The thought of losing three straight games in Vancouver to the B.C. Lions doesn’t sit well with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
That’s especially the case for running back A.J. Ouellette, who couldn’t hide his disappointment with how the team played after the most one recent defeat on the left coast on Sept. 25.
“We have a bad taste,” Ouellette told reporters Tuesday. “The last time we went out there, we played decent. Not good enough to win. Too many mental mistakes. Too many dropped opportunities.
“We’re excited to go out there and show who we are and what team we have.”
The Riders are looking to make amends for dropping those two CFL contests when they visit the Lions again on Saturday – this time with more on the line in the Western Semi-Final.
The pair of losses came in different fashions. The first one on Aug. 23 featured two Riders touchdowns called back because of penalties. The latest one, as Ouellette noted, came down more to poor performance.
The Riders are focused on coming through, both in the big and small picture, when it really matters on Saturday.
“There’s probably going to be some things that they do that they haven’t done yet,” quarterback Trevor Harris said. “That’s been par for the course every week we’ve played them. They’ve given me different looks and tried to fool me with certain things and people that they put in positions.
“But for the most part, people are who you are. The reason we are playoff teams in professional football is you know your identity and who you are. Most of what we do is going to be who we are. Most of what they do is going to be who they are.
“It’s going to be a lot about execution, about who can game plan, and about who can make those big-time plays in those big-time moments. You never know when that moment comes. You’ve always got to be on cue, always on your toes, ready to rock.”
The fact that the Riders weren’t fully ready to rock for those first two games in Vancouver cost them a home playoff game and means they’re heading back there for a third time.
Those two defeats came amid a stretch in which they lost six of eight games to put their playoff hopes in major jeopardy, something that was only rectified by beating Montreal on the last drive on Oct. 17.
The Riders enter the playoffs having won two straight games against teams resting players. They did that as well in the regular season finale.
“I don’t think the team ever lost faith in us being able to earn the right to play in the postseason,” Riders coach Corey Mace said. “I think it was just looking for the spark to meet the standard for ourselves. Finishing the season with a couple wins certainly pushes to that, but our roster is going to look different as we go into the second season.”
Ouellette (neck), defensive lineman James Vaughters (knee), and offensive lineman Jermarcus Hardrick (knee) were full participants in Tuesday’s practice after sitting out last Saturday’s 16-9 win over the Edmonton Elks. Same goes for linebacker Seyi Oladipo Jr. (ankle) and defensive lineman Desmond Evans (back), who sustained injuries in the victory.
In less promising news, receiver KeeSean Johnson (ankle) and offensive lineman Daniel Johnson (back) were held out of the Edmonton tilt but were only limited participants on Tuesday. The status was the same for safety Nelson Lokombo (hip) and receiver Dylan Djete (ankle), who both played against the Elks. Jaxon Ford took Lokombo’s place at safety at practice.
Kick returner James Letcher Jr. (shoulder) and defensive lineman Aaron Patrick (knee) also got limited work on Tuesday.
Regardless of how everything shakes out, Ouellette feels the group is ready.
“This is the roster we wanted,” he said. “I’m excited to see the guys execute.”
Ouellette wants to rid that bad taste from those losses to the Lions – especially the last one that he was a part of.
There’s no better time to avenge those defeats than in the playoffs, and he plans on being a key factor in a win.
“It’s a mentality,” Ouellette said. “Playoff speed increases half a step. The physicality goes up another step. That’s just a level of preparation that I’ve always had.
“If we set the tone running the ball, it just makes (Trevor’s) job a lot easier. It makes the receivers a hell of a lot bigger of a threat and allows them to give our fans something to cheer for.”
The Rider Broadcast Network pregame show begins at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. Dave Thomas and Luc Mullinder have the game call at 2:30 p.m.
