Darn right, Josh Woods teases his teammates.

He’s a linebacker, a six-year CFL veteran brought in primarily as a run-stopper for his first season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and he’s leading his new team in interceptions:

With one.

Unbelievably there have been zero interceptions by Saskatchewan’s defensive backs on a team with a “We dare you to throw against us” philosophy.

“They all know they should have had one,” said Woods, with a smirk, following a recent practice at Mosaic Stadium.

“I kinda say that my hands are better than all the DBs, so …”

While the Roughriders have won three of their first four games and prepare to meet the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday, it’s absurd that nobody else has picked off a pass.

Saskatchewan is embarrassingly last among the CFL’s nine teams with three forced turnovers, especially following a championship season during which it forced 41 giveaways, third-best in the league.

Woods’ pick was a goal-line interception against the Toronto Argonauts, which the Roughriders didn’t even turn into points during a 40-34 defeat. The Roughriders have turned their three turnovers into a measly three points, compared to their opponents turning five turnovers into 27 points.

Nick Wiebe stripped an Ottawa Redblacks returner and recovered the fumble in Saskatchewan’s 27-22 victory last week, when the Roughriders earned their only other turnover by stopping a third-down gamble.

This truly isn’t what Woods envisioned when he left the B.C. Lions as a free agent during the off-season and signed with the reigning Grey Cup champions.

Woods knew the swashbuckling approach of Riders head coach Corey Mace and long-time cohort Joshua Bell, another proponent of turnover-crazy zone defences, who took over play-calling duties from his boss as the new defensive co-ordinator for this campaign.

All part of the appeal for Woods.

“That’s part of our defence, our identity,” said Woods. “That’s Bell, that’s Mace, that’s Roughrider football.

“We talk about it. They’re gonna come eventually. When they do, it’s gonna be a lot.”

If not for the dearth of turnovers, the Roughriders have been OK during a season dominated by high-scoring offences.

They’re in the middle of the pack for points allowed, yardage surrendered rushing and receiving, big plays and time of possession.

“As long as we’re limiting explosive plays and getting off the field, sometimes that’s equal to a turnover in a way,” said Woods.

“If we force a two-and-out and flip the field with a good return, it’s almost the same thing as a turnover.”

This season has also featured a couple of rule changes, specifically eliminating single points on kicks going untouched through the end zones and a 35-second play clock that forces offences to work faster.

Wait till next year, when the field dimensions change and the goalposts move to the back of the end zone.

“I’m not gonna worry about next year’s rules because it doesn’t do anything to help us win this year,” said Woods.

Although the CFL hasn’t tied the data together, the league’s statisticians have noted there are only 3.2 quarterback sacks per game this season, the lowest on record.

Through the first five weeks of the regular season, even with two fewer games than in 2025, there have been 117 offensive touchdowns compared to 95 last year. There have also been seven non-offensive TDs scored in 2026, down from 18 last year.

Woods particularly loves the rule change that put the teams on opposite sides of the field, but he doesn’t believe the faster pace nor the single points have disrupted Saskatchewan’s defence.

“Ultimately all these changes are kind of tailored towards the offence anyways,” said Woods. “Next year you’ll see even more.

“It’s just early in the season. As far as the speed of the game and guys being tired, it’s more that guys are just getting their sea legs. I don’t think the clock is a factor. Maybe our setup this year, when we went three weeks (during the pre-season and Week 1) without playing, that factored into our first game.”

There have been a few other chances for the Roughriders to capitalize on turnovers. DBs Tevaughn Campbell and Marcus Sayles have had their hands on potential interceptions. Another potential turnover was negated by a ridiculous roughing-the-passer penalty.

Right now the Roughriders are averaging one turnover per victory, a crazy ratio that certainly needs to change.