Roughriders prepare for new challenge in crucial rematch with Lions
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The Saskatchewan Roughriders will play the BC Lions for the second time this season on Saturday, and the rematch features higher stakes.
BC was the superior team in their first meeting back in Week 6, earning a fifth consecutive victory with a 35-20 final that pushed them atop the West Division standings.
Lions quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. solidified his early bid for the CFL's Most Outstanding Player award by throwing for 451 yards and adding a rushing touchdown, while Saskatchewan was quarterbacked by Shea Patterson with Trevor Harris on the shelf due to a knee injury.
The scene will look quite different on Saturday though: Nathan Rourke is leading the Lions, while Harris is back under centre for the Roughriders and Saskatchewan is riding a three-game winning streak and is one point ahead of BC in the standings.
The Roughriders locker room is not downplaying the importance of this clash, as a victory would secure a home playoff game.
“All the games have mattered, but these are the fun ones when home field is on the line and winning for certain reasons,” said Harris after practice earlier this week. “It just adds a little element to it.”
“I feel like our fans deserve [a home playoff game]. We’ve kind of put ourselves in a situation of losing a lot of games earlier in the season and we feel like we’re back on track. We feel like we should get a home game and at least let our fans watch one,” defensive back Marcus Sayles said.
Saskatchewan had trouble containing Rourke during his Most Outstanding Canadian campaign in 2022, which he used try to make the jump to the NFL. After stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons - in which he never saw regular-season action - Rourke made his return to the CFL in August this season.
In two games against the Roughriders in 2022, Rourke threw for a combined 711 yards and four touchdowns in a pair of victories. He hasn't looked quite as sharp this season for BC, throwing for four touchdowns against seven interceptions in seven games so far, but the Roughriders aren't taking the challenge of stopping him lightly.
"He’s a good quarterback. He can make all the throws. He’s a talented guy, he can run when he needs to and he’s confident,” said defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr.
"If you look at him and what he’s accomplished in his time in BC, prior to leaving and coming back, you see a lot of the same things. Quick decision making and obviously comfortable in the system,” Roughriders head coach Corey Mace told reporters.
"You can see it on film, I mean, he’s still an explosive player. He can still make all the reads and make all the throws, and he’s got guys that can make plays for him,” added Sayles.
One particular player Sayles may have been alluding to is Lions receiver Justin McInnis, who leads the CFL in receiving with 1,244 yards this season. He was dominant in the Week 6 clash between these teams, catching 14 passes for 243 yards and a touchdown.
“He went crazy against us last time. As a secondary, that’s the first thing we think about playing BC. He had a good game, so we have to make sure he doesn’t wreck the game again,” Milligan Jr. said.
“I could be the wrong guy to ask [on how to limit him] because we didn’t do a very good job last time. But he’s a tremendous player, such a huge target for them. We just have to be cognizant of where he’s at on the field and making sure that we have a couple extra eyes on that guy,” Mace said.