CFL SEASON WINDING DOWN
Riders still have a shot at first place
VANCOUVER The Saskatchewan Roughriders are getting closer to securing a home playoff game — a payoff to their loyal supporters.
“Have you seen our fans and how warmly they represent us?” Riders safety Mike Edem said after Friday’s 27-19 CFL victory over the B.C. Lions at BC Place.
“A home playoff game would be a thank-you for all of the representation they have done all through the season. It’s a team thing. We need the 13th man as much as they need us to entertain them. If they would do that, it would be great for our organization.”
Saskatchewan has all but clinched a home playoff game thanks to the win over the Lions and the Calgary Stampeders’ 37-33 victory over the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday.
The Stampeders and Riders are tied for first place in the West Division with 11-5 records, followed by the 10-6 Blue Bombers.
Calgary, however, is in first place after sweeping the two-game series with the Riders. If the Riders and Calgary are tied at the end of the regular season, Calgary would finish ahead of the Green and White per the league’s tiebreaking rules.
The Riders have the tiebreaker advantage over the Blue Bombers due to winning the season series 2-1. The Blue Bombers have one game remaining in their regular-season schedule — Friday’s visit to Calgary.
A Calgary win would nail down a home playoff game for Saskatchewan, leaving the Roughriders and Stampeders to battle for the top two spots in the division.
A Winnipeg win would help in the Riders’ bid to finish first in the West Division for the first time since 2009. Saskatchewan then would need to sweep its homeand-home set with the Edmonton Eskimos and hope the Stampeders lose at least once.
The Eskimos, fourth in the West at 8-8, can’t improve their standing regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s game in Edmonton or the return match one week later at Mosaic Stadium.
Edmonton is the crossover team into the East Division playoffs and will meet the Montreal Alouettes in the semifinal on Nov. 10.
There is a slim chance that Calgary, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg could all finish with 11-7 records.
If that takes place, the second tiebreaking procedure — the highest winning percentage in games involving the deadlocked teams — would come into effect.
Under that scenario, Calgary would be .600 (3-2), with Winnipeg (.500, 3-3) and the Riders (.400, 2-3) next in line. Saskatchewan would drop to third if that were take place.
The Riders and Stampeders would have to lose all their remaining games for that scenario to come into effect.
“I don’t know the numbers, but I just know that we have to win to keep pace,” said Riders quarterback Cody Fajardo, who completed 21 of 27 passes for 224 yards and one touchdown on Friday.
“It’s a good thing that (Calgary and Winnipeg) are playing each other, but anytime you have a home-and-home, it’s hard to sweep a team. It will be an interesting battle.”
The Riders would prefer to finish first in the West Division, earning a coveted a week off and being only a win away from playing in the 107th Grey Cup game in Calgary on Nov. 24.
Saskatchewan has fared well at home this season, posting a 7-1 record. The Roughriders’ lone defeat at Mosaic Stadium was a 37-10 thumping by the Stampeders on July 6. The Green and White has since won six straight at home.
“It’s exciting, especially when you have that home crowd in Saskatchewan,” Riders receiver Naaman Roosevelt said. “You have that green out there and even when it’s cold, they are still cheering for us. That’s the energy we need. I’m hoping the experience we had last year helps us out this year.”
The Blue Bombers defeated the Riders 23-18 in the 2018 West semifinal.
A rematch — a fourth game this season between the traditional rivals — will take place if the current standings hold up.
NOTES: The Riders had six sacks on Friday and lead the CFL with 53, three more than the second-place Eskimos ... Saskatchewan forced two fumbles, both of which were recovered by defensive tackle Makana Henry ... Edem had two sacks and two tackles for losses against the Lions.
You have that green out there and even when it’s cold, they are still cheering for us. That’s the energy we need.