For a third time in four weeks, a win will improve the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ chances to clinch a playoff spot. However, unlike the previous two opportunities, the Riders are hoping to come out on the winning side Saturday against the visiting Montreal Alouettes. A win – and some help – will guarantee Saskatchewan at least a crossover position in this year’s postseason. Having lost four-straight games coming in, a fifth-straight loss brings the Riders’ playoff lives into serious question. Head coach Corey Mace, however, believes there is no additional pressure on his football club. “Whether this was Week 1 headed into Week 2, that’s the thought process every week,” he told reporters Friday. “By trying to figure out all that other stuff, you kind of get an idea, but the easiest one to come to a solution is to say, ‘Go out and do what you’re supposed to do,’ and it’ll take care of itself.” To clinch a playoff spot this weekend, Saskatchewan first needs a win – and then either a Winnipeg loss to Edmonton or for Calgary to lose to B.C. “It’s just too macro of a view right now,” Riders’ quarterback Trevor Harris said. “A micro view is what we need to win [Saturday]. It’s one play at a time, six seconds of extreme focus and a relentless mentality.” “Go make the play, do what we need to do, do the next right thing and then do it again,” he added. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium and on TSN. Stats on the board To come out victorious Saturday, Riders’ analyst Wes Cates believes all sides of the ball have work to do. “[The defence] definitely needs to get some more stats on the board,” he said on this week’s X’s and O’s segment. “They’ve been really struggling to get picks, they’ve been struggling to get sacks and struggling to get turnovers.” On Monday in Montreal, the Rider defence allowed a season worst 44 points, 423 passing yards, 109 rushing yards, 27 Alouettes first downs and five touchdowns – all through the air. It also allowed one run of 20-plus yards and three passes of 30-plus, what are known as ‘big plays.’ Cates says the defence needs to be stouter in Saturday’s rematch. “At the end of the day, they’ve got to be able to get this Montreal team off the field,” he added. “They’ve got to be able to get the ball into the Riders offensive hands early and often to try and build a lead because Montreal has some explosive players.” Defensive back Tevaughn Campbell says the frustration is being felt inside the locker room as well. “It’s just like coming to an interview and you guys ask what are we going to do? We tell you, you got to cut all the mistakes, you got to be detailed,” he said Wednesday. “[Then] we go to the game and it’s the same things that are happening. We come back, we tell you guys the same things, like over and over and over.” It is a similar story for the offence, says Cates. “They’ve got to still have a bit of a ground game,” he explained. “And I think you just have to focus on getting these receivers that are going to be there this week ready.” Saskatchewan generated just 358 total yards last week and found the endzone just once. However, none of those were big plays, according to Cates. “There’s really got to be a concerted effort to talk about everybody being responsible for themselves and not trying to do anything outside of their job or their responsibility,” he said. “Be ready to make the play, make the catch, knock the ball down. If you’re on defence, whatever the case is, make the block, finish your blocks.” “That’s the only way it works in football. You can’t do everybody’s job; coaches can’t make the plays for you,” he added. Montreal resting Alexander, Philpot and Snead Having already locked up first place in the CFL’s East, Montreal has been granted the opportunity to rest some starters and keep them healthy going into the playoffs. Quarterback Davis Alexander, along with receivers Tyson Philpot and Tyler Snead, won’t see the field Saturday – although Alexander will be in uniform as the ‘third-string QB,’ as required under the league’s roster rules. “This Montreal team is playing with a lot of energy and a lot of emotion,” Cates said. “And I imagine that’s spilling over into practice so their backups are ready – probably willing – and chomping at the bit to get some action.” Saskatchewan was in a similar situation last season, having locked up first place in the West en route to a Grey Cup playoff run. This means Mace and company are well aware Saturday’s match will be no cake ride. “I’ve seen it many, many, many times,” Mace said. “There’s great players that may not be running out there for them, but usually that means they feel really good about their depth and those guys going to work with their tails off.” Receivers return For the first time in nearly three months, Saskatchewan will have their top three receivers back in the lineup. Kian Schaffer-Baker (KSB), Samuel Emilus and KeeSean Johnson will all start Saturday. The last time that happened was Week 8 against Edmonton on July 23. “Us three not being on the field for [three] months, the chemistry between me, Kian and KeeSean [with] the quarterback hurt a little bit,” Emilus admitted earlier this week. “In this offence, you never really know who’s going to be the main guy because we distribute the ball everywhere. But we’ve got confidence in all the receivers and that Trevor [Harris] is going to go to the right guy and you got to make the play.” Johnson leads the Riders in all major receiving categories; including receiving yards (1,243), targets (147), catches (101), touchdowns receptions (seven), yards after catch (313), and second down conversions (35). Schaffer-Baker, despite playing only nine games, is second in many of those categories, but is tied with Johnson for touchdown catches. KSB has 63 catches for 961 yards. Emilus has played just seven games in 2026 but has 514 yards on 38 receptions – fourth on the team. “We can move them around on the checkerboard and let them kind of do their thing,” Harris said. “But it makes our offence more versatile; it helps our run game because they’re very good run blockers as well. A.J. [Ouellette] benefits from that, our offensive line, too.”
