Roughriders’ Gainey ready to pick up right where he left off

Ed Gainey is ready to take his show on the road.

The veteran Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive back is looking forward to Friday’s game in Edmonton against the Eskimos after his franchise record-setting performance Aug. 13 at Mosaic Stadium.

Gainey snagged a team-record four interceptions and returned one of the picks for a 49-yard touchdown and recovered a fumble in Saskatchewan’s recent 41-8 win over the B.C. Lions. He became only the ninth player in CFL history to record four interceptions in a game and the first since 1986.

“I watched (the interceptions) over the bye week, but it’s over and done with now,” Gainey said after Wednesday’s practice. “I have to stack another week on top of another one. I have to make some plays out there this weekend.”

The game against the Lions marked a return to the form Gainey exhibited during the 2016 season, when he was among the Riders’ defensive leaders. He had yet to reach that level before the win over the Lions.

“I started off slowly (in 2017) and I was trying to do whatever I could to get back into my flow and my zone,” Gainey said. “I’m feeling really confident in myself right now. I’ve been confident before, but I was just getting into my zone and hopefully I can keep the ball rolling.”

Gainey’s outgoing manner has also returned. He appears happier and more vocal while practising than he was before the Riders’ win over the Lions.

“I’m hard on myself and when things aren’t going too well, I’m not really happy,” Gainey said. “It’s always good when you can make plays out there and you can have a lot more fun. Those four picks helped me have a little bit more energy.”

Saskatchewan’s overall defensive effort against the Lions may be the tonic the team needs heading on the road. The Riders (3-4) are winless in 15 road games against divisional foes heading into Friday’s contest against the Eskimos, who boast a league-best 7-1 record.

“Looking back at our past road games, we haven’t been doing really well and that’s really our motivation,” Gainey said. “We just have to do what we do and we don’t have to do anything spectacular. We just have to do our jobs and hopefully when we come back off the road we have that win.”