Saskatchewan @ Edmonton preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 18, 2016 ) Edmonton 23, Saskatchewan 26

The Edmonton Eskimos look to bounce back from their first loss of the season when they host the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday. The Eskimos dropped a 33-26 decision to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to fall one win short of their best start in 62 years, but still hold a one-point advantage at the top of the West Division and hope to remain in first place by beating the Roughriders at home for the fifth consecutive time.

"We're going to go back to work," Edmonton coach Jason Mass told reporters. "We'll figure out who's healthy, play with the best lineup we can and play Saskatchewan and that's what our focus will be." Saskatchewan hopes to have finally turned the corner under second-year coach Chris Jones following an impressive 41-8 victory over the BC Lions on Aug. 13. The Roughriders are 6-19 since Jones bolted Edmonton for Regina and have dropped 15 consecutive road games against West Division rivals as they look to notch their first win at Commonwealth Stadium since June 29, 2013. "We're going to keep grinding and keep doing the things we know have worked for us in all the different places that we've been," Jones told reporters. "We're going to continue to be positive with our players but we're going to be hard on them because our expectations are going to be high."

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, TSN, ESPN3

ABOUT THE ROUGHRIDERS (3-4): Defensive back Ed Gainey set a franchise record for the most interceptions in a game when he picked off BC's Jonathon Jennings four times. Saskatchewan traded wide receiver Ricky Collins Jr, who has appeared in 15 games with the Roughriders, to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for defensive end Mike McAdoo and a sixth round pick in the 2018 CFL Draft. Saskatchewan signed defensive lineman Royce LaFrance, who was waived by the New Orleans Saints in May 2017, and released defensive back Mark Roberts.

ABOUT THE ESKIMOS (7-1): Mike Reilly completed 20-of-33 passes for 356 yards and accounted for three touchdowns against Winnipeg to extend his touchdown passing streak to a franchise-record 18 games in a row. Edmonton acquired all-star defensive end John Chick, who led the East Division with 14 sacks last season, from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2018 CFL Draft. The injury-riddled Eskimos received some good news as wide receiver Brandon Zylstra, defensive tackle Almondo Sewell and defensive back Garry Peters all returned to practice and are expected to play Friday.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Edmonton has won six consecutive home games dating back to last season.

2. Saskatchewan has lost 26 of its last 30 contests against West Division rivals.

3. Reilly has thrown for more than 300 yards in five straight outings.

PREDICTION: Eskimos 28, Roughriders 20