan needs to finish with more wins than the third-place CFL East Division team, which is currently the Tiger-Cats (4-10).

Kickoff for the game in Hamilton is set for 5:30 p.m. The Green Zone pre-game show begins at 3 p.m.

Head coach Craig Dickenson normally tries to approach every game in a similar fashion but admits he’s taking a different approach this week.

“I showed them the standings (Monday) and I thought that would do what it needed to and I think it did,” Dickenson said. “I showed them the East and I showed them the West and I told them we have three games left and we’re at (sixth place overall). Where we end up depends on a lot this weekend.

“I think the guys realize the importance of this game. Maybe it’s not a must-win but it’s as close to a must-win as you can get. Hamilton is telling their guys the same thing so it should be an outstanding Friday night.”

If the Riders win, the only way they would miss the playoffs would be if they lost their final two games against the Calgary Stampeders and the Tiger-Cats swept their final three games (one against Calgary, two against the Ottawa Redblacks).

No team has ever qualified for the Grey Cup game after crossing over. The Riders were the crossover team in 2018 but lost 25-21 in the East Division final to the Toronto Argonauts after then-Argos backup quarterback Cody Fajardo plunged for a one-yard score in the game’s final moments.

This will be Fajardo’s first time playing in Hamilton since the first game of 2019, which was the game that saw then-Riders quarterback Zach Collaros leave with a concussion. That opened the door for Fajardo to become the team’s starter that season.

“It’s a great atmosphere. It was one of the first places I fell in love with when I first got into the CFL. I was with Toronto and it was one of the first away games I got to see and I fell in love with the atmosphere there,” Fajardo said. “It’s got that high-quality college football feel and it’s going to be no different this week.

“I think their fans are going to bring it and we’re going to have to be able to operate in the noise.”

The Riders’ offence will once again be thin at running back this week. A week after dressing only one true running back, the Riders will do so once again.

Shaq Cooper, who was signed by the Riders on Sept. 30, will get the start there with kick returner Mario Alford serving as the backup. Frankie Hickson (wrist), Jamal Morrow (hand) and Kienan LaFrance (knee) are all out.

This stint with the Riders is the third time Cooper has been with the team this season.

“It’s a crazy journey. They say things happen for a reason,” Cooper said after Monday’s practice at Mosaic Stadium. “I was blessed to get another opportunity to come play ball and they gave me a call and now I’m back here.”

Cooper will be behind a Riders offensive line that has been among the league’s best run-blocking units all season, with 1,554 yards (third-most in the CFL).

The Riders’ pass protection also saw better fortunes the last time out, not surrendering a sack in the team’s 31-13 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

A part of that was the return of centre Dan Clark, who had been out since June 18 with a broken leg.

“I feel really healthy,” Clark said. “It was nice to be able to get out there (at practice) and continue to knock the rust that I have off and mentally prepare myself for Friday night.”

The game does have added importance, but Clark said that can’t change how the players prepare.

“You prepare to win every week and your mentality is to win every week,” Clark said. “If you start changing the way you prepare, something is different in you.

“You prepare every single week like it’s do or die. You’ve got to come with everything you’ve got and be able to handle that adversity you face.”

Offensively, the Riders will still be without slotback Duke Williams, who hasn’t played since Aug. 19 with an ankle injury.

The Tiger-Cats’ defence will be without two of their key players with linebacker Simoni Lawrence (knee) and defensive tackle Dylan Wynn (knee) out.

On defence, the Riders will try to remedy their pass rush. The Riders’ defence only has six sacks over its past six games. It had eight sacks in its first game against Hamilton this season.

“We’re missing a little bit of juice inside. It’d be nice to get (Anthony Lanier II) back,” Dickenson said. “We do feel like we’re getting better. We’re going to continue to try to put them in positions where they can succeed, be a little bit creative with how we can line up and hopefully that will help.”

Lanier has been out since Aug. 19 with a concussion.

The Riders’ defence will face Tiger-Cats quarterback Dane Evans, who has some new faces at receiver this week.

While Hamilton does get back slotback Lemar Durant back to join slotback Tim White, it’s still without Papi White, Bralon Addison, and Steven Dunbar Jr. In their place will be Terry Godwin II, Anthony Johnson, and Kiondre Smith.