The Ottawa Redblacks take a third swipe at clinching a playoff berth when they visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday afternoon in Regina.
Ottawa (8-5-1) lost to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 15 and the Montreal Alouettes last week in its first two opportunities.
Jeremiah Masoli will be the starting quarterback for the Roughriders (6-7-1) after Dru Brown injured an ankle during the 24-12 loss to Montreal. Masoli was 17-of-26 passing for 218 yards and one touchdown in relief.
Masoli maintains that all is well despite the struggles as the team seeks to clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2018.
“There’s no doubt or wavering in our belief in ourselves,” Masoli told reporters. “Now we have to go on the road, into a hostile environment; it’s a hard test. That’s probably perfect for us, we’re coming off a little adversity, we’ve got some guys banged up.
“As we go down the stretch, teams are playing way better ball because everybody’s been playing together. We have to match that. It’s time for us to show up or shut up.”
This will be Masoli’s second start of the season. Overall, he is completing 71.3 percent of his passes for 655 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.
Saskatchewan ended a seven-game winless stretch (0-6-1) with last week’s 37-29 road victory over the Calgary Stampeders.
Ryquell Armstead rushed for 207 yards, the most in the CFL this season and the fourth most in Roughriders’ history.
“I just want to make sure it isn’t a fluke,” Armstead said. “So, for me, I’m just fighting this week to prove it wasn’t a fluke.”
During the winless stretch, Saskatchewan played Ottawa to a 22-22 tie and lost the other six games by a total of 26 points.
Close calls mean nothing to quarterback Trevor Harris.
“I’m sick of talking about how close we are,” Harris said. “This is only one win. We haven’t done anything. Let’s not get it twisted and all of a sudden breathe a sigh of relief. This is a time to put our foot on the accelerator.”
Harris ranks fourth in the CFL with 16 touchdown passes. He has completed 70.2 percent of his throws for 2,320 yards and seven interceptions.
Roughriders defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr. is tied for the league with six interceptions. He also has a league-best 18 special teams tackles with teammate AJ Allen second with 17.
Ottawa’s DeVonte Dedmon has a league-best 28.3 average on kickoff returns. He has five returns of 40 or more yards, including a 101-yard touchdown.
–Field Level Media
