Riders’ revenge: Saskatchewan looks to overcome recent playoff disappointments

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have one prevailing theme for the 2022 season: Revenge.

In each of the past two CFL seasons, the Riders have come within a game of reaching the Grey Cup only to be turned away at the door by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers — 20-13 in 2019 and then 21-17 in 2021. The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It eats at you. You know you were that close and one play here and one play there, you can win the game,” Roughriders wide receiver Shaq Evans said on Tuesday.

“Every year I’ve been here, we’ve lost to Winnipeg in the playoffs. That’s another thing that adds to that revenge season. We want to dethrone those guys because they’ve been the one team that has been in our way the last few years.”

Quarterback Cody Fajardo agreed.

“It feels like since I’ve become the starter here, it has been a revenge season type of situation, but we don’t want it any different,” said Fajardo, who’s entering his third season as the Riders’ starter.

“I know that a lot of those guys in that locker room have been underdog guys (and) a lot of guys have fought to what they’ve become — a superstar in this league — including myself.

“I’m just excited to take the bull by the horns and win some football games.”

Fajardo will have a lot of talent surrounding him this season, with the likes of Evans, Duke Williams and Kian Schaffer-Baker catching passes from him. Fajardo and the Riders will be looking to bounce back from a lacklustre 2021 season, when the offence averaged only 20.7 points per game.

Fajardo said he just needs to let the receivers do their jobs with that much talent in the room.

“Sometimes I get caught up in trying to do too much so my personal goal this year is to let our playmakers — we have a lot of incredibly talented guys on offence — so let those guys make plays and watch the scoreboard light up,” Fajardo said.

The Riders are to start the regular season Saturday with the home opener at Mosaic Stadium against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.

The Green Zone pre-game show is to begin at 3 p.m.

“(We want to) set the tone that it’s going to be a working, grinding mindset each and every week because we know what’s at stake this year,” said Evans.

“We have to win a Grey Cup. I’ve been here four years and we’ve been so close and so we just want to set a tone from Day 1.”

The Riders are also embracing the extra pressure that will come during the 2022 season. Saskatchewan wants to represent the West Division at Mosaic Stadium in the Grey Cup game on Nov. 20.

“I embrace (the pressure). That pressure has been on me my entire life and I talk about the underdog story – I want to go out there and give these fans something to be excited about. They’ve had our back through everything,” Fajardo said.

Notes: Linebacker Derrick Moncrief was practising on Tuesday. Moncrief missed both pre-season contests due to a head injury … Defensive end Keion Adams (head) was limited in practice … Linebacker Michael Pinckney (head) and offensive lineman Josiah St. John (knee) were held out.