Cody Fajardo gets start for roughed-up Roughriders

The Saskatchewan Roughriders need to overcome a growing injury report on offence as the team visits TD Place to meet the Ottawa Redblacks.

The most significant injury the Roughriders are dealing with is to quarterback Zach Collaros. He was put on the six-game injured list earlier this week after an illegal hit from Hamilton Tiger-Cats linebacker Simoni Lawrence on June 13. The Roughriders lost the game 23-17.

On Tuesday, head coach Craig Dickenson named Cody Fajardo the team’s starting quarterback heading into Week 2.

“I think he will have a good game,” Dickenson said following Tuesday’s practice. “We will try to tailor the offence to take advantage of what Cody does well. I think you’ll see (that) as Cody’s level of comfort grows, you’ll see the offence expand each week.”

Fajardo is excited to get a chance to show off his skills and prove he can play in the CFL.

“I feel like this time has been coming for me; I’ve been in this league for a while now,” Fajardo said earlier in the week. “Being a backup is a little bit harder, because the game plan is tailored to the starter and now being the starter, the game plan can be tailored to my strengths.”

Fajardo spent two seasons with the Toronto Argonauts and one with the B.C. Lions before signing with the Roughriders in the off-season.

After Collaros was injured, Fajardo entered the June 13 game and threw for 66 yards while completing nine of 17 pass attempts. He also had to leave the game in Hamilton for a period of time in order to go into concussion protocol. He did return.

While Fajardo will be pencilled in as the starter, Dickenson said rookie Isaac Harker is also going to get some playing time.

“(Offensive co-ordinator Stephen McAdoo) will give me an idea of when he’s thinking of using Isaac and how he’s going to rotate (the quarterbacks),” Dickenson said.

Another injury the team will need to overcome is to offensive guard Dariusz Bladek, who left the game against Hamilton with a knee injury. His injury forces the Roughriders to dig further into their depth on the offensive line, which already has to deal with the loss of perennial all-star Brendon LaBatte. Philip Blake started in place of LaBatte in Hamilton.

Dakoda Shepley, the Roughriders’ first-round selection in the 2018 draft, will start for the injured Bladek. Shepley stepped into the game in Hamilton after Bladek went down.

“I’d be crazy to say I wasn’t excited,” Shepley said. “I’m just anxious and ready to get started. I think I’d be more nervous hopping in in the fourth quarter when the game is on the line.”

While he could have two different quarterbacks calling the plays, Shepley doesn’t believe it will affect how the offensive line plays.

“We’re just worried about doing our job,” Shepley said. “By that logic we will work as a unit successfully and trust the quarterback to get his job done back there.”

The team could also lean heavily on running backs William Powell and Marcus Thigpen.

Powell joined the Roughriders this past off-season after spending four years with the Redblacks. He ran for 104 yards and a touchdown in Week 1.

Depending on the situation, both running backs could get a chance to show off their skill sets.

“If you’re in control of the game and you want to grind it out, we’re going to give (Powell) the ball,” Dickenson said. “If we’re trailing and we’ve got to spread the ball, you’ll probably see Thigpen in a little more.”

Dickenson said getting a win in Ottawa is important in order for the Roughriders to avoid digging themselves a deeper hole early in the season.

“We relate it to (the players) that it’s similar to saving money,” Dickenson said. “You want to make investments early in the season because late in the season you’re going to hit a slide where you’re nicked up and you may lose two or three games.”

Game time Thursday is set for 5:30 p.m. Listen live to the Green Zone Game Day pre-game show, which begins at 3 p.m.

Here’s the Roughriders’ depth chart for the contest: