It’s hard to believe that the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ defence of their Grey Cup championship didn’t even reach November.
They were among the best teams in the CFL for the first half of the season but slid so badly over the last two-plus months that they didn’t even host a playoff game.
A 33-26 loss to the B.C. Lions in the Western Semi-Final on Saturday was the expected result in the lead-up to the game and upon its conclusion. It’s hardly what anyone would have predicted in, say, August.
Since the Riders are holding their season-ending avails on Sunday, it’s time to start dissecting how they got to this point – with a little lookahead as well.
That’s the focus of the last Riders Morning After of the season.
Why their season went south
After battling with the Edmonton Elks for the first place in the West Division, the second half of the season was slog for the Riders.
They went from 6-2 in their first eight games to 2-6 in their next eight contests, leaving them in jeopardy of becoming the first team in CFL history to start with that record and miss the playoffs. It took a last-minute touchdown against the Montreal Alouettes, who were resting players and had nothing to play for, in their second-last game to qualify for the postseason.
The main reason for their skid was the plethora of injuries they endured.
A.J. Ouellette was limited to eight games. Sam Emilus missed half the season. Kian Schaffer-Baker was sidelined for six contests. And that’s just on offence.
On defence, key players like Josh Woods (out for three games), Nelson Lokombo (five games), Tevaughn Campbell (eight), Seyi Oladipo Jr. (11), and Rolan Milligan Jr. (16) all missed significant time.
Saskatchewan’s top two returners James Letcher Jr. and Mathew Sexton appeared in just eight and five games, respectively, too.
It’s hard to win under those circumstances. A healthier crew surely would have improved their chances.
But there’s more to in than that.
The offence dried up down the stretch, averaging just 19.5 points in their six post-Labour Day games. Their overall defensive ranking dropped to tied for fifth overall with Winnipeg by season’s end. The Riders entered the playoffs with a minus-8 turnover ratio, ahead of just Hamilton and Ottawa – the worst teams in the CFL.
The players who were able to play in the second half didn’t get the job done. The coaching staff must accept some blame as well, though.
Corey Mace was the CFL’s worst coach when it came to challenges. He went 3-for-11 in the regular season before asking for Mathieu Betts’ sack on Trevor Harris to be reviewed for roughing the passer on Saturday.
It felt like a hope challenge and the call was upheld, costing the Riders a timeout they sure could have used on their last drive and last gasp to tie the game.
MVP
Yes, the CFL uses the Most Outstanding Player distinction, but we’re going with the traditional route here. With due respect to defensive leader Jameer Thurman and his 101 tackles, there’s no question Saskatchewan’s MVP was Trevor Harris.
Harris had arguably the top season of his Hall of Fame-calibre career thanks to a league-high and career-best 5,370 passing yards.
“Not bad for an old man, I guess,” Harris, 40, joked earlier in the week.
That he accomplished the feat while missing two of his top three receivers for extended stretches made it even more impressive. KeeSean Johnson, Schaffer-Baker, and Emilus suited up just once in the same game between Aug. 1 and the end of the regular season.
Now, Harris is far from the league’s most mobile quarterback. His ability to launch the ball down the field is nowhere near his Saturday counterpart from the B.C. Lions, Nathan Rourke, to put it mildly.
But without a clear succession plan for Harris, the Riders could do a lot worse than welcoming him back. It just depends on if Harris wants to play another season. He said after the loss that he’s undecided on continuing his career but will make up his mind over the next few weeks.
Needed more from
There are few facets for the Riders that fall into the needs-improvement category.
Ouellette missing more than half the campaign hindered their running game. There were times when the Riders flat out abandoned it late in the season, albeit often when they were trailing. Their 88.7 rushing yards per game was seventh in the CFL, whereas their 4.5 gain per carry was eighth.
They need more diversity to their offensive approach next season.
Amid injuries to Milligan Jr., Campbell, and Lokombo – to say nothing of a late position change for Marcus Sayles – the secondary had issues giving up big plays and struggled to intercept opposing quarterbacks. The Riders had just nine picks all season – tied with Winnipeg for last – and two of them came from Woods, a linebacker.
Lastly, he wasn’t called upon again after getting booed during the Labour Day Classic, but Alex Hale’s kicking was a major issue until he was replaced. He made 24 of 32 of his field-goal attempts (75 percent), including just six of 13 from 40 yards or more.
The Riders kept Hale over Dawson Hodge when they reacquired Brett Lauther at the trade deadline. They’d better have a contingency plan whether Hale is part of the future.
Couldn’t have gotten even this far without
Let’s start with the defensive line, which sacked opposing quarterbacks 41 times – good for second in the CFL. It was a collective effort. James Vaughters led the way with seven quarterback takedowns, Caleb Sanders was next with six, and Mike Rose followed with five.
Johnson picked up the slack with his follow three-headed monster receiving buddies sidelined. He finished third in the league with 1,328 receiving yards. His 108 receptions were second to just Montreal’s Tyson Philpot. They were also second-most in a single season by a Roughrider behind only Don Narcisse’s 123 catches from 1995.
And now it’s Tommy Time. Short-yardage specialist Tommy Stevens had 17 touchdowns, setting a CFL record for rushing majors in campaign by a quarterback. He also broke the great George Reed’s single-season franchise mark.
Plays of the year
Let’s go with one for highlight-reel purposes, one for its uniqueness, one for importance, and one for the record books.
Highlight reel: Woods made impressive pick and a long trip to the house against Hamilton on July 12.
https://x.com/3DownNation/status/2076483113300238374
Uniqueness: Offensive lineman Daniel Johnson hauled in a pass and headed down the sideline at B.C. on Aug. 23.
https://x.com/TSN_Sports/status/2091689194493972613
Importance: KeeSean Johnson’s last-minute touchdown put the Riders into the playoffs against Montreal on Oct. 17.
https://x.com/CFL/status/2111576136983732720
Record books: Stevens’ historic major against Edmonton last Saturday.
https://x.com/TSN_Sports/status/2114106530987483377
The stat that matters
After winning both their playoff games last year, the Riders went 0-1 in 2026 and didn’t make it to the divisional final.
That’s something they’ll want to change next season, especially since the Grey Cup is in Regina.
