Miller has become a pillar of Roughriders' special teams unit

10/02/2024 04:00 PM

Aubrey Miller Jr. is enjoying the recent chain of events.

The 25-year-old linebacker has been named the Saskatchewan Roughriders' top special teams player after each of the past two games — both of which were victories for the Green and White.

The tangible reward: Possession, for at least another week, of the coveted Junkyard Dog chain.

"It's cool to be noticed by your team, but it's a team effort," Miller Jr. emphasized after Wednesday's practice at Mosaic Stadium. "I'm just having a good game and being in the right position where I can be able to make plays.

"I'm just grateful for the opportunity, but I think the whole special teams unit should get the award."

It is a tough one to win, considering that the Roughriders employ four players who are among the CFL's leaders in special teams tackles.

Rolan Milligan Jr. paces the CFL with 19 tackles on kick coverage, one more than A.J. Allen.

Adam Auclair (14 special teams tackles) is in a four-way tie for sixth in the nine-team circuit.

Fellow Roughriders linebacker Justin Herdman-Reed (13) is among three players who are deadlocked at No. 9.

"It's kind of more of a competitive thing," Miller Jr. said. "You've got guys who really want it — guys who want to make a play.

"We've got the best special teams unit in the whole league. Me being around those guys kind of pushed me because I know I have to do a little bit more.

"I'll still do my job but, of course, I'm competing with guys who want it just as bad as me, so it's kind of a fun, competitive thing.

"It's special when you're winning as well."

The 6-foot-2, 228-pounder is preparing to play in a Roughriders/Edmonton Elks game at Commonwealth Stadium for the third time this season.

He was in the lineup for Edmonton it played host to the Saskatchewan on May 25 (pre-season) and June 8 (regular-season opener).

Commonwealth Stadium will also be the site of Saturday's Saskatchewan-Edmonton game (5 p.m., TSN, CKRM).

Over five games with Edmonton, Miller Jr. registered four special teams tackles before being released on July 21. His signing was announced by the Roughriders on Aug. 12.

He has played in four games with the Roughriders, for whom he has registered three special teams stops over the past two games.

"He has been incredible, man," Head Coach Corey Mace said. "We saw it from the pre-season and even from some of the time he had playing with his previous team (earlier in the regular season).

"Specifically for us, in the special teams aspect of it, he has been a Junkyard Dog — which is what (Special Teams Co-ordinator Kent) Maugeri calls him. He plays with intent and he sets the tone for us from that standpoint.

"He's fun to watch, man, and he's a great, great guy."

PLAYOFF PUSH

The Roughriders, to use Mace's parlance, are striving to go 1-and-0 this week.

If that goal is accomplished and two rival teams go 0-and-1 this week, Saskatchewan will clinch a post-season berth.

Regardless of how everything else unfolds, the priority is to defeat Edmonton on Saturday.

That result, coupled with losses on Friday by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (versus the Winnipeg Blue Bombers) and Calgary Stampeders (at the B.C. Lions), would punch the Roughriders' ticket to the playoffs.

What would that mean?

"Ask me after the game," quarterback Trevor Harris replied. "I think it would probably be better suited for then, because we really haven't gone there yet.

"I know the scenarios (on Friday), but we don't control half of that. We just control our part, so we're just going to do our part the best we can."

Winnipeg leads the West Division with a 9-6-0 record, followed by Saskatchewan (7-7-1), B.C. (7-8-0), Edmonton (5-10-0) and Calgary (4-9-1).

The 6-9-0 Tiger-Cats, who are fourth in the East Division, still have a chance of earning a crossover berth in the West playoffs. However, any possibility of Hamilton bumping Saskatchewan would be eliminated if the Roughriders win and the Tiger-Cats lose this weekend.

SEPTEMBER STARS

Harris and teammate Marcus Sayles have been named to the CFL's Honour Roll for September, as selected by Pro Football Focus.

PFF awarded Harris a 90.3 player grade over the four games he played in September. He is the back-to-back recipient of offensive-player-of-the-month laurels. His August grade was 90.9.

Defensive honours for September went to Sayles. The 30-year-old cornerback graded out at 86.4 after registering two interceptions and three pass knockdowns over four games.

Sayles enters this weekend's action with four interceptions, a total that ties a career high he established with B.C. in 2022.

Harris, meanwhile, carries back-to-back pinpoint-passing performances into the Edmonton game.

Over the past two games, he has recorded completion percentages of 88.9 (16-for-18 at Calgary on Sept. 20) and 75.9 (27-for-36 versus the visiting Ottawa REDBLACKS on Sept. 28).

Until this past Saturday, there had been only four instances of a Roughrider completing at least 75 per cent of his passes — with a minimum of 15 attempts — in two successive games.

Cody Fajardo twice accomplished that feat in 2019. The list also includes the Glenns — Glenn Dobbs (1951) and Kevin Glenn (2015).