The Saskatchewan Roughriders were back on the field Tuesday for their first practice since opening the season with a win over the B.C. Lions, and while there were some notable absences in the secondary, the message around Mosaic Stadium stayed consistent: next man up.
The Green and White began preparations for Saturday’s matchup in Calgary against the 0-1 Stampeders without two defensive backs who played key roles in Week 1. Nelson Lokombo and Rolan Milligan Jr. did not practice on Tuesday.
Milligan left Saturday’s game against B.C. with a shoulder injury, forcing an in-game shuffle in the secondary. Jaxon Ford stepped into the safety spot while Lokombo moved over to halfback. With both unavailable Tuesday, Ford worked at safety during practice while JuJu Hughes lined up at halfback.
Head coach Corey Mace confirmed Milligan is expected to miss some time, but left the door open for an accelerated return.
“Yeah, it might be a couple weeks for Milligan there, but that guy is a superhuman,” Mace said. “Whatever the timeline is, that’s for the average Joe. I wouldn’t put it past O’Rourke to be back sooner than expected.”
Mace added there was relief that the injury wasn’t more serious.
“It’s tough. We’re in a sport that’s probably a 100 per cent injury rate throughout your career. Some of it’s just kind of luck and with this situation, that’s exactly what it is. We’re lucky that it’s not super long term.”
If the Riders do need to lean on their depth, Ford made it clear confidence inside the room hasn’t changed. After stepping into defensive snaps during Saturday’s win, the fourth-year Rider said preparation throughout the week makes those transitions easier.
“It felt good to get some defensive reps,” Ford said. “I thought I played well, did my job, and we got the win.”
Ford pointed to the culture within Saskatchewan’s defence as the reason there isn’t panic when injuries happen.
“The standard’s the standard, right? Next man up mentality. We’re all pros,” Ford said. “Even though some of us aren’t taking those reps in practice, we’re still mentally taking them and making sure we’re locked in.”
The transition wasn’t seamless in-game, but communication helped.
“Not getting those crucial reps throughout the week, being a backup, you’ve got to communicate more pre-snap than anything.”
That same confidence extends to Hughes, who appears positioned for a larger role if needed this week.
“He’s got to do his job,” Ford said. “He played really well throughout camp and did his thing in that first preseason game. Had a bunch of tackles, even on specials too. I know he’s going to be ready, and he’s a pro just like me, and we’re going to go out there and ball.”
Mace echoed that belief.
“Ball player, man. Ball player,” Mace said of Hughes. “He worked there throughout training camp. He moved to some other places as well. Hellacious college career. We were happy as ever to get him to come to the green and white finally, and he’s been as advertised for us.”
Ford also reflected on moving into a veteran role in his fourth CFL season.
“Time flies by when you’re having fun. It’s nice being in that vet role and taking guys under your wing, especially the American guys learning the waggle and all the pre-snap motion.”
When asked to describe what a Josh Bell defence looks like through two weeks, Ford didn’t hesitate.
“Smart. Aggressive. Fast. Physical.”
Injury Report – Tuesday
Did not practice:
- Aaron Crawford (knee)
- Jayden Dalke (hand)
- Jermarcus Hardrick (knee)
- Nelson Lokombo (ankle)
- Rolan Milligan Jr. (shoulder)
Limited:
- Benoit Marion (shoulder)
- Nick Wiebe (head)
Full participation:
- Daniel Johnson (shoulder)
The Roughriders continue practice this week before travelling to Calgary to face the Stampeders on Saturday.
