Vernon Adams Jr. lands uppercuts, knocks out Saskatchewan and damages Roughriders’ CFL playoff chances (plus other thoughts)

Photo courtesy: Arthur Ward/CFL.ca

The Saskatchewan Roughriders had a chance to clinch a playoff spot in Week 18 at home against the Calgary Stampeders, but you wouldn’t have known that was possible based on the team’s performance.

Veteran quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. delivered two uppercuts in the first quarter and used two haymakers in the fourth quarter to knock out the Riders and claim the all-important season series with a 37-31 victory.

Fourth-quarter knockout

Adams Jr. delivered two touchdown strikes to TKO the Roughriders in the final frame.

The 33-year-old quarterback led a 13-play, 93-yard TD drive to open a two-score advantage. He converted a second-and-10 by scampering for 15 yards, second-and-14 by hitting Clark Barnes running a deep hook, and second-and-10 with another deep hook to Erik Brooks. Saskatchewan’s defence had three opportunities to get Calgary off the field during that back-breaking drive, but could not do it.

That led to Adams Jr. dropping a dime to American receiver Tevin Jones in the back left corner running a go route for a 19-yard touchdown.

On the ensuing possession, rookie Canadian safety Ashton Miller-Melancon, who was selected in the eighth round, 65th overall, during the 2025 CFL Draft, intercepted a Trevor Harris throw into coverage intended for Kian Schaffer-Baker. Adams Jr. promptly took the turnover and turned it into points, connecting with Jalen Philpot, who beat Marcus Sayles running an out route on the left-hand side. That was the final blow.

Adams Jr. completed 22-of-29 passes (75.8 percent) for 242 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He added two carries for 21 yards.

Credit general manager and head coach Dave Dickenson for taking his team on the road, in a hostile environment, and handling the Green and White. His squad scored 14 critical points off turnovers in the victory.

Returner carousel

Athletes earn new opportunities in sports with regularity, but Quali Conley did not look comfortable fielding his first professional punt. He allowed the football to bounce and then muffed it. Rookie Canadian special teams ace Jesulayomi Ojutalayo recovered, and the turnover led to the Stampeders’ first touchdown in the game.

Conley did not return a punt in high school. Conley did not return a punt in five NCAA seasons. Conley did not return a punt in the 2025 NFL preseason with the Cincinnati Bengals.

The athletic running back has looked dynamic when handed or thrown the football in 2026 as a Canadian Football League rookie. However, it’s fair to wonder why Canadian Daniel Wiebe or American Johnny Johnson III were not returning punts, although both were starting at receiver. Breaking in a brand new punt returner with the playoffs on the line might not be the best time to do so.

Conley fielded a low, bouncing punt cleanly in the second quarter and returned it 11 yards. He finished with three punt returns for 30 yards and six kickoff returns for 117 yards. It’s worth noting No. 24 was the lone man back to return a potential missed field goal when Rene Paredes came onto the field.

With James Letcher Jr. (shoulder) on the six-game injured list, Conley could be the team’s primary returner through the stretch run, but you never know who could be back there. Wiebe returned one punt for 12 yards.

Mathew Sexton potentially returning could give the return game a boost.

Brett Lauther time upon us

Dawson Hodge was a cute story for two weeks. He made two field goals in Winnipeg and three in ideal indoor conditions at BC Place, but none were from 40 yards or further. More importantly, the 24-year-old had never kicked towards Pil Country.

Hodge made a 38-yard field goal kicking towards the closed end at Mosaic Stadium in the first quarter. He missed a 53-yard attempt wide right, which sliced badly, kicking towards Pil Country in the second quarter. And he added another miss from 45 yards away in the same frame; that one started inside the left upright, but hooked and missed.

In the third quarter, Hodge made a 44-yard field goal kicking towards the closed end. He showed poise as a delay-of-game penalty pushed his attempt from 39 yards back five. That made it 17-13 Calgary, but that’s as close as the Roughriders got.

The 24-year-old Hodge, who finished two-for-four in the game, felt Alex Hale’s pain. Hale struggled kicking at Mosaic Stadium in seven regular-season games with a 68.4 field goal percentage.

Brett Lauther knows the prairie wind patterns as well as anyone, and that’s a major reason why general manager Jeremy O’Day traded for him at the deadline. The 2025 Grey Cup champion watched from Saskatchewan’s sideline in street clothes. Head coach Corey Mace decided not to dress him after he arrived in Regina late Wednesday night, as he did not have time to practice the field goal operation with veteran long snapper Mike Benson and holder Oscar Chapman.

Century club

KeeSean Johnson became the fifth player in franchise history to record 100 receptions in a single season.

1995 — Don Narcisse, 123
2000 — Curtis Marsh, 102
1985 — Craig Ellis, 102
1982  — Joey Walters, 102

He has 101 catches for 1,243 yards with seven touchdowns in 16 regular-season games. But the Roughriders hope he can play more in 2026 after leaving the game with a lower-body injury and not returning. Following what appeared to be a first-down grab in the third quarter, Johnson was rolled up on from behind while being tackled by Marquel Lee. He limped to the sideline and slammed his helmet to the turf. Trainers looked at his left knee and left ankle prior to him entering the white medical tent.

If No. 3 misses any time, it would be devastating to the Roughriders’ postseason hopes. Mace said it didn’t sound like a major injury post-game when asked by Dave Thomas on the 620 CKRM Rider Broadcast Network.

Red-zone rhetoric 

After the Riders went two-of-five in the red zone while losing to B.C. in Week 17, there was a lot of focus on the failure to convert in a key game.

Entering Week 18, Harris had been highly effective in the red zone through 14 regular-season games: 46-of-64 (71.9 percent) for 338 yards with 20 touchdowns and one interception. He ranked first in red-zone completions, attempts, passing yards, and tied for first in touchdown passes.

As a team, Saskatchewan had 53 red-zone chances (tied for second), 37 touchdowns (tied for second), and 128 red-zone plays (first) in the first 14 games of the regular season.

While the outcome against the Stampeders was undecided, the Roughriders never made it into the red zone. Once Calgary went ahead 34-13, Saskatchewan scored three touchdowns, without any converts, inside the last five minutes and finished three-for-three in the red zone. But the game was too far gone by that point for the red-zone conversions to matter.

Harris completed 36-of-50 passes for 453 yards with four touchdowns and one interception.

Mace red-flag hesitancy

It’s fair to analyze whether Saskatchewan’s bench boss should have challenged for roughing the passer on Harris, but his poor record may have made him gun-shy. Mace was two-for-10 when challenging plays in 2026 entering Week 18, the worst record among all head coaches.

In the third quarter, Stampeders defensive end Clarence Hicks made contact with the franchise quarterback’s helmet while pushing the pocket from the interior. No. 7 rolled left and lofted a catchable ball to Dhel Duncan-Busby, who was not able to haul it in.

If Mace had challenged the play, there’s no guarantee RTP would have been called. But if it was, the Riders would have moved into the red zone with a chance to tie the game at 17. Instead, Hodge kicked a field goal.

Dinks and Dunks
– A.J. Ouellette appeared to be favouring his right arm in the third quarter after a short-yardage snap. Ouellette started with seven carries for 14 yards and ripped off a 14-yard rush in the third quarter to give him eight carries for 28 yards.
– Kian Schaffer-Baker first-name pronunciation tutorial: Key-in. Not: Key-on.
– Schaffer-Baker led his team with nine receptions for 120 yards and one touchdown, including three catches for 64 yards on the Roughriders’ first-possession touchdown drive, which covered 71 yards.
– Dhel Duncan-Busby lost the football in the bright Mosaic Stadium lights with less than five minutes left in the second quarter. He was running a wheel route down the left side, but never saw the pass from Harris, which landed out of bounds.
– Antoine Brooks Jr. — don’t jump when Vernon Adams Jr. pump fakes you.
– There was no indication whether Lauther successfully negotiated to get his No. 12 jersey back, as Malcolm Bell was wearing it while getting beat by Damien Alford for a 48-yard touchdown.
– Tevaughn Campbell can help the secondary.
– Saskatchewan started 6-2, but are 2-5 in the team’s last seven games.
– The Riders have lost three straight games in 2026 for the first time, but the losing streak has come at the wrong time.