In a complicated CFL playoff picture, the Saskatchewan Roughriders understand one simple fact — close out the season with victories in their final two regular season games and they’re in the post-season.
asserted
they → understand → season
The Roughriders (8-8) are heading into a game Saturday against the visiting Montreal Alouettes (13-3) still looking to lock down a playoff spot.
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Roughriders → head → spot
There are a few ways the post-season picture might play out over the last two weeks, but Riders head coach Corey Mace is focusing on the simplest option.
uncertain
Mace → be → option
“The easiest one to come to a solution is to just go out and do what you’re supposed to do and it’ll take care of itself,” Mace said.
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Mace → come → itself
“Our mindset every week is to go into a game and try to come out 1-0.
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mindset → go → game
That’s never changed so we’re focused on that.”
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we → change → that
After a 6-2 start to the 2026 season, the defending Grey Cup champions have struggled down the stretch and are currently on a four-game losing streak.
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champions → defend → streak
The Saskatchewan offence will get a boost from having receivers KeeSean Johnson, Samuel Emilus and Kian Schaffer-Baker together in the starting lineup for the first time since July 23.
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offence → get → July
While Johnson has played in 15 games this season, Schaffer-Baker and Emilus have been limited to 10 and seven games, respectively, due to injuries.
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Baker → play → injuries
Riders quarterback Trevor Harris is looking forward to having the threesome back in their starting lineup.
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Harris → look → lineup
“We’ve played three games with those guys healthy altogether, and I think if you go ask Montreal about having Tyson (Philpot) and (Tyler) Snead out, how do you feel?
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you → play → Philpot
Ask B.C. without (Keon) Hatcher and (Justin) McInnes, it’s a big difference,” said Harris.
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Harris → ask → Hatcher
“So, the fact that we’ve got these guys back is big time.
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we → get → guys
We can move them around on the checkerboard and let them kind of do their thing.”
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them → move → thing
Harris said that having the receiving corps at full strength makes Saskatchewan’s offence more versatile, which will help running back A.J. Ouellette.
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which → say → Ouellette
“Our (backups) have done a good job filling in this year for these guys, but they’re highly paid for a reason, and so we look forward to having them all out there at the same time.”
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we → do → time
The Alouettes have clinched first place in the East Division and the outcome of their final two regular season games will not affect their playoff future.
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outcome → clinch → future
They will host the East final on Nov. 7.
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They → host → Nov.
With that in mind, Alouettes head coach Jason Maas has made some changes to his roster for Saturday’s game.
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Maas → make → game
Dustin Crum will take over as starting quarterback with Davis Alexander moved to the No. 3 spot on the depth chart.
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Alexander → take → chart
Starting receivers Tyson Philpot (124 catches for 1,809 yards and 13 touchdowns) and Tyler Snead (95 receptions for 1,474 yards and 13 touchdowns) will not dress for Saturday’s game.
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receivers → start → game
Maas, who is 46-23-1 with one Grey Cup title in four seasons with the Alouettes, emphasized that resting some players doesn’t take away from his expectations for his team.
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resting → emphasize → team
“Playing football is playing football, and competing is competing and our guys understand that,” he said.
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he → play → that
“You can’t rest everybody, and you’ve got to play, and you’ve got to finish games, and you’ve got to finish the season.
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you → rest → season
Our guys are focused this week on finishing.”
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guys → focus → ?
Mace isn’t expecting the Alouettes, who defeated the Riders 44-24 on Monday in Montreal, to go through the motions on Saturday.
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who → expect → Saturday
“We know that we’re playing the Montreal, the Alouettes.
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we → know → Montreal
They are a good football team, regardless of who they put out there,” Mace said.
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Mace → put → who
“Those guys have been around winning football.
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guys → win → football
They played football.
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They → play → football
We expect a great game from these guys, but we’re in a position right now where we’ve got to focus strictly on ourselves.
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we → expect → ourselves
That’s where our mindset’s at.”
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mindset → ’ → where
Crum will be making his first start as an Alouette since joining Montreal in the off-season.
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Crum → make → season
In three seasons with the Ottawa Redblacks, Crum posted a 5-15 record in 20 starts.
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Crum → post → starts
He’s seen action in three games this season, completing 10-of-13 passes for 86 yards.
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He → see → yards
Philpot had the CFL record for most receiving yards in a single season in his sights before it was announced he wouldn’t be playing Saturday.
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he → have → sights
He was on pace for 2,035 yards, one yard shy of Allen Pitts’ league record of 2,036 yards set in 1994.
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He → set → 1994
Harris is having a career year for the Riders with his 5,117 passing yards, passing his previous personal best of 5,116 set with Ottawa in 2018.
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Harris → have → 2018
He has 31 touchdown passes this season, two shy of his career high of 33 set with Toronto in 2015.
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He → have → 2015
Harris enters Saturday’s game with 3,501 career completions, just seven behind Bo Levi Mitchell for seventh place on the CFL all-time list.
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Harris → enter → list
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
