Saturday will mark the end of the CFL regular season, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders will have their eyes on the Winnipeg-Montreal game to see if they have a chance to win the West Division.

Despite what might be at stake, the team says it won’t change its mindset ahead of its own game against the Calgary Stampeders.

“I encourage everyone to prepare by saying, ‘We’re going to win this game.’ Period,’” head coach Corey Mace told reporters Friday.

However, the Riders’ lineup could be very different depending on whether the matchup is meaningless in the standings or not.

A win for Winnipeg against Montreal earlier in the day means the Blue Bombers clinch the West Division title.

However, a loss means they are still in play and can go to Saskatchewan if they beat Calgary.

“Some of these guys that might be on the decision line, I had an open and honest conversation with them (about whether or not they would play). At the end of the day, no matter what, they’re still trying to win a game,” Mace said.

There are five players listed as a game-time decision on the Riders’ depth chart for Saturday:

• Defensive back, Rolan Milligan Jr.
• Wide receiver, KeeSean Johnson
• Wide receiver, Colton Hunchak
• Wide receiver, Samuel Emilus
• Running back, AJ Ouellette

Mace was coy about this decision, but hinted that it might be to rest the guys in case the match was meaningless in the standings.

“That’s probably the simplest way to put it. That’s a good guess,” he said with a smirk.

Quarterback Trevor Harris is now listed as the starter, but also echoed Mace’s remarks.

“I’ll let him be, but I think you could probably read between the lines.” We’re all adults here,” Harris joked.

“I don’t approach a preseason game any differently than a playoff game, I play to win. If I play checkers with my grandmother, I want to win.

One notable player missing from the lineup this week is defensive lineman Anthony Lanier II with Malik Carney at that position.

“It’s a decision I made this week. Certainly with Carney coming back he’s been out a little bit, I want to make sure I give him some reps before we go into a playoff game. Then, as we move forward into the playoffs, it allows us to field the best team we think will win the game every week,” Mace explained.

When asked who would start at quarterback if Montreal won, Mace confidently replied Harris, but when asked who would start if Winnipeg won, he smiled and replied, “Maybe Trevor Harris.”

The Riders also hope to win a fifth straight game to close out the regular season. This is something this organization has not done since 1970.

“I think right now we’ve won four in a row, so I think we’re becoming the team we want to be. But tomorrow will be another: “Who are we? » “Who are we becoming? It’s about executing, putting our foot on the gas and making sure we don’t give them opportunities,” Harris said.

Harris was asked how much attention he and the team would give to the Winnipeg-Montreal game before theirs.

“When we get here, you probably won’t be able to not hear what’s going on in the stadium, but minds are completely focused on getting ready to play, because if we have one eye on this game, and we’re not entirely focused on Calgary, it’s professional football and they can really hurt us,” Harris said.

Winnipeg and Montreal will start at 1 p.m. Saturday. Saskatchewan and Calgary follow at 5 p.m.