REGINA — There’s a saying in every team sport when it comes to dealing with injuries and players missing time: next man up.
The idea being that the system is stronger than the personnel, and that regardless of who is on the field at the time, success will still come if everyone performs their duties to the best of their ability.
Of course, that’s far more difficult in practice — elite athletes can often make plays others simply can’t and taking top playmakers out of the equation can make it difficult to find a way to hit the win column. Thing is, sometimes ‘next man up’ actually does work to a certain extent, with the Saskatchewan Roughriders a prime example.
Despite facing injuries at one point or another at nearly every position this season, the Riders find themselves with a 12-5 record heading into their final game of the Canadian Football League regular season. Their most recent outing saw a line-up filled with back-ups in starting positions nearly steal a win from a playoff-position-battling Winnipeg Blue Bombers, eventually falling 17-16 on a last-second field goal at Princess Auto Stadium on Friday night
Not a bad result by any equation, a sign that all the preparation and hard work in practice from week-to-week all season is paying off at a good time.
“We feel we have so much faith in everybody in that locker room, we honestly don’t care who it is that’s out there, we expect the job to get done,” head coach Corey Mace said on the Rider Broadcast Network. Mace went on to explain how players have been able to step in and perform well not only on Friday but throughout the season as injuries occurred.
“Most of these guys ended up getting reps throughout the week, the way we practice, even if you’re not getting offensive or defensive reps within the system, you should know what we’ve got going on with the amount of hours you spend in the film room,” he said.
“The way we practice, we try to keep that intensity so when they do get their opportunity, they’re physically ready to go and we know mentally that they’re ready to go — pay attention to detail in meetings.”
Canadian receiver Mitch Picton is one player who has found himself in a parachute role much of the season when he’s been healthy — popping into the line-up whenever and wherever the team needs him on offence. The Regina native has seen action in 13 games this season and has 18 catches for 208 yards, including five catches for 71 yards as the Riders top receiver in Winnipeg.
Picton believes staying ready is a matter of preparing as if you’re going to be a starter, something that has served him well when he has jumped into the line-up.
“That’s something I feel like I’ve done my whole career,” he said. “Then when they call your number and you have the opportunity to make a play, you got to do it, or else — this is pro sports and you’re not going to be sticking around for too long. So trying to prepare like I’m the starter every week helps me make a play when the ball comes my way.”
The Roughriders will likely field another line-up loaded with back-ups and rarely used players in their final regular season game against the B.C. Lions at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday, October 25. That opportunity comes thanks to having clinched first place in West Division and a spot in the West Final in Week 19.
Strong-side linebacker Antoine Brooks Jr. — who has become an integral part of the line-up himself after spending much of the season on the practice roster — expects nothing less than all-out effort despite having nothing to play for in the standings.
“Honestly, we got to make sure we prepare and are doing our one-on-ones so we can make sure we’re good for next week,” Brooks Jr. said. “I really don’t have any personal goals. I want my defensive backs to get more picks than anybody else in this league, I want to [get the win], that’s what us and our defence want to do.”
The Rider Broadcast Network has all the action beginning with the pre-game show hosted by Teagan Witko alongside Justin Dunk and Wes Cates at 2 p.m. Dave Thomas and Luc Mullinder have the game call at 5 p.m.
