The Saskatchewan Roughriders avoided a costly win today when they were defeated 15-9 by a typically indomitable Calgary Stampeders squad.  A win would have vaulted the Roughriders into a third place tie with the Edmonton Eskimos, possibly jeopardizing a Saskatchewan eastern cross-over playoff position this November.

If the Roughriders had managed to blunder into a win today and the CFL playoffs were held tomorrow,  the Roughriders would be facing the impossible task of trying to get through the powerhouse Winnipeg Blue Bombers and aforesaid Calgary Stampeders. As it stands now, the Saskatchewan Roughriders maintain a solid grip on fourth place in the CFL West Division, good enough for a place in the CFL East Semi-Final playoffs.

Having dodged this latest bullet, the Saskatchewan Roughriders face semi-pro East Division teams in four of their final six regular season games.   This should enable the Roughriders to thread the needle of staying ahead of the bumbling fifth-place British Columbia Lions without gaining on the stumbling third place Edmonton Eskimos.