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“When I first came here I played that brand of football pretty much the entire season of 2013,” Reilly said. “What I’ve learned is that early and in the mid parts of the season you are developing your game.

“But when it comes to me taking off and running as a quarterback, when it gets to this time of season, whether it’s the stretch run of the regular season or the actual playoffs, that’s the type of football I like to start playing. If you play that way from the start of the season, you’re not going to make the end of the season. You do that type of stuff, you can do it four seven or eight weeks but you can’t do it for 18. So if you’re going to do it for six or seven weeks, you best choose to do it for the most important six or seven weeks at the end of the season and through to the Grey Cup.

“So, yes, there is a shift in mindset and there is a shift in understanding. At this time of year you have to put the biggest strain on a defence that you can. And there’s something to be said of the mental mindset that your team takes when you take off and make a physical run and that type of stuff. It really cements the fact in people’s minds that this is the time of year you have to do whatever it takes. And I try to take that type of roll.”

Reilly, with Saturday’s final home game in Commonwealth Stadium against the Stampeders and next week’s final regular season game in Regina, is having a second straight career year.

With 408 completions on 600 attempts, the 32-year-old from Kennewick, Washington has 5,252 yards passing and 27 touchdowns. He put together his best numbers last year with 448 for 633 and 5,554 yards.

Reilly needs to average only 206 passing yards in his last two games to break Ricky Ray’s team record of 5,663, just ahead of Warren Moon’s 5,648.

In his two games against Calgary this year he’s thrown for 320 and 461 yards, the latter being in the Labour Day Rematch in Commonwealth Stadium.

But it’s not about stats for Reilly. Not in October. It’s Reilly Rally Time. At the time of year, all he does is lead the way in every way to win.