Toronto @ Saskatchewan preview
Mosaic Stadium
Last Meeting ( Sep 22, 2018 ) Saskatchewan 30, Toronto 29
The Saskatchewan Roughriders search for their first win of the season when they host the Toronto Argonauts on Monday. The Roughriders opened the 2019 campaign with back-to-back road losses to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (23-17) and Ottawa Redblacks (44-41) and hope to start a three-game homestand on the right foot in the first Canada Day matchup with the Argonauts since 1984.
"We talked a lot about Toronto and we looked at their roster closely … and there's some good players," Saskatchewan coach Craig Dickenson told reporters. "Toronto is going to come with their best game and our guys know it." The Argonauts are left to go back to the drawing board following one of their most lopsided losses in franchise history. Toronto suffered a 64-14 setback to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in its home opener, which was the largest margin of defeat in the rivalry that dates back to the late 1940s, and hopes to put the loss in the rearview mirror by handing coach Corey Chamblin, who led the Roughriders to a Grey Cup championship in 2013 only to be fired two years later, his first win since taking the reins in Toronto. "We've just gotta get our minds right," Chamblin told reporters. "We're going to talk about not how big we lost but how we lost."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN
ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS (0-1): James Franklin completed 16-of-26 passes for 211 yards and an interception before he was replaced by McLeod Bethel-Thompson in the second half but the former Missouri Tigers star is expected to start again Monday. Toronto signed kicker Zack Medeiros to the active roster after Ronnie Pfeffer was hurt against the Tiger-Cats while safety Jermaine Gabriel is sidelined with a neck injury. Toronto made a pair of moves to add depth to its defence as defensive back Jonathan Dowling, who played for three NFL teams in three years, and defensive lineman Kingsley Opara were added to the practice roster.
ABOUT THE ROUGHRIDERS (0-2): Cody Fajardo threw for 360 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his CFL debut against Ottawa and is expected to get the start once again after his career night. Defensive lineman Makana Henry was fined an undisclosed amount after he was flagged for an unnecessary roughness penalty for knocking down Ottawa quarterback Dominique Davis in the bench area. Linebacker Solomon Elimimian, who won the league's Most Outstanding Defensive Player award in 2014 and 2016, completed his first practice since suffering a calf injury in training and could make his Saskatchewan debut.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Saskatchewan has won five straight regular-season meetings with Toronto.
2. Franklin has been limited to one touchdown pass in his last four starts dating back to last season.
3. Roughriders LBs Cameron Judge (tied for first) and Derrick Moncrief (tied for fifth) are among the league leaders in tackles with 15 and 13, respectively.
PREDICTION: Roughriders 28, Argonauts 22