Riders going into Stamps clash with playoff mentality

CFL.ca Staff

REGINA — When you think of games between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Calgary Stampeders, the first thing that comes to mind is a showdown of two of the best teams in the CFL.

You also think of the team’s head coaches: Craig and Dave Dickenson. The two brothers will go head to head in this game, but Craig isn’t focusing on the familial ties to this matchup.

“It’s just another game. It’s so much more important than just family bragging rights,” he said to Riderville.com on Wednesday. “This is about the players, the teams, the organizations, the fanbases. It just so happens that the two guys coaching are related.

“This is an important game for this club; an important game for the guys in that locker room.”

Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Cody Fajardo runs out of the tunnel alongside his teammates (Arthur Ward/CFL.ca)

The Roughriders and Stampeders will meet for the second and final time this season at McMahon Stadium on Friday night. In the first game between the two Western Division foes, the Stamps walked out of Mosaic Stadium with a 37-10 victory in Week 4.

Nick Arbuckle was the man under centre for Calgary in that game. He completed 19 of 22 passes for 262 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Ka’Deem Carey and Terry Williams each had over 50 yards rushing and Reggie Begelton caught four passes for 102 yards.

It’s been three months since these teams have seen one another and both squads have grown since that meeting. For one, the Stamps have 2019 Most Outstanding Player and Grey Cup MVP Bo Levi Mitchell back under centre.

He’ll be opposed by Cody Fajardo. In his last outing against Calgary, the pivot had a tough time, getting just 89 yards through the air and throwing two picks. However, he and his receivers have started to get into a rhythm and the offence has been firing on all cylinders as of late.

The team has won its last three games and have 62 points in their last two outings. Shaq Evans, Kyran Moore, Naaman Roosevelt, and Emmanuel Arceneaux have been a solid unit throughout the year, and the Riders are just getting Jordan Williams-Lambert back into the fold.

“With (Williams-Lambert) back, it was good to have him last game and we’re getting our rhythm back and obviously Shaq’s big game — and all season, he’s been playing really well,” Fajardo said. “You’ve got Naaman who’s just Mr. Reliable. You can throw that ball up to him and you know he’s going to come down with it.

“Swerve (Moore) just makes plays and catches the ball. I can’t remember him dropping a pass over the last how many weeks. All I know is that guy catches the ball and makes something happen.”

For a pair of Riders, this game will mean a little more to them than most of their teammates. Both Charleston Hughes and Micah Johnson will be going up against their former team. For Johnson, who spent six seasons as a member of the Stampeders, this will be the first time he plays in McMahon as a member of the visiting team.

“I’m just kind of keeping it all bottled up until game time for sure. Just trying to go out and get a win,” Johnson said. “It’ll probably feel more when I’m getting dressed for the game and I’m ready to get out there after playing on their side. It probably hasn’t set in yet.”

As for Hughes, who joined the Riders ahead of the 2018 campaign, he’s already gotten the chance to play on the road in Calgary. Regardless, Johnson says he’s still looking forward to the chance to get after the Stamps’ offence.

“Charleston is always excited to be able to chase down a quarterback. It being Bo makes it even more special,” Johnson said.

Calgary is looking at this game as one that they have to come out on the winning side of. With just three games remaining for each team following Week 18, a loss for the Stamps would put them four points back of the Riders for first in the West Division. That would leave them virtually no room for error to end the campaign if they’re looking to lock down an opening-round bye in the postseason.

The members of the green and white are also treating this game like its the playoffs, and with there being a good chance that these two teams meet one another in November, this will be a great showcase of what could come in the postseason.

“We know they’re going to be gunning for us,” Dickenson said. “It’s game a game that they probably feel like they’ve gotta have and it’s a game we feel we’ve gotta have so it should be a fun afternoon.”

– With files from Riderville.com

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