November 25, 2016

Injuries force Stamps’ offensive line to adapt to change

Dave Chidley/CFL.ca

If the Calgary Stampeders were a tool box, Spencer Wilson would be one of those screwdrivers with all the different bits.

Any time the Stampeders needed someone to fix a problem caused by an injury along the offensive line, Wilson was the utensil they reached for.

During the regular season, Wilson played eight games at right guard, four at right tackle and six at centre.

“I was all over the place,” said the six-foot-six, 331-pound Toronto native.

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Dave Chidley/CFL.ca

Spencer Wilson gets ready to snap the ball during practice on Wednesday (CFL.ca)

Wilson isn’t alone in his nomadic existence. Derek Dennis played 15 games at left tackle, two at left guard and one at right guard. He still managed to be named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman.

Overall, the Stampeders used 11 different people on their offensive line. That didn’t stop Calgary from leading the league in points scored (586) and least sacks allowed (20).

The Stampeders rolled through the CFL with a 15-2-1 record and will face the Ottawa REDBLACKS in Sunday’s 104th Grey Cup presented by Shaw.

Head coach Dave Dickenson shook his head when talking about the plug-and-play his team went through up front.

“To have the production we’ve had this year, both running the ball and the passing game,” he said. “At times our offensive line has been decimated.

“If there is any group that needs to play together, it’s the offensive line.”

Dan Federkeil was the exception to the Calgary rule. He spent the entire season playing right tackle. He also missed nine games with an injury.

“There was usually just one injury at a time for the most part,” Federkeil said about the offensive line revolving door. “It was easy to switch it up and keep guys with previous game experience in the lineup.”

As bad as this year was, last year was even worse. The Stampeders used 14 different offensive linemen in 2015.

Pat DelMonaco, Calgary’s offensive line coach, has become a master at mixing and matching his players.

“They have to be confident,” said DelMonaco, who is in his third season with Calgary. “What hinders guys when they have to change spots is if they’re afraid they are going to make a mistake.

“You can’t be fearful of that. Guys who aren’t fearful can usually adapt to changes pretty easily.”

DelMonaco likes testing his player’s versatility in training camp.

“We try to rotate guys in practice in the first week . . . try to mix and match guys,” he said. “We evaluate how quick a learner they are.

“You are always paying attention to who are your quick learners, who are your guys who aren’t quick learners. You know who you can try to shuffle.”


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Dickenson calls DelMonaco one of the best offensive line coaches he’s worked with as a player or coach.

“I’m glad I’ve got him under contract for another year,” said Dickenson. “I’d have to give him a raise.

“He’s extremely organized. He’s demanding.”

Federkeil said DelMonaco isn’t shy about letting his players know what he wants.

“He’s good at his job (and) takes a lot of pride in making sure we are good at ours,” said Federkeil, who won a Super Bowl ring in 2006 with the Indianapolis Colts. “Sometimes it’s not expressed in the nicest way.

“There’s definitely a level we are held too and we are held accountable for.”

Wilson had never started a CFL game at centre prior to this season. Besides snapping the ball on the correct count, it’s the centre’s responsibility to identify the defensive front and call out blocking assignments.

“It’s one extra pressure,” said the 28-year-old who was named a West Division All-Star. “The foot work is a little different.

“It’s all about knowing the playbook and understanding where you are in the scheme.”

DelMonaco praised Spencer for being mentally tough.

“That’s an example of a guy who adapts and overcomes very quickly,” he said. “He’s a tough kid. He’s confident and understands our system.”

Dennis said being able to adapt is the key to longevity in football. During his college career at Temple, and during NFL stops at Miami, New England, Chicago and Carolina, he moved up and down the line.

“You can’t be a one-trick pony if you want to have a long career,” said the 28-year-old native of Queens, N.Y. “You have to be able to be multi-dimensional and be able to play in more than one spot.”

Moving from the outside tackle position to the inside spot at guard forces changes in how you play the position.

“It’s a little more physical in the inside,” said Dennis. “You have guys that are little heavier, the spacing is a little tighter. Your window for error it not very big.

“At tackle, I have space. I have time to recoup or recover if something bad happens.”

Dennis also praised Wilson’s performance this year.

“Spencer is a hell of a football player,” he said. “I love the man.

“He is probably one of the most physical, smartest dudes I have ever been around.”

Dennis possesses a personality as big as his six-foot-three, 341-pound body. His hair is decorated with red stripes and his laugh is like a gust of wind.

“Being an offensive lineman is probably one of the most fun positons in football,” he said. “We are the unsung heroes. We have to do all the dirty work, let the receivers and the backs and the quarterback get all the glory.”

He also warns against getting in a battle of wits with a lineman.

“The offensive lineman are the smartest players on the football field,” Dennis proclaimed. “We’ve got to know schemes, defences. We have to adjust on the fly when teams give you a different look.

“Everyone thinks quarterback is a cerebral position. For him, he’s just got to know the route and where he wants the ball. For us, we have to know bodes, we have to know personnel, know offensive calls.”

The Stampeders are heavy favourites to beat Ottawa, but that doesn’t mean Wilson hasn’t spent he week watching film to learn all he can about a REDBLACK defensive front led by Zack Evans and Connor Williams.

“Ottawa has a good defensive front,” said Wilson. “We are studying hard to prepare ourselves to deal with it.

“They run a pretty normal defence but do a great job of it.”