Sam’s a splendid sight as Riders ready themselves for Montreal

The Saskatchewan Roughriders hope a premier playmaker from Montreal will be a catalyst for change against his hometown team.

Samuel Emilus, who was born in the Quebec metropolis, was a full participant in Wednesday’s walk-through at Mosaic Stadium. After missing six games with a lower leg injury, he could return to action on Saturday against the visiting Montreal Alouettes.

“I think there’s a lot of people excited to see me back on the field,” he said. “I’m excited to be back on the field as well.

“That’s my passion. I love playing football, so obviously being back and being on the field and making some plays is definitely going to bring some spark back to the team.”

Emilus had five touchdown catches over this season’s first six games before a foot injury sidelined him for three contests. He suffered the lower leg injury in his first game back in the lineup, Aug. 23 against the host B.C. Lions.

When Emilus last opposed Montreal, he caught 10 passes for 108 yards in the Roughriders’ 25-17 Grey Cup victory on Nov. 16 in Winnipeg. He was named the game’s Most Valuable Canadian.

The FULL designation beside Emilus’s name wasn’t the only good news emanating from Wednesday’s injury report.

KeeSean Johnson, who missed Monday’s game in Montreal with an ankle injury, was a limited participant in Wednesday’s walk-through. He has 101 catches for 1,243 yards in 15 games this season.

Ideally, Emilus and Johnson will soon rejoin a starting lineup that has featured Kian Schaffer-Baker for the past three games. Schaffer-Baker had missed six games with a knee injury.

“It’s strange to see them all in the huddle at the same time,” quarterback Trevor Harris observed. “Obviously, it’s a short week and they haven’t gotten a lot of reps, so it will be interesting to see how this week plays out.

“But obviously, when you get three All-Star-calibre receivers who can be in the huddle with you, it’s something that we haven’t had the good fortune of in terms of keeping them healthy the last two years.”

Emilus, Johnson and Schaffer-Baker have not all been on the active roster at the same time since the Roughriders’ sixth game — a July 23 home date with the Edmonton Elks. All three of them caught a TD pass in that game.

The Big 3, as it is known, was together for only two games and a fraction of a third last year.

What does the presence of all three big-ticket receivers allow the Roughriders’ offence to do?

“Ask Montreal how it would be if (Tyler) Snead and (Tyson) Philpot were out for most of the season,” Harris said. “It probably changes the offence and the way they go about things and the way they orient things.

“We don’t know what happens this week. They’re gutting through some stuff. We’ll see how it goes. But if we do get them back, it for sure makes a difference.

“There’s a reason why you pay them and there’s a reason why they get accolades and attention and people write about them in the newspapers and you see them making the highlights.”

The highlights on Wednesday’s injury report included references to Emilus, Johnson, Payton Collins and Seyi Oladipo Jr.

Collins missed Monday’s 44-24 loss to the Alouettes due to an ankle injury. So ended his streak of 28 consecutive starts at left offensive tackle.

Also with an ankle injury, Oladipo has missed back-to-back games and making three consecutive impactful starts at strong-side linebacker.

Knee injuries prevented centre Logan Ferland and fullback Albert Awachie from practising on Wednesday. Ferland was hurt late in the Montreal game. Awachie was sidelined in the Roughriders’ previous contest.

With only five days between games against Montreal, the Roughriders’ only full practice of the week will be Thursday’s closed session.

The Alouettes (13-3) have clinched first place in the East Division. Edmonton (12-4) leads the West, followed by B.C. (10-6), Saskatchewan (8-8), the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8-8) and the Calgary Stampeders (8-9).

Edmonton can secure top spot by defeating Winnipeg at Commonwealth Stadium on Friday night. An Elks victory, followed by a Roughriders win over Montreal on Saturday, would punch Saskatchewan’s ticket to the post-season.

The Roughriders can also nail down a playoff spot this weekend if they defeat Montreal and B.C. wins in Calgary later in the day.

Regardless of what occurs at other venues, Saskatchewan can ensure its presence in the playoffs by winning at home against Montreal and Edmonton on back-to-back Saturdays. Both games are set for 1 p.m., at Mosaic Stadium.