Rein in Chad Kelly and four other keys to victory for the Saskatchewan Roughriders against Toronto

Roughriders face a fast Argos offence and possible A.J. Ouellette absence. Lee Jones and Wes Cates break it down in X’s and O’s.

If there is one thing the Saskatchewan Roughriders need to do Friday to improve their record to 3-0, it is containing Toronto Argonaut gunslinger Chad Kelly.

“He’s been slinging it all over the yard,” Riders analyst Wes Cates said on this week’s edition of X’s and O’s. “They don’t run much … they’re airing that thing out.”

Kelly has already thrown for over 800 yards, needing just two games to surpass that mark.

In fact, his 869 passing yards are the most in team history through two games, surpassing Ricky Ray – who had 833 in 2017.

Only four quarterbacks in league history have passed for 400-yards+ in three straight games.

Argos receiver Kevin Mital sits fourth place in the Canadian Football League (CFL) in receiving yards, behind only the Riders’ Kian Schaffer-Baker and two Montreal Alouettes – who have played three games.

“He reminds me of a Canadian Nik Lewis,” Cates described. “He’s big, quick and understands how to get open. He’s a tough guard.”

“Kelly has been spreading it around but he has been turnover prone,” he added.

While Kelly has stayed in the pocket more often, Riders’ defensive coordinator Josh Bell was quick to point out the pivot is not afraid to scramble.

“He’s being more disciplined because of his injury,” Bell said Wednesday. “He’s learning to evolve as a quarterback.”

Bell was apart of the Argos 2022 Grey Cup winning team as a defensive backs coach – a team Kelly quarterbacked.

“We won a Grey Cup because he could come into the game and scramble,” Bell said. “He understands when and where to pick his spots. We’ve gone from [Nathan Rourke] to [Vernon Adams Jr.] to [Kelly], these are probably the top three elusive quarterbacks in the league – and the most dangerous.”

Taller task

Completing that task is easier said than done, however, especially for a Roughriders’ secondary struggling through a slew of injuries.

It was announced last week Rolan Milligan Jr. would miss at least six weeks with a shoulder injury.

Nelson Lokombo, ankle, is missing a second-straight game this week and rookie JuJu Hughes – who was Milligan’s replacement – is out long-term with an Achilles injury.

“[That] is the only thing that worries me about for the Riders,” said Cates.

“It’s just next man up,” DeMarcus Fields told CTV News Tuesday. “If one guy goes down, another man comes in and we keep the same thing going. We preach that and stay by that.”

It is a tall task the secondary is ready to take one, especially for former Argonaut Jonathan Edouard.

“You have to take the emotion out of the game,” he said about facing his former team Friday. “They cut me a week before camp; you can be sad and mad about it and want revenge, but you learn in a professional state – that’s just not the way to go about it.”

Saskatchewan’s starting secondary sees Marcus Sayles at the boundary corner back position with Edouard at halfback.

On the field side, Tevaughn Campbell is at corner with Fields at halfback.

Jaxon Ford gets the start at safety for a second-straight week.

The Roughriders are one of four teams yet to earn an interception – but Bell believes they have not been without their chances.

“It’s the toughest thing ever because that was my calling card,” the former defensive back turned coordinator said with a groan. “We’ve had six to eight opportunities to catch the ball and we’re itching to get that ball.”

While Kelly has been throwing the ball often, he’s also been throwing his fair share of picks – throwing five interceptions in his first two games.

“When they come, they come in bunches,” Bell added. “We just hope Chad is still doing his Oprah donations.”

Despite the slow start to the turnover ratio, head coach Corey Mace is not concerned about his defense.

“We’re there, we just have to make the plays,” he told reporters Thursday. “Going through the season and the part of those defenses, coach Bell’s been right there with us the whole time. We’re very optimistic.”

Kelly also has seven touchdown passes to go along with his burning start.

Ragnarök

Saskatchewan will be without its Thor’s hammer, A.J. Ouellette, this week as the running back was scratched with an ankle injury.

“We were looking at some things [Wednesday] and I was thinking maybe we could try to get him out there for game time,” Mace explained. “Just where it’s at right now, I just don’t really know if it’s worth the risk.”

Ouellette left last week’s win over Calgary late in the third quarter.

Thomas Bertrand-Hudon took over the tailback duties for the remainder of the game, but this week newcomer Quali Conley will make his first CFL start in the backfield.

Conley, a former Arizona Wildcat, played two preseason games with the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals in 2025 before signing with the Montreal Alouettes this past offseason.

He was cut after rookie camp but joined the Riders ahead of this year’s preseason.

In two preseason games with Saskatchewan, Conley had 43 yards rushing on 13 carries.

“They’re all different backs,” Riders pivot Trevor Harris said. “Thomas is different than A.J. and Conley’s different than Thomas and A.J. [Conley] is a guy who can jump up to speed very, very quickly. [He’s] very good out of the backfield, can catch and get up field. But he also can run around between the tackles. He brings a different, unique skill set and so I’m excited for him as well.”

“Hopefully we can get him into the endzone,” Harris added.

Ouellette is not expected to miss more than Friday’s matchup and will be reevaluated next week.

Don’t forget about #7

As good as Kelly has been for Toronto, the Riders’ quarterback has been just as stellar to begin his 14th CFL season.

The 40-year-old Harris has completed 73.6 per cent of his passes for 766 yards and six TDs through his first two games of 2026.

“Whatever it takes to win is really what it is,” Harris reminded reporters Thursday. “There’s not always going to be games where you need to throw for 400 or whatever it is; or if we run for 300, that’s really what this mindset of this team is.”

Toronto is first in net offence, averaging 501 yards per game, while the Riders sit just behind in second with 471.5 yards per game.

Saskatchewan’s offense will be looking to stay on the field – something it is doing spectacularly so far this year.

The Roughriders lead the league in time of possession, something which has been a big piece of their first two wins.

Harris has not thrown an interception in his past 189 attempts.

7/11 24/7

Roughriders’ receiver Kian Schaffer-Baker broke social media last week for his comments following Saskatchewan’s win over Calgary.

“They call me 7/11, I’m always open,” he said with his signature smile.

Schaffer-Baker has 19 catches for 295 yards and a pair of TDs through two games – a career best, by a lot – for the Guelph University product in his sixth season with the Roughriders.

He is third in the league in receiving yards, targets, catches, touchdowns and big plays made.

In fact, seven of the top 10 receivers in the league right now are Canadian.

Having secured back-to-back 100-yard-plus games to begin the season, KSB has the chance to do something no Rider receiver has done since 2008 – do it in three-straight games.

Weston Dressler last completed the feat catching for 119 yards in that season’s Banjo Bowl, before rattling off 112 the following week and then catching for 146 yards to cap it off.

Other notes

While looking to get to 3-0 first, Saskatchewan has started 4-0 in each of its past two seasons under coach Mace.

However, Kelly is a career 3-0 against Saskatchewan and 21-6 overall.

The Riders’ defence has allowed just one passing touchdown through the first two games.

Linebacker Jameer Thurman needs five defensive tackles for 550 in his career.

Toronto has allowed the fewest rushing yards per game (48.0) and the second-lowest yards per rush (3.7), while forcing the most turnovers (8).

The Riders’ tailgate area south of the Brandt Centre opens at 2 p.m. for season pass holders. The public is welcome to walk through the tailgate area and join in the festivities.

The family-friendly Riderland Park opens at 4 p.m.

Kickoff for Friday’s game is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium.

As per the game theme ‘Prairie Blizzard’, the team is encouraging all fans to wear white.