CFL 2024 Season Week 5 Game Preview: Toronto Argonauts at Saskatchewan Roughriders
Week 5 of the CFL season gets off to a momentous start with a big matchup between the Toronto Argonauts and the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The Argos (2-1) are coming off a 30-20 loss to the Montreal Alouettes, their first defeat of the year. This will be Toronto's first road game in 2024. The team is led by quarterback Cameron Dukes, one of the league's most accurate quarterbacks.
Saskatchewan (3-0) hasn’t played in two weeks, getting a 36-20 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats before a Week 4 bye. The Riders are one of just two teams still undefeated in the season. Shea Patterson will be the starting quarterback as Trevor Harris deals with his knee injury.
Preview
Game Information
Line: Argonauts -4.5, O/U 48
Date/Location: Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan
Kickoff Time: 9:00 pm EST
Weather Forecast: Cloudy, 20 Degrees Celsius
TV/Streaming: TSN, RDS, CFL+
Injury Reports/Inactives
Toronto has a short list of players on the injury report. Defensive back Quincy Mauger is out with a leg injury after missing practice all week.
The Roughriders, on the other hand, have a lot of injuries to deal with. Harris has already been mentioned, as he is now on the six-game injury list with his knee injury. Two other key players out include linebacker Adam Auclair (shoulder) and wide receiver Shawn Bane Jr. (personal). Running back Thomas Bertrand-Hudon (head) will also be out, and fullback Bruno LaBelle (quad) is questionable.
Keys to Victory
Toronto is making a shift in its secondary, starting cornerback Jonathan Eduard in place of Leonard Johnson. Eduard had the highest PFF score from a week ago, at 90.2. As the defense looks to bounce back from last week, Dukes looks to do the same; he finished with no touchdowns and one interception against Montreal.
Jonathan Edouard is the leader of the pack 👀
— CFL (@CFL) July 2, 2024
Edouard is at the head of the class of the Week 4 Honour Roll, powered by @PFF
🗞️: https://t.co/NsZHZAB2DV | #CFL pic.twitter.com/YfiGmhhKiC
Saskatchewan has a new quarterback, which means the offense will feature more quarterback runs and more of A.J. Ouellette carrying the ball. The defense allows 23.6 points per game — the second-lowest in the league — and the secondary will be tasked with slowing down Makai Polk, Rasheed Bailey and Damonte Coxie in the receiving corps.
Prediction
Corey Mace has done an exceptional job as the head coach of the Riders, leading the team to an undefeated start. Injuries are starting to catch up to Saskatchewan, however, and Mace needs to lean on his defense to help carry the offense. Toronto has surprised many by showing that Dukes can be a formable replacement for Kelly. The Argos have played with confidence, and with a more stable lineup, they are poised to be the team that will give the Riders their first loss.
Toronto Argonauts 24, Saskatchewan Roughriders 18
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ANTHONY MILLER