The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ journey through the 2017 CFL season is about to include a journey through Ontario.
The CFL team departed Wednesday for Ottawa, where Saskatchewan is to play the Redblacks on Friday. The Roughriders then will stay in the nation’s capital until Oct. 5, when they’ll head for Toronto — site of their game Oct. 7 against the host Argonauts.
That’s 10 straight days on the road.
“There are a few more distractions than normal when you’re on the road, but at the same time, I feel like it’s a great opportunity to bond with the guys,” receiver Rob Bagg said.
“You’re around them more. You’re around them a lot when we’re at home — we hang out a lot after practice as well — but when you’re on the road in the hotel, there’s not much else to do other than go out for food and just chill.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to become even closer as friends and teammates.”
The Roughriders followed the same script when they visited the Redblacks and Argonauts last season. They stayed in Ottawa and saw the sights — they even practised on Parliament Hill — before taking buses to Toronto.
The Roughriders found the trip enjoyable, mainly because they swept the two games. Saskatchewan beat the Redblacks 32-30 in overtime on Oct. 7 and then downed the Argonauts 29-11 on Oct. 15.
“It’s loooong,” offensive tackle Thaddeus Coleman said of the trip. “But it gets us closer together and that helps a lot.
“On the road, there aren’t a lot of places you can go and meet other people. Guys tend to stay close to each other, go out for lunch and dinner and just have fun. We get to see these nice cities that most of the Americans haven’t seen before. But the camaraderie is what you look for, especially when you’re trying to win.”
Quarterback Kevin Glenn noted that lengthy road trips are tough for those Roughriders whose families are with them in Regina. The junkets also take players out of their normal routine, which can be difficult for some of them to adjust to.
For the most part, though, the trips are a great opportunity for team-building.
“But at the same time, you’re dealing with the testosterone of all these men being together,” Glenn said with a chuckle. “That’s why a lot of these older guys play video games — to let out some of that frustration when you’re practising against the same guy every day.”
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The Roughriders headed to Ottawa just three days after losing to the visiting Calgary Stampeders 15-9 on Sunday.
The Roughriders had only two practices before heading east — and neither one was a full workout. Even so, Glenn suggested his team hadn’t started preparing early for Ottawa.
“We’ve had other short weeks and the coaching staff does a good job — and the team does too, I think — as far as flushing that last game, whether it was a win or a loss and getting prepared for the next week,” Glenn said.
“Coach (Chris Jones) does a good job of making sure that we’re going to be fresh and able to do what we need to do physically. Then the players take it upon themselves mentally to get that extra film in after practice and on the plane.”
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The Redblacks revealed Wednesday that Ryan Lindley would start at quarterback Friday.
Trevor Harris — Ottawa’s No. 1 quarterback — remains out with a shoulder injury and backup Drew Tate continues to recover from shoulder and rib injuries, so Lindley will make the second start of his CFL career.
Jones said the Roughriders’ preparations haven’t changed despite Lindley’s lack of experience in the league.
“That’s the trap people look for,” Jones said. “Ryan Lindley is a good quarterback or he wouldn’t be there. Marcel (Desjardins, Ottawa’s general manager) does a good job of putting personnel on the field and (Lindley) is one of them.”
Jones admitted there are difficulties associated with facing a quarterback who doesn’t have a lot of game film, but the veteran coach noted it’s not the first time he has done that in his career.
“We’ve just got to play what we play and play well,” Jones said.
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Saskatchewan has six regular-season games left and, with a 6-6-0 record, is in the mix for a playoff spot.
The Roughriders go into Week 15 tied with the B.C. Lions (6-7-0) for fourth place in the West Division, but Saskatchewan has the edge on the Lions based on point differential in their season series.
Both the Roughriders and Lions are two points behind the Edmonton Eskimos (7-5-0) in the race for third in the West. And, since Saskatchewan has a better record than every team in the East Division, a crossover playoff berth also remains a possibility.
With everything that’s on the line, Jones was asked if he has encouraged his players to crank up the intensity for the stretch drive.
“It’s not like we’ve not been playing 100 per cent,” he replied. “We’ve tried to go out every single week and be consistent.
“It’s not like, all of a sudden, it’s, ‘Guys, we’re going to give them 110 per cent.’ You can’t do that. You’ve got to go out and do the same thing you’ve always done and try to be as consistent as you can.”
