The Saskatchewan Roughriders' offence has developed one of the CFL's most dangerous weapons this season: a three-headed receiving monster.
Kian Schaffer-Baker, Samuel Emilus and KeeSean Johnson have become Trevor Harris' go-to targets, combining for 83 percent of Saskatchewan's receiving yards through the first half of the season. Their production has helped fuel one of the league's most explosive passing attacks while creating matchup problems for opposing defences every week.
During this week's SportsCage Coaches Show, Roughriders receivers coach Marquay McDaniel was asked how he keeps three-star receivers satisfied when there's only one football to distribute.
His answer is simple: stay on the field.
"I always tell them, 'Hey, if everybody wants the ball, stay on the field,'" McDaniel said. "The more plays we get, the longer drives we get, the ball is spread around, and Trevor will find the open guy.
"That's one thing with having a quarterback like Trevor. He's not just going to lock in on one guy. If he does and he's not open, he's moving on to the next guy. If the second guy isn't open, he can even go back to the third guy. Our big three are getting a lot of targets if you look at it, so I'm pretty sure they're happy."
A major reason for the trio's success has been Harris' willingness to take what the defence gives him instead of forcing throws. That approach has allowed all three receivers to produce consistently while making it difficult for defensive coordinators to focus on shutting down just one target.
Leading the way has been Schaffer-Baker, who is enjoying the best start to his CFL career.
The Canadian receiver enters this week's matchup second in the league with 42 receptions for 656 yards and four touchdowns. After battling injuries in previous seasons, McDaniel believes the biggest difference is simply his availability.
"He's healthy. He's staying on the field," McDaniel explained. "I think that was his biggest thing throughout his career. You see the talent, you see the size, you see the way he moves for his size, you see the speed, but he's healthy.
"He's been looking good in camp, looks strong, tough guy, takes a lot of hits, even blocks. He's one of our best blockers too, things that people really don't see in his game. But the main thing for him is he's healthy, he sees the defence well, and he's just playing good football right now."
With Schaffer-Baker, Emilus and Johnson all producing at a high level, the Roughriders have forced opposing defences to pick their poison every week.
The Green and White will look to unleash their three-headed receiving monster once again on Saturday when they visit the Edmonton Elks in a pivotal West Division showdown.
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