The 8-4 Saskatchewan Roughriders can clinch a home playoff game for the third season in a row this week from two different scenarios.
A Calgary loss on Friday, or a win over 2-9 Edmonton Saturday afternoon, in the teams final home game of the 2021 regular season.
Coach Craig Dickenson said he’ll take it anyway, but added clinching a home playoff game with a win would be his preference.
“Yeah we want to win to clinch it, that’s the goal,” Dickenson said on Tuesday. “It’s important for our guys to set a goal and accomplish it, and that’s what this would be,” Dickenson said.
“It’s also important for our organization to host the game, and I think it gives us a little bit of a better shot to win that west semi-final,” he added.
Either way Dickenson hopes that home playoff game is set in stone after this week, acknowledging how important it is to be able to rest some key players the week in advance of the playoffs.
“If it’s clinched, then the nice thing is you can rest some guys who have injures or that are playing through some pain and nagging bumps and bruises. The other thing that I like about it, is it would give you a chance to play some young guys that maybe have bright futures and you’ve been waiting to see them play.”
The Riders host the Edmonton Elks Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. in what is their last regular season home game of the year and fan appreciation day.
The green and white will wrap up the regular season the following Saturday, November 20, in Hamilton.