Now they’re evidently Grey Cup contenders, but it wasn’t long ago the Saskatchewan Roughriders were a dumpster fire.
They had no quarterback, a bad offensive strategy, a me-first player serving as the face of the franchise and had just lost to the woeful Montreal Alouettes.
They have since fixed most of the problems, except for the anaemic offence, and won five of their last six games to build the CFL’s second-best record. Saskatchewan improved to 8-5 with a 30-29 road victory Saturday against the Toronto Argonauts, who no longer resemble last year’s Grey Cup champions.
In a game decided by kickers, Saskatchewan’s Brett Lauther nailed a 56-yard field goal moments before Toronto’s Zack Medeiros missed a game-deciding 51-yarder. Lauther, who didn’t give up on his dream despite not playing football for five years, has been one of the league’s most surprising stories. So, too, are the Roughriders and their climb back to respectability. And their next challenge is a chance for redemption when they get another shot at those pitiful Alouettes.