Saskatchewan Roughriders coach Corey Mace is leaning toward starting Trevor Harris in Saturday’s regular season finale against the Edmonton Elks.
CFL analyst Glen Suitor doesn’t think that’s a good idea.
“He shouldn’t be playing in the last game of the season,” Suitor said on the SportsCage. “I’m a 100 percent no.
“You have a veteran quarterback who’s thrown for 5,300 (plus) yards in the season without his starting receiving corps for most of it. We know what Trevor is. We saw him in the Grey Cup last year. We saw a bad Trevor, or a Trevor on an off game where he didn’t have the right stuff, last weekend.
“If Trevor Harris doesn’t know the body language of (Kian) Schaffer-Baker or Sam Emilus or any of those guys by now, it’s never going to happen. I guarantee you, he will be ready mentally to play in the playoff game. (Backup pivot) Jack Coan needs some reps.”
Suitor went on to list all the players he believes would be best suited to sit out against the Elks: running back A.J. Ouellette, and receivers Schaffer-Baker and Emilus.
Again, the 40-year-old Harris is the big one.
The Riders haven’t been firing on all cylinders offensively for several weeks and last Saturday’s 16-12 was one of their worst performances of the season. They had their full cadre of receivers, including the so-called three-headed monster of Schaffer-Baker, Emilus, and KeeSean Johnson for the first time since July 23, yet put up just three points at halftime.
They didn’t look like a well-oiled machine until the final possession and the game-winning drive that culminated with Johnson’s 17-yard touchdown.
Sure, that’s not ideal, Suitor said. But he feels the benefit of sitting out Harris is far greater than any small rewards.
“He doesn’t need, at his age and his experience, to throw it against the backup corner for the Edmonton Elks,” Suitor said. “Keep in mind what happened to (Toronto Argonauts quarterback) Chad Kelly.
“Chad Kelly, in a game that didn’t matter to them, is now going to have to deal with an injury in the playoffs. He’s going to have to be playing hurt in the playoffs for a completely unnecessary reason.”
The thing here, however, is the game does matter to the Roughriders – at least somewhat.
Win and they stay in the West Division and travel to Vancouver for the West semifinal to take on the B.C. Lions. Lose and they’ll play Kelly’s Argos on the East half.
Mace said earlier this week that the Riders are treating the Elks contest like a must-win game and his preference is to stay within their division.
That’s another thing Suitor disagrees with. To him, it’s not worth worrying about which side of the playoff bracket the Riders end up on.
“This debate on: Should we stay in the West or should we (go to) the East?” Suitor said. “The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a little west of the centre of Canada anyways. It’s an equally as long flight either way if you’re going to Toronto or you’re going to Vancouver. It doesn’t really matter. And you’ve to beat those teams anyway.
“Who cares which direction you go?”
Watch the full segment below.
