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The Saskatchewan Roughriders are back after their final regular-season bye week — and are ready to begin an important stretch of their season.
Saskatchewan will play its final five games of the CFL regular season beginning with the Edmonton Elks on Saturday. Kickoff for the game is set for 5 p.m. The Green Zone pregame show begins at 3 p.m.
The Riders carry a 10-3 record into Commonwealth Stadium with eyes on inching closer to clinching a home playoff game. Since the B.C. Lions beat the Toronto Argonauts on Friday, the Riders cannot clinch it this weekend no matter the result.
After a bye week, the Riders are currently 1-1 — a loss to the Calgary Stampeders and a win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Saskatchewan quarterback Trevor Harris believes this is an important time for the team as the playoffs near.
“This is the time of the year we are all talking about throughout — you’re building the team we need to be,” Harris said. “There’s always going to be times you play a little bit better, play a little bit worse, you maybe take a step back and figure out who you are and who you need to be. This final stretch is the stretch — this is where we need to start playing our best football and start trending toward who we want to be as a team.
“I expect us to. I really like this club, the genetic makeup of this team in terms of who they brought in and who we have as leaders.”
Harris has been having one of his best seasons in his 13-season CFL career, throwing for 3,405 yards and 20 touchdowns to just nine interceptions.
He gets some weapons back in the receiver room as well this week, as Sam Emilus makes his return to the lineup and wide receiver Shawn Bane Jr. is listed as a backup but is also expected to handle kick return duties.
Emilus has only appeared in four games for the Riders, dealing with two separate injuries this season. He has 361 yards and two touchdowns in those games.
“I’ve been itching since the first time I got hurt, I wanted to get back in,” Emilus said. “You’re itching and you want to get back out there but you have to make sure you’re healthy also. You don’t want to get too excited to get back and then your season is done.”
Shawn Bane Jr. hasn’t played in a game since late September 2024, when he suffered a serious leg injury against the Ottawa Redblacks.
Also, along the offensive line, Philippe Gagnon will make his Riders debut. The offseason signing has been out since the early days of training camp with a torn bicep.
On defence, the Riders will have Marcus Sayles back in the defensive backfield but are still without Tevaughn Campbell (head). With both of them out of the lineup, Montreal Alouettes quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson threw three touchdowns as the Riders lost 48-31.
“(Edmonton) is having some good games. They have had some bad breaks late in fourth quarters where they have lost by field goals and things like that,” Sayles said. “They have a good team regardless of their record. We can’t take anyone for granted.”
Saskatchewan will try to replicate the same success in getting to Edmonton quarterback Cody Fajardo they had in their first game. They sacked Fajardo eight times in a 21-18 win.
One of Edmonton’s top weapons this season is running back Justin Rankin. Rankin leads the Elks in both rushing (756) and receiving (618).
“They are going to give him screens, they are going to do outside stretches and inside zones. We have to make tackles. He’s a big guy who is going to try to run you over or whatever the case may be,” Sayles said. “We just have to be prepared for everything. He’s going to get the ball a lot. Like we say every week, we don’t want to give up explosion plays but he’s someone who can make explosion plays so we have to make sure we stop him.”
Saskatchewan has enjoyed success in Edmonton lately, winning the last seven times the team has played at Commonwealth.
