Count on Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris to give the straight goods along with a boatload of confidence.
The Riders returned from their bye week coming off their worst offensive showing that saw them limited to a pair of field goals in a 19-6 loss in Winnipeg on Sept. 12.
Harris feels the time off couldn’t have come at a better time. It has him refocus and recharged for the stretch drive. The first of five final contests goes Friday in Vancouver against the B.C. Lions.
“It was necessary. We needed it,” Harris said to reporters in Regina before pivoting forward. “I anticipate us playing our best football. You can hold me to that. I really do. I believe that we’ll play our best football.
“I believe in this group. We’re positioned right where we need to be, where we need these last five games. I like this group. I like where we’re at. I’m very, very confident in who we are and what we bring to the table and what we’ve got going and what the slate looks like for us. You’re going to see our best.”
The Riders are not only coming off some rest and relaxation, but they also have a new lease on their football outlook.
The Edmonton Elks lost in Toronto last weekend, and their stranglehold over the West Division got a bit weaker after falling to 10-4. The Riders (8-5) are now guaranteed to catch them if they win out. The Riders and Elks meet in the season finale, and the victor gets the head-to-head tiebreaker. Both teams have a win apiece in the season series.
Harris took a bit of pleasure in watching the Elks lose.
“We root for the east teams to beat the west. That’s how it goes,” he said. “It’s out of our control. It’s not something we fret over or we expound upon. It’s about us.
“I really do feel like our best is better than everybody else’s. What matters is us bringing our hard hat every single day. I could say everything I want to say, but I’d rather show you.”
Harris spent the last week trying to be in the best position to do just that.
He said he met with his mental performance coach, watched film of himself, rested his body, and worked on his arm strength.
Harris has had a solid season with 4,124 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 69.3 completion percentage. Still, he and the Riders will have to find another gear with a difficult finish to the season ahead that consists of B.C., Calgary, a home-and-home with Montreal, and then Edmonton.
“I couldn’t be more excited about this last stretch. This is why you do it,” Harris said. “We’ve talked all year about becoming the team we need to be at the end of the year. Now’s the time to do it. It’s time to put up or shut up.”
