Liam Richards/Electric Umbrella
The Saskatchewan Roughriders and Edmonton Eskimos are about to settle something.
The teams will determine the final order of finish in the CFL’s West Division when they clash today at Mosaic Stadium (5 p.m., CKRM, TSN).
The Eskimos (11-6-0) currently hold third place in the West, two points ahead of the Roughriders (10-7-0).
The winner of today’s game will finish third in the West and will visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for the division semifinal on Nov. 12. The Bombers (12-6-0) clinched second place Friday with a 23-5 victory over the Calgary Stampeders.
The fourth-place finisher will cross over into the East Division playoffs and will face the second-place finishers in the East — either the Toronto Argonauts or Ottawa Redblacks — in the division semifinal on Nov. 12.
To set up tonight’s game, here’s one man’s list of five things (or people) that bear watching:
1. Pulling the triggerman: Veteran quarterback Kevin Glenn is slated to start today’s game for the Roughriders, but he has been on a short leash of late. Glenn has been pulled in three of Saskatchewan’s past four games and four of the past six, replaced each time by backup Brandon Bridge. But Glenn’s departure from the Roughriders’ 37-12 victory over the Montreal Alouettes on Oct. 27 was part of a rotation devised by head coach-GM Chris Jones, who wanted to give Glenn, Bridge and third-stringer Vernon Adams Jr., all some action. It’s doubtful that the rotation will continue in the playoffs, so it’ll be something to watch for today.
2. Mike Reilly: The Eskimos quarterback entered the final week of the regular season with the CFL lead in passing yards (5,536) and passing plays of 30 yards or more (36) and he shared the league lead in touchdown passes (30). Thanks largely to Reilly, the Eskimos topped all CFL offences in passing yards per game (334.0) and average gain per pass (8.8 yards) going into Week 20. Reilly’s favourite target this season has been Brandon Zylstra, who entered the week with a league-high 1,615 yards on 97 receptions.
3. Mano a mano: Saskatchewan faces a stiff challenge from Eskimos receivers like Zylstra, Adarius Bowman and Derel Walker, but the Roughriders’ defensive backs have been good this season. Ed Gainey leads the CFL with 10 interceptions, Crezdon Butler quietly has had a fine campaign, and Jovon Johnson and Kacy Rodgers II (with a little Duron Carter thrown in) have locked down receivers. Saskatchewan went into the week having allowed the fewest completions (376) and the lowest completion percentage (61.4) in the league and was tied for the lowest opponent’s average pass (7.5). This should be a good matchup.
4. Marcus Thigpen: The former NFL return man will start at tailback for the Roughriders in the absences of Cameron Marshall (knee) and Trent Richardson (ankle). It’ll be Thigpen’s first game since Sept. 15, when he hurt a collarbone after just three punt returns in Saskatchewan’s game against the host Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Thigpen began his CFL career with the Roughriders in 2009, when he was on the practice roster. He was released after training camp in 2010 and went on to star with the Tiger-Cats before heading to the NFL. Thigpen hasn’t rushed the football in a CFL game since Nov. 20, 2011.
5. Willie Jefferson: The Roughriders’ defensive end went into Week 20 tied for fifth in the CFL with eight sacks, but he was first in quarterback pressures with 34 — 10 more than his nearest pursuer. Despite his fine season, Jefferson wasn’t Saskatchewan’s nominee for the league award as most outstanding defensive player (Gainey got the nod), so that could be a motivating factor for Jefferson in today’s game. He’s also an ex-Eskimo, so he may be inspired to get after Reilly and Edmonton’s other offensive players.
