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By Britton Gray/ CJME News

Riders’ defence preparing for rejuvenated Reilly

Sep 22, 2021 | 6:14 PM

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are set to match up against an improved and healthier Michael Reilly on Friday.

The Riders faced the B.C. Lions and their 36-year-old quarterback on Aug. 6, but Reilly didn’t start the CFL game due to an injury to his right elbow.

Reilly eventually entered the game — which ended in a 33-29 win for the Riders — and completed 17 of 24 pass attempts for 203 yards and a touchdown while visibly being affected by the injury.

But Reilly appears to be back to 100 per cent after being named a CFL top performer for two straight weeks, the most recent such honour coming after he passed for 308 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-18 win over the Montreal Alouettes.

“He’s looking good,” Roughriders defensive back Ed Gainey said. “He’s looking like the Mike Reilly that I know.

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“I know that we as a back end and defensive back group, we’re going to have some chances to make some plays so just get into position and be ready to be there and compete for the ball.”

Riders head coach Craig Dickenson said the team is preparing for Friday’s game as if Reilly was in the middle of his 2017 campaign — the season in which he was named the CFL’s most outstanding player. Kickoff for Friday’s game in Vancouver is set for 8:30 p.m.

“He has got his mojo back and you can see it. That offence is clicking over there, that’s a good football team and he’s a guy who really handles it all,” Dickenson said. “We’re preparing to see a very capable and outstanding player in Michael Reilly.”

The Riders’ defensive backfield could once again see a number of changes coming its way.

Gainey has missed the past two games with a toe injury but has practised all week. But the team will be without safety Mike Edem (wrist), so Loucheiz Purifoy could move there while Christian Campbell (who played field corner against last week against the Toronto Argonauts) moves to halfback and Elie Bouka (who was the safety against the Argos) moves to corner for Blace Brown.

Brown has been nursing a knee injury, but he did practise Wednesday.

With all those changes in the defensive backfield, defensive co-ordinator Jason Shivers admitted it makes things a bit more difficult when it comes to communication with all the moving parts.

“Especially when you’re trying to fit guys in and handle bunch situations (when) you’ve got guys running here, there and everywhere,” Shivers said. “We have to be able to communicate and keep our eyes all on the same page.”

Shivers will need to come up with a defensive game plan to stop Reilly and the rest of the Lions’ offence, including receiver Lucky Whitehead. He leads the league with 554 receiving yards, with teammate Bryan Burnham (433) just a few spots behind him among the league leaders.

“I thought they gave us a great game in Week 1 even though it looked a little different to start,” Shivers said. “I told my guys all week we can’t underestimate anyone in the CFL, especially this week with them on a little bit of a roll.”

Shivers knows Reilly very well, having been the defensive backs coach in Edmonton during the 2014 and ’15 seasons while Reilly was the quarterback there.

“Toughness, tenacity, he’s smart,” Shivers said when asked about what makes Reilly such a good quarterback.

“(You) definitely have to call the game a little different versus him. He’s on an upper echelon where he has studied you as a co-ordinator and he knows how you like to think and you have to be able to throw him some curveballs here and there.”

Notes: Left tackle Andrew Lauderdale will not play this week. Former Lions offensive lineman Brett Boyko will start in his place. Boyko was the left tackle in the Week 1 matchup against B.C. … Lions defensive back Garry Peters has been suspended one game by the CFL “due to verbal abuse and unacceptable behaviour towards doping control officers.” It is the same reason Riders defensive end A.C. Leonard will miss the game against the Lions.