Riders QB Darian Durant will be on the sidelines for the regular season finale

The Saskatchewan Roughriders won't be finishing in first place in the West Division, meaning they won't be getting a bye week in the first round of the playoffs.  So head coach Corey Chamblin is creating his own bye week with a playoff spot already locked up.

“Of course you have that goal of trying to get to have a playoff bye to get most of the guys rest, but if you don't get that then you have to build a bye in yourself to make sure some of the guys get rest,” explained Chamblin on Wednesday when announcing that a number of back-ups would be seeing the field against the BC Lions on Saturday.

Quarterback Darian Durant, slotback Weston Dressler – who was named the team's Most Outstanding Player on Wednesday, receiver Taj Smith and many more players will be getting the week off to get ready for the playoffs.  

Durant was even taking the scout team reps during practice on Wednesday at the Credit Union Eventplex with Drew Willy getting time with the new first team.

“I'm glad we're in this position that we can rest up a little bit, rest some key guys and get ready for the playoffs,” said Durant.

He feels getting a chance to rest this week will be huge for the team, “I'm a little beat up and I think for me to play and be at my full potential than this is best, so hats off to coach for making the decision, and I think its best of us.”

While using the week to rest is one of the reasons behind Chamblin's decision, he says he also wants to get some players experience in case they're pressed into duty during the post-season, “It's not so much an exhibition that this is the beginning of the season, but the end of the season to see if something happens where guys don't get as healthy as we want them to, at least it gives them a week worth of experience heading into the playoffs.”

Not everyone wanted to sit out though according to Chamblin, “I had one or two guys that didn't want to rest and they ended up back on the roster.  Really it was more who we needed to see more than a person.”

Durant took a couple of shots to the head near the end of last week's game against Toronto with linebacker Brandon Isaac getting suspended one game for one of the hits.

The Riders quarterback had to go through the CFL's concussion protocol after the hits, but he says he's feeling no effects, “I'm good to go, it's just precautionary measures that you have to go through to satisfy everyone.  I felt fine after the hit and I feel fine now.”

Either way he'll be getting a rest this weekend when the Riders head to Vancouver to take on the BC Lions.  The team practices on Thursday at the Credit Union Eventplex and then leaves for the West Coast.

The team announced their CFL award nominees on Wednesday, click here for more on that.