Grey Cup 2025: Landry’s 6 takeaways from Riders, Als’ Thursday practices

By Don Landry

You couldn’t ask for better conditions for a Grey Cup practice in Winnipeg.

The field at Princess Auto Stadium was sun-splashed on Thursday, the temperature pleasantly on the plus side. We all looked very cool in our sunglasses and parkas.

Here are three takeaways from Saskatchewan Roughriders practice and the interview sessions that followed and the Montreal Alouettes interviews following their closed practice.

112th GREY CUP
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» Trevor Harris on Samuel Emilus: ‘This guy is a future Hall of Famer’
» Riders, Als manifested 112th Grey Cup appearance
» KPMG Playoff Probability: Who will win the 112th Grey Cup?

SASKATCHEWAN RECEIVERS UPDATE: COULD BE, MIGHT BE. IF NOT, NO WORRIES

Roughriders receiver Joe Robustelli, who did not practice on Wednesday due to a head injury, was out on the field today, taking limited reps with first team but also getting some extra work in with quarterbacks Trevor Harris and Jake Maier on the side.

“Awesome seeing him out there,” said Saskatchewan coach Corey Mace on Robustelli’s presence, adding that the 28-year-old receiver went through protocols following a head injury before being cleared to practice.

KeeSean Johnson, the thousand-yard receiver who’s been out of the line-up since suffering a knee injury in a Week 19 game against Toronto, was present, but just in civvies for the second straight day.

“He’s going to need just a little bit more treatment for him to get out there and do what he wants to do at the speed he wants to do it,” said Mace.

And the coach left it at that other than to say that with this particular receiving corps he had “tons of guys we got faith in, man.”

THAT SEEMS LIKE A MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR FILMMAKER TIM BURTON

Roughriders’ quarterback Trevor Harris said that receiver Sam Emilus had “vice-grips for hands,” as he paid tribute to his teammate who was sitting next to him at the post-practice media conference.

Harris pointed out that the battles Emilus has gone through to get back from two episodes of injury were inspiring, and then lauded the 28-year-old’s abilities both as a pass-catcher and as a blocker.

“He blocks like he’s an O-lineman, man. He’s an animal,” said Harris.

“He’s super friendly in his routes,” added Harris, pivoting to Emilus’ strengths as a target.

“He gets his depth in his routes, and he’s on time. We understand where each other’s at and what we’re thinking. The best receivers I’ve played with were the ones that kind of think as a quarterback.”

Emilus, he said, is one of those guys.

HE’S GOT 12’S BACK

Long snapper Jorgen Hus was asked about the occasional troubles that the Roughriders have had in the area of placekicking over the course of this season.

He replied with complete confidence in the unit, and particularly in kicker Brett Lauther, who finished the season going 39-for-54 in the field goal department during the regular season.

“I believe in Brett, he’s going to go out there and do his job,” said Hus, adding “he did his job in the West Final (3/3 on field goals, 2/2 on converts). He’s, in my opinion, the greatest kicker to ever play for the ‘Riders.”

IT’S ALL A DEEP, DARK SECRET. WELL, MAYBE NOT ALL OF IT

The Alouettes’ afternoon practice was closed to the media, so it’s tough to report on anything that actually happened out there on the field. Which is the point, actually. Not a complaint.

But we don’t know what top secret plays the Als were working on, so, sorry. And I asked. Politely.

“Secret Plays?” receiver Tyler Snead replied, scrunching up his nose.

He seemed taken aback by the question. So either the Als didn’t work on any fake field goal/double reverse option thingys or Tyler Snead isn’t in on it. Or he’s just that good an actor.

In the media conference that followed practice, one reporter told head coach Jason Maas that running back Travis Theis had told him that his role in this Sunday’s game is a secret.

“I don’t know, truly, what he means by that,” was the coach’s comically-perplexed response.

He did not wink, so far as I could see.

DAVIS ALEXANDER SURE HATES STIM. WAIT. WHAT IS STIM?

Maas was very pleased by how Davis Alexander looked in practice.

“To go out there and watch the last two practices, watch him throw it, watch him move, I don’t know that you’d be able to tell anything’s wrong with him,” said Maas about Alexander’s sore left hamstring, one that the quarterback has aggravated three times this year since first injuring it while training back in April.

“It’s gone better than I expected,” said Alexander during his time in front of the media.

He then went on to talk about all of the treatments he’s been going through in order to be ready for Sunday’s game.

“Massage, ice, ultrasound, laser,” said Alexander before mentioning something called “STIM,” which really is just short for “stimulation” which is done through electrical pulse.

I’ve actually had that myself, before, and I didn’t mind it but Alexander said he HATES it.

“It pulses a lot,” he said. “I’ve never liked that feeling. In high school, they used to make me STIM my arm, and I stopped doing it my senior year, I hated it is so much. It’s just a weird feeling for me.”

However, he’s been told by Alouette therapists that it is helping a bunch, so he’ll try to persevere. “If I can toughen up a little bit, just stick with it,” he said.

MORE INJURY UPDATES, ONES THAT DON’T INCLUDE ELECTRICAL IMPULSES

Alouettes’ offensive lineman Pier Olivier-Lestage did not play in the Eastern Final last week, but apparently he’s on track to be back at left guard in the 112th Grey Cup.

“He looks much different than he looked last week, (at) this time,” said Maas, “so, that’s why we’re all optimistic that he’s gonna play.”

Receiver Austin Mack, like Alexander, is dealing with a hamstring ailment (so, maybe there is actually some STIM involved, actually).

“He didn’t practice,” reported Maas, “not on the field with the team, just on the sideline. Doing his strengthening work that he needs to do.”

Defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson did practice, but it’s not yet known whether his injured shoulder will be strong enough for him to play on Sunday, according to Maas.