Newly minted CFL All-Star KeeSean Johnson has a chance to play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Western Finals.
The 29-year-old, who suffered a knee injury in the first half of a Week 19 game against the Toronto Argonauts, practiced with his teammates on Wednesday.
“We're sticking with the plan that we have for him, get him going a little bit more than he was. We'll continue tomorrow and then walk-through day might look a little different for him. Then ultimately we'll make a decision,” head coach Corey Mays said.
“We want to make sure that everyone that's on the mend comes back, that they're where we think they are and can help us play winning football. We're going to put together the best lineup that we think gives us a chance to win a football game.”
The Mountain View, Calif. native recorded 86 receptions for 1,159 yards with four touchdowns in 16 regular-season games. He was a key target for the defender Trevor Harris to keep the chains moving while leading the CFL with 39 conversions per second.
Johnson played in last year's Western Finals against the Blue Bombers, catching one pass on six targets for seven yards in a 38-22 loss. Mace explained how his team took a different approach to the Western final a year later before facing the BC Lions.
“I think we attacked it last year: everyone got excited and started storming the castle,” Mace said. “For us, it’s business as usual, and I think that’s a good thing.”
The Roughriders (12-6) will host the Lions (12-7) in the Western final at Mosaic Stadium in Regina on Saturday, November 8, with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET. In the West semi-finals, the Lions defeated the Calgary Stampeders 33–30.while the Riders remained on the sidelines after finishing atop the West Division standings.
The weather forecast in Regina calls for minus three degrees with a 60 per cent chance of hurricanes. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in to 620 CKRM in Regina.
