The Saskatchewan Roughriders have had no trouble flying out of the starting gate.
Finding that finishing touch, however, has been a challenge.
For the second year in as many seasons under head coach Corey Mace, the Roughriders are off to a 4-0 start this season. It was a similar story in the Craig Dickenson era, with the team getting off to 3-1 starts for three years in a row from 2021-2023.
But the last four years have ended with two out-of-the-playoff showings and another pair of losses in the West Final, including last year when the club finished with a 9-8-1 record and missed a glorious chance to finish first in a division in which no team lost fewer than seven games.
This year feels like it could be a different story, though, especially if the Roughriders can take care of business at home Friday against the surprising Calgary Stampeders (3-1). If the Roughriders can win, it would mark their first 5-0 start since 2013, which also happened to be the last time the team won the Grey Cup.
"(The players) certainly know who our opponent is. That's a good football team over there," Mace told reporters this week.
"... For us, we just hope this is one of the hardest, if not the hardest place to play in the league. We're just trying to be a better version of us than what we were a couple weeks ago (prior to a Week 5 bye)."
The Roughriders have survived early injuries this season, including last time out when starting quarterback Trevor Harris was sidelined with a head injury and replaced by Jake Maier, who guided the team to a win against the B.C. Lions.
Also, key receivers Samuel Emilus (foot injury, two games) and Shawn Bane Jr. (knee injury, four games) both have missed time.
Minus some of those dangerous players, the Roughriders have relied on tough, physical football to win games. The Roughriders lead the league in rushing, thanks in large part to powerful running back A.J. Ouellette, and also have the league's best rush defence.
Former Stampeders Micah Johnson and Mike Rose anchor the middle of a stingy Roughriders defensive line that will have its hands full against Calgary running back Dedrick Mills, who leads the league with five rushing touchdowns, and dual-threat quarterback Vernon Adams Jr.
"They're doing a lot of really good things," Mace said of Johnson and Rose. "I know everyone's going to point and look at one statistic (sacks), but we're so much more than that. We preach disruption and those are two disruptive guys in the middle. Those are just two of them. We've got other guys as well doing the same thing."
You can argue the Roughriders have had a favourable schedule so far, with their four opponents having a combined record of 6-13.
Because of their inability to turn strong starts into dominant seasons in recent years, the Roughriders need to earn the benefit of the doubt.
A win as a favourite against an opponent enjoying its own solid start — the Stamps upset the previously undefeated Winnipeg Blue Bombers last week — would be a big step in the right direction.
Dynamic duo
Kenny Lawler is showing why the Hamilton Tiger-Cats made him a top target in free agency.
The receiver was absolutely spectacular last week, scoring three touchdowns and finishing with 207 receiving yards in the Ticats' 51-38 win in Toronto against the Argonauts.
Several of Lawler's biggest grabs came in tight coverage, with the former Winnipeg Blue Bombers star simply winning individual battles on deep balls thrown by veteran quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell.
"The thing that I think separates him on the deep balls is he reads the throw so quickly that he's able to get himself into position and you don't have to be perfectly accurate and he'll go get it. Or if it's underthrown, he'll slow down and go up over somebody," Ticats coach Scott Milanovich said.
Lawler leads the league with 483 receiving yards in just four games and Mitchell is second in the CFL in passing yards.
The Ticats, after starting 0-4, 0-3 and 0-5 the past three years, have won two in a row to improve to 2-2 and can move into a tie for first in the East with a win over the struggling Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday in Hamilton.
Canadian clash
Canadian quarterbacks Nathan Rourke (B.C.) and Tre Ford (Edmonton Elks) squared off in what had the makings of an interesting Week 1 game, but it ended up being very much a one-sided Lions win (31-14) in Vancouver.
The teams meet again Sunday in Edmonton, and it feels like we could get a far better matchup.
Rourke returned from a two-game injury absence last week and looked quite good, throwing for 352 yards in a thrilling win in Montreal. Ford, meanwhile, was extremely efficient (15-of-17, 212 passing yards, two touchdowns) as the Elks won their first game under new head coach Mark Kilam against Ottawa.
"I think we're a lot different, but we've got to go out there and show it on Sunday," Elks defensive lineman Jake Ceresna said.
Week 6 schedule
Friday, July 11: Calgary Stampeders (3-1) at Saskatchewan Roughriders (4-0), 9 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CST
Saturday, July 12: Ottawa Redblacks (1-4) at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-2), 7 p.m. ET
Sunday, July 13: B.C. Lions (2-3) at Edmonton Elks (1-3), 7 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. MT
Byes: Toronto Argonauts (1-4), Montreal Alouettes (3-2), Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-1)
