Riders look to clinch home playoff game in rematch with Elks

The Saskatchewan Roughriders can ensure fans will get one more chance to see them at Mosaic Stadium this season with a win on Saturday.

The Riders are hosting the Edmonton Elks in a rematch of last week’s game, which Saskatchewan won 19-17. Kickoff for Saturday’s game is set for 3 p.m.

But this time, one more win will clinch a home playoff game for the Riders.

“It’s extremely important for me and this team after everything we’ve gone through,” Riders quarterback Cody Fajardo said. “(Our crowd) is an advantage for us and especially early in the season and how we got off to a hot start was because of all the home games we had so we know how much of an advantage it is for us.”

It would be the third straight season the Riders have hosted a playoff game and the second straight with Fajardo as the team’s primary pivot.

“I’m doing everything I can because there’s a little added motivation because I know if we do host a home playoff game that I get to see my wife,” Fajardo said. “As a team, it all starts with hosting a playoff game and that’s a step in the right direction.”

The game Saturday will also mark a return to friendly confines as the Riders return from playing three straight road games.

But the time on the road was kind to Saskatchewan as the team rattled off three straight wins to put it in control of its own destiny when it came to playoff seeding.

“I think it will give us an early playoff look and I think the fans will turn out for us knowing that it is a big game for us. I think the fans feel the same way in that hopefully they’ve missed us in that home stadium,” Fajardo said.

“I missed Riderville and all the fans, playing in front of them. I’m happy to be home and happy we got business done on the road and hopefully, we can come in here and get another win for the last home game,” defensive back Ed Gainey said.

Gainey said at the beginning of the season he looked at the schedule and knew the final stretch of it on the road would be a tough test for the team.

“I was looking at it like we’ve got a long stretch of away games at the end of the season. I hope we’re in a good position by the time we hit the road to where we don’t have to stress too much about a must-win situation,” Gainey said. “I guess we still have must-win games but just at a different end of the spectrum.”

The game against the Elks also provides yet another opportunity for the Riders to get their offence firing on all cylinders. The Riders’ offence has scored the fourth-fewest points per game (21.5) in the league, and has recorded the second-fewest yards per game (314.7), the third-lowest second down conversion percentage (41.5 per cent) and the second-most sacks allowed (34).

One of the positives for the Riders’ offence has been its ability to take care of the football this season. The Riders have only turned the ball over 16 times this season, second-fewest in the CFL.

While they have had their struggles, offensive co-ordinator Jason Maas feels they are seeing improvement over the past few weeks.

“Every week I look at it, I do see improvement and I do see things that we are doing well and I know we are close to having two or three plays decidedly making it 30-point games for us,” Maas said.

“Are we playing good enough football to win? I think we are and I would like to play better, absolutely, and I think our guys would like to play better. Sometimes it comes down to two or three better decisions on certain plays that are there to be made that do provide you more room or close out some games.”

Over the past five games, the Riders haven’t been able to score more than 20 points in any of their contests — 17 points Oct. 2 against the Calgary Stampeders, 19 points Oct. 9 against the Calgary Stampeders, 20 points Oct. 23 versus the Stampeders, 19 points Oct. 30 versus the Montreal Alouettes, and 19 on Friday against Edmonton.

In the past five games, the Riders have only surpassed 300 yards of total offence twice – 343 on Oct. 2 and 325 on Nov. 5. The Riders have also only gained 20 first downs in a game once – the last game against Edmonton.

Riders slotback Duke Williams could be one of the keys to helping the offence get things going. The 28-year-old has appeared in three games since joining the team during its bye week. He is coming off his best game with the team, having caught three balls for 62 yards – including a 38-yard pass.

“I’m not as comfortable as I want to be on the field yet,” Williams said. “By the time the playoffs get here, I should be playing up to speed. Hopefully, I can get there this weekend.

“Hopefully I’m motivating other players to bring that dog out in them and go get that ball whenever (Maas) gives them that opportunity. I’ve been trying to lead by example. There’s only so much you can do by talking.”

The big play has been one facet of the Riders’ offence that has been missing in action for most of the year. The offence has only completed 10 passes over 20 yards on 60 attempts this year. Only two of those completions have come over the past five games on 25 attempts.

The Riders’ defence has been able to make up for the offence’s lack of points by being even stingier against opposing teams.

The defence is holding teams to 18.6 points per game over the past five games and is only giving up 19.7 in 2021.

Part of the Riders’ success on the defensive side of the ball has been their pass rush, which has produced 40 sacks this year – second only to Montreal’s 45.

Defensive end Jonathan Woodard’s CFL-leading 10 sacks and defensive end A.C. Leonard’s nine – tied for second in the league with Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat – have been a major part of that.

“I definitely want to be at the top of that list, but if there was someone I would like to be ahead of me, it would be A.C.,” Woodard said. “There’s a little bit (of trash talk between me and Leonard) but at the end of the day, we’re both just trying to stay focused. I feel like the way we both prepare for the game, the competition is going to sort itself out and may the best man win. I think we’re both focused on making sure we finish out the season strong.”

In the last game against the Elks, Edmonton scored 14 points in the final quarter to make things close.

“I think other than (the fourth quarter) we were playing a solid game in general. I think we really worked on our conditioning this week in the weight room and whatnot,” linebacker Micah Teitz said. “It’s really time to lock in in the fourth quarter.”