Riders hope to repeat sweep in Ontario
The Saskatchewan Roughriders will enter familiar territory during their upcoming two-game road trip to Ontario.
Saskatchewan is to visit the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday and the Toronto Argonauts on Oct. 7.
In 2016, the Riders made a similar swing through Ontario and emerged with a 32-30 overtime win over the Redblacks before beating Toronto 29-11.
The win over the Argonauts stretched the Riders’ winning streak to four games.
However, the Riders didn’t win another game in 2016 en route to posting a 5-13 record.
This season, the improved Riders head east at 6-6 after Sunday’s 15-9 loss to the visiting Calgary Stampeders.
As was the case in 2016, the Riders won’t return to Regina between the two games. They are to remain in Ottawa until travelling to Toronto on Oct. 5.
The players treated the 2016 trip as an opportunity to bond. The goal is similar this year, but the circumstances are different because the Riders are in the playoff hunt.
Last year, a 1-10 start left Saskatchewan with only the slimmest mathematical chance of advancing to the post-season.
Saskatchewan defensive back Ed Gainey is looking forward to the trip.
“I think it will be the same as last year where we’ll get two wins on the road,” Gainey said.
“Hopefully then we can get another one when we see Calgary again (on Oct. 20 at McMahon Stadium).”
It’s not known if receiver Naaman Roosevelt will be on the active roster on Friday. Roosevelt, the Riders’ leader in receiving yards (929) and catches (64), left Sunday’s game in the second quarter after a helmet-to-helmet tackle by Calgary’s Tunde Adeleke.
Adeleke was penalized for unnecessary roughness on the hit that left Roosevelt prone on the field.
“It was a helmet to helmet,” Riders head coach and general manager Chris Jones said. “They came back and gave us the flag so appropriate action was taken.”
The fact Adeleke was penalized didn’t stop quarterback Kevin Glenn from weighing in on player safety.
“It’s tough when one of your players goes down like that,” Glenn said. “I think it was kind of a defenceless hit to where he was looking for the ball and not actually able to protect himself. The league will review it and will look at it. We do play a physical sport, but at the same time you have to protect the guys if you want to continue.”
Roosevelt tweeted Sunday night that was he was feeling better.
An update on his status is expected Tuesday when the Riders return to practice.
The Riders, meanwhile, acquired national receiver Brett Blaszko from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Monday for a conditional pick in the 2018 CFL draft. Blaszko (six-foot-four, 204 pounds) was drafted in the third round (23rd overall) by the B.C. Lions in 2016 out of the University of Calgary. Winnipeg signed him in June after he was released by the Lions.
The Riders also announced the re-signing of receiver/returner Joe Craig to the practice roster. He had been released by the Riders on June 17.
Craig dressed for seven games during the 2016 season, recording two receptions for 32 yards. He was more productive on special teams, as evidenced by a puntreturn touchdown in Toronto.