Riders hit bye week undefeated, eyeing rest and recovery

The Saskatchewan Roughriders improved to 4-0 with a convincing 37-18 win over the B.C. Lions on Saturday. While the scoreboard showed dominance, players said there’s still plenty of work to do as they head into the bye week.

“It was a decent night,” said defensive back Rolan Milligan after the game.

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“I was really trying to stay in the flow. Even on the interception, A.J. (Allen) made a great play for me to get the ball, but i think we still could have been better as a team. Even though we did have a dominant win, it was just the penalties kind of killed us again this game, just like they did last game. But always happy to get another dub (win).”

The Riders committed 10 penalties this week after 18 infractions last time out against Toronto Argonauts.

Milligan said the bye week is perfectly timed, both for physical recovery and mental clarity.

“Spend some time with family, rest my body, clear my head a bit, and then just get ready to come back to work,” Milligan said.

For some players, the bye week also offers a chance to absorb the whirlwind of their season debut. Defensive back Antoine Brooks Jr. grabbed his first career interception in Saturday’s game and said patience has been a key lesson as he adjusts to the pro level.

“Honestly, just making sure your mental is right. I got great teammates around me so they make sure I’m not thinking about the worst or being upset. A lot of people out here don’t have a lot of patience. I think that’s what the man upstairs has been trying to tell me, be patient. Your time will come,” Brooks said.

Brooks credits his experience in practice for helping him feel ready for the moment.

“I’m kind of a pick machine in practice. So I feel like if you’re used to catching picks at practice, you can definitely catch them in the games, for sure,” Brooks said.

Offensive lineman Zack Fry, who stepped in for an injured Trevon Tate, said the Riders’ schedule has spaced out their bye weeks well, giving the team crucial breaks every four to five weeks.

“It’s huge, just for the body, mentally and physically, just getting yourself right,” Fry said.

While the Riders have managed to stay perfect so far, injuries remain a concern. Several key starters went down in recent weeks, making the upcoming break even more valuable for the teams depth chart.

Fry says it’s all about taking things one week at at time.

“It’s just another win. Next week, you’ve got to go 1-0,” Fry said.

The Riders will return to action against the Calgary Stampeders at Mosaic on July 11, looking to extend their prefect record and continue building momentum.

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