The Saskatchewan Roughriders are 7-and-wonderful!

And, as a bonus, we have an entire, blissful bye week to revel in the Green and White’s scorching start to the 2025 CFL season.

So, over the 19th iced latte of an otherwise unproductive writing session, we proudly present this detailed analysis of how the Roughriders’ league-best 7-1 record came to be.

This is written without presumptions or projections. I remember, all too acutely, how an 8-2 Roughriders team that looked very much like a repeat Grey Cup champion was derailed when quarterback Darian Durant suffered a season-ending elbow injury one sombre Sunday afternoon in Winnipeg, back in 2014.

Everything can change in an instant, especially when you consider that the most important games are yet to be played.

With that in mind, let’s narrow this discussion to the simple issue of how the Roughriders have won seven of their first eight games — the most recent being Saturday’s 34-6 road victory over the Montreal Alouettes.

DEPTH: The offensive line and receiving corps have been ravaged by injuries. Yet, the bottom-line performance of the team is rarely affected. This is a testament to the work of Jeremy O’Day (Vice-President of Football Operations and General Manager), Kyle Carson (Assistant GM), Paul Jones (Assistant GM) and Larry Dean (Player Personnel Co-ordinator).

COACHING: The Corey Mace-led coaching staff is first-rate. Mace routinely deflects the praise, often in the direction of Edwin Harrison. The Roughriders’ Offensive Line Coach is routinely labelled “Coach of the Year” by Mace. That description formally applies to Mace, who was named the West Division’s best coach in 2024.

OFFENSIVE LINE: Continued from previous item. Despite a steady stream of injuries along the offensive line, Saskatchewan has allowed only 10 sacks in eight games. Moreover, the Roughriders are averaging 110.5 rushing yards per game — third-best in the league.

RUNNING GAME: Also continued from previous item! With 564 yards along the ground, A.J. Ouellette is second in the league. He is on pace for a season total of 1,269. A productive run game has kept defences guessing and created an assortment of favourable matchups for the receivers. The Roughriders’ ability to control the ball is evidenced by a league-high average time of possession (32:07).

EXPLOSIVENESS: The preceding item may leave the impression that the Roughriders have a grind-it-out, one-first-down-at-a-time offence. That style of play can be employed, if necessary. Remember, though, that Saskatchewan leads the CFL in big plays (29), average yards per play (7.44) and completions of 30-plus yards (17). Dohnte Meyers boasts a reception of 50-plus yards in each of the past three road games. KA-BOOM! (The Roughriders are 4-0 on the road, by the way.)

MENTAL TOUGHNESS: The Roughriders have won five games that have been decided by no more than seven points. Resourcefulness has allowed the team to extract victories from tight games. Consider, too, the events of Saturday. After a fumble-return touchdown by defensive tackle Caleb Sanders was called back by the Replay Centre, the Roughriders adhered to their “don’t flinch” mentality by embarking on a four-play, 46-yard touchdown drive and assuming a 27-6 third-quarter lead.

QUARTERBACKING: Trevor Harris leads the CFL in quarterback efficiency rating (with a stratospheric 119.7) and completion percentage (75.2). He is also a strong second in average yards per attempt (10.2). When Harris missed a game due to injury, Jake Maier stepped in and guided the team to victory. In short-yardage situations, Tommy Stevens is a weapon unlike anything Roughriders fans have seen before.

PERSISTENT PRESSURE: Saskatchewan paces the CFL in sacks (22). Shane Ray and Malik Carney, each with four sacks, are among the league leaders. Micah Johnson and Mike Rose, both of whom keep building their Canadian Football Hall of Fame-worthy credentials, anchor the interior of the defensive line. The Roughriders’ ability to pressure the quarterback with four defensive linemen increasingly puts the opposing offence in a bind.

A WORK OF A-R-T: A.J. Allen, C.J. Reavis and Jameer Thurman give the Roughriders a top-flight linebacking corps. All three have been reliable in terms of defending the run — Saskatchewan has allowed a league-best 65.9 rushing yards per game — and the pass. Thanks to Thurman’s interception on Saturday, all three starting linebackers have one pick.

OPPORTUNISM: Rolan Milligan Jr. and Tevaughn Campbell each have an interception-return touchdown. A second pick-six by Campbell was negated by a penalty. Give the slightest seam to a kick returner and revert to chase mode. Mario Alford, for example, registered a 99-yard, game-winning kickoff-return touchdown in Toronto (see again: EXPLOSIVENESS). Meyers ignited Saturday’s rout in Montreal by returning the opening kickoff 46 yards. Ten plays later, the Roughriders were in the end zone. Tack on Brett Lauther’s convert and, as it turned out, the Roughriders had all the points they would need en route to improving to (ahhhhh!) 7-1!