December 5, 2016

Steinberg’s MMQB: From 104 to No. 4

Johany Jutras/CFL.ca

A little reflection usually helps you appreciate things a little more. That’s certainly the case when it comes to the 104th Grey Cup. In the eight days that have passed since Ottawa’s 39-33 win over Calgary, it has become crystal clear how awesome the 2016 CFL title showdown really was.

As such, I’d like to tip my hat to both teams involved, because it’s going to be a while until we see a Grey Cup game as good as what we saw last weekend.

Instant classic

Honestly, what didn’t last Sunday’s game have? We got to see a career-defining moment for a Hall of Fame quarterback; an underdog triumphing over a powerhouse favourite; a thrilling comeback; and a heart-stopping overtime finish, just to name a few of the highlights. It felt like a classic watching live and that’s only been enforced with a week of reflection.

The last Grey Cup I can remember watching with drama quite like this year’s was the 97th edition in 2009, because it had so many of the same elements. That game saw the Montreal Alouettes reign supreme over the Saskatchewan Roughriders 28-27 in the infamous ’13th man’ game, but that showdown was so much more than the memorable blunder that decided it.

THE CANADIAN PRESS

The Ottawa REDBLACKS celebrate back in Ottawa following their Grey Cup win (The Canadian Press)

Of the four elements I listed above, the only thing that didn’t apply was a victory for an underdog. It sure was close, though, because the 10-7-1 Riders were a bad penalty away from knocking off the 15-3 Als at McMahon Stadium that evening. You could draw parallels between the two games most everywhere else, though.

Much like the Stampeders did last Sunday, Montreal had to dig out of some pretty deep holes, none bigger than a 27-11 one in the fourth quarter. Then something happened in the final 11 minutes of the final frame. The Alouettes popped a couple of solid drives for a pair of majors and trimmed the deficit to two points with time running out.

Last Sunday’s heart-stopping finish came to a head with a pair of plays a little prior to the final whistle. Abdul Kanneh’s shoestring tackle on Calgary’s Andrew Buckley to save a touchdown late in the fourth quarter preceded Ernest Jackson’s game winning overtime touchdown for the REDBLACKS. Both plays definitely had you jump out of your seat or fall off your chair.

In 2009, the electrifying finish was a little different, but just as dramatic. Damon Duval’s potential game winning field goal missed as time expired prior to Saskatchewan’s substitution mistake. Five yards closer, Duval made no mistake for one of the most unfathomable finishes in Grey Cup history.

Finally, there’s the matter of the quarterbacks. The 104th Grey Cup was Henry Burris’s time to shine, and that’s exactly what he did. Burris had a game for the ages and threw for three touchdowns and became the first quarterback since Danny McManus in 1996 to top 400 yards in a title game. He was incredible from start to finish and, while his legacy was already secured, he added an emphatic exclamation point.

 

It was Anthony Calvillo doing some legacy sealing seven years prior. Remember, Calvillo and a few of his longtime Montreal teammates had been plagued with an inability to win the big one after so many stellar regular seasons. The 97th Grey Cup looked like another addition to that list until Calvillo took the game over in the fourth quarter. He finished with 314 yards passing that day, but all I’ll remember is Calvillo’s work in the final 11 minutes. In the end, that’s all that really matters.

I’m not saying the Grey Cup games played between 2009 and 2016 weren’t good, because we had some solid games in that span. But every once in a while you get one that you’ll never forget, and the two we just talked about qualify in that category for me. I won’t be surprised if it takes another seven years, or more, to see another one.

Laundry list

While the Stampeders continue to lick their wounds after a heartbreaking finish to last Sunday’s game, they also have to set their focus on what looks like a daunting off-season. While every team has a long list of free agents this winter, Calgary has an especially large group of key players to address.

Of the team’s 26 pending free agents, I count easily into the double digits of players who made significant impacts in what was such a dominant regular season for the Stamps. No one knows what the future holds, but I do know general manager John Hufnagel is going to be a busy man over the next few months.

The easiest place to point to is Calgary’s offensive line. Mainstays at both tackle positions in Derek Dennis and Dan Federkeil are both on expiring deals while former first overall pick Pierre Lavertu needs a new deal, too. The Stamps allowed just 20 sacks all season long so keeping their outstanding line together is understandably a large focus.

However counter-intuitive this may sound, though, I feel like the O-line is one area Calgary doesn’t need to worry too much about. Sure, one or two of the three players we just talked about might be elsewhere next season, but the Stamps have an incredible track record in recent years of procuring lineman they can plug in immediately without missing a beat.

CFL.ca

Marquay McDaniel, who exited the Grey Cup with a first-half injury, is a pending free agent (CFL.ca)

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Instead, I’m focused on two other key players. To me, priority number one this off-season needs to be getting receiver Marquay McDaniel locked up. Coming off another outstanding season, McDaniel might be the most important component of Calgary’s aerial arsenal.

McDaniel is one of the league’s elite possession receivers and serves as one of the most reliable and dangerous safety nets there is. If you’re looking for more evidence, just look at the effect McDaniel’s early injury last Sunday had on the outcome of that football game.

And then there’s the case of Charleston Hughes on the other side of the football. With 16 sacks during the regular season, Hughes led the CFL and was one of the most dominant players off the edge from start to finish. The problem is, though, Hughes turns 33 later this month and he’ll have a ton of leverage on his next contract.

With so many free agent decisions to make, Hufnagel is almost certainly going to make some tough calls when balancing his salary cap. Is Hughes one of those players he might be forced to part ways with? It’s a worthwhile story to keep your eye on.

Leading the pack

There are big time stories to watch all across the league over the next few weeks, but Darian Durant’s contract status in Saskatchewan leads the way for me. The latest we heard about a month ago was news of negotiations being at a standstill. While things may have changed since then, Durant still doesn’t have a deal, and I think the Riders need to get this done.

I know Durant will turn 35 part way through the 2017 season, but I also know he’s coming off one of the best seasons of his CFL career. Most impressive to me was the job Durant did bringing his interceptions down to just seven over 15 games and 496 attempts. Durant looked as composed and under control in 2016 as I’ve ever seen him.

Matt Smith/CFL.ca

Despite coming off serious injury, Darian Durant put in a strong showing in 2016 (Matt Smith/CFL.ca)

Here’s how I see it: the Riders are moving into a new building, they want to take a step forward on the field in 2017 and the quarterback market isn’t flush with proven starters. As such, Durant is by far Saskatchewan’s best bet next season and, heck, probably the year after that, too.

We’ve known the Roughriders have needed a succession plan for Durant for a number of years now. In my eyes, the best way to fill the gap between now and when that conundrum is solved is to keep on giving the ball to Durant. He’s still got it now and he’s been the face of the organization for the better part of a decade. That sounds like a pretty good way to move into a new facility to me.