CFL.ca Staff

CFL.ca presents its Road to the Grey Cup roundtable discussion.  Three veteran CFL beat writers will present their views on various topics along the road to the Grey Cup.

The panelists include Ian Busby of the Calgary Sun, Dan Ralph of The Canadian Press, and Ed Tait of the Winnipeg Free Press.

Ian Busby covers the Calgary Stampeders for Sun Media Corporation.  He is on the Calgary Stampeders beat and for the latest  news you can read his CFL blog and watch his CFL videos.  You can read the latest Stamps coverage online at calgarysun.com.

Dan Ralph is based in Toronto and covers the Toronto Argonauts and the CFL for The Canadian Press.

Ed Tait covers the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for the Winnipeg Free Press.  Fans can check out winnipegfreepress.com for up-to-the second updates on the Bombers and extensive CFL coverage throughout the playoffs.

Question #1:  Who should be the starting quarterback for the Saskatchewan Roughriders?  Will Ken Miller stick with his #1 guy for the duration of the game?

BUSBY:  The first answer is Michael Bishop. The second is who knows? When the Riders traded for the veteran pivot, they knew exactly what they were getting, and this is especially true for Miller, who was with the Argos from 2003-06. Miller is familiar with the gunslinger and signed off on the deal. Bishop can be deadly at times but is prone to throwing up a duck now and then. The key will be if Bishop is using his underneath routes effectively to open up the deep passes he so loves. Miller should stick with him unless the quarterback gets hurt because he gives the Riders the best chance to win due to his experience.

RALPH: There's little doubt Michael Bishop should start Saturday's playoff game for Saskatchewan. He's the club's most experienced starter by far and has previous playoff time with the Toronto Argonauts as well. Backups Darian Durant and Steven Jyles are both better suited coming off the bench should Bishop struggle and that's why I firmly believe head coach Ken Miller will give Bishop a very short leash in the game.

TAIT: Darian Durant.  Michael Bishop still has an ugly tendency to force throws and that could be deadly in the playoffs. I expect Ken Miller to take the same approach he did in the Riders’ final game in Toronto and roll with Bishop longer, but Durant is such an intriguing option off the bench he (Miller) may be tempted.

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Question #2: Who has the momentum heading into the East Semi-final?  Do the Eskimos have a shot at being the first crossover team to win in the semi-final?

BUSBY: The Blue Bombers have a slight edge in momentum, but this is close to being a sawoff. Winnipeg did go 6-2 down the stretch, but four of those wins were against the Argos and Ticats, the two teams sitting out this year’s playoffs. Although the Eskimos had troubles with turnovers in the past six weeks or so, they regrouped in the season-finale to finish 10-8 on the year. With quarterback Ricky Ray, who has never lost a playoff game outside of the Grey Cup, the Eskimos have the best chance of any crossover team ever. The trip to Winnipeg isn’t a long one and these two teams have faced each other often in the playoffs because they used to reside in the same division.

RALPH: I think Edmonton has more momentum because its season-ending came against Montreal, an East Division team. Also, the Eskimos emerged victorious after dropping a lopsided decision the week before against Saskatchewan. Granted, the Bombers also ended their season on a winning note, but the victory came against a Hamilton team that finished the year 3-15. Edmonton does have a chance at becoming the first crossover-winning team if it can firmly establish the run against the Bombers.

TAIT: The Bombers have the momentum, given their 6-2 stretch run and two straight victories heading into the postseason. Edmonton’s Week 19 win over Montreal was impressive, but also came against an Alouette squad that rested a ton of starters, including Anthony Calvillo. That said, Ricky Ray can be deadly and with Fred Stamps back in their receiving corps they could be the first crossover squad to win, no question.

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Question #3:  Who is your M.O.P. for 2008 – Anthony Calvillo or Henry Burris?

BUSBY: Easy answer. It’s Burris all the way. He is the best player on the best team in the toughest division. No one can argue that Calvillo is undoubtedly the comeback player of the year. He missed the final portion of last season dealing with his wife’s illness and came back better than ever. But this award isn’t given to the best story. When the competition got tougher this season, Burris got better. He was 8-3 with a solid passer rating of 101.7. Against those same teams, Calvillo was 3-4 with a 99.4 passer rating. Calvillo finished with excellent numbers, but they were padded by playing 10 games against teams under .500. And if you think it’s still too close to call, remember this: Burris beat Calvillo twice in head-to-head matchups.

RALPH: In my mind, it's Anthony Calvillo. Henry Burris did enjoy a career year, but still all of his passing numbers are substantially less than Calvillo's, and that's huge considering Calvillo didn't dress for the Alouettes' season-ending game. Calvillo has masterfully led Montreal's offence under rookie head coach Marc Trestman less than a year after not even being sure if he'd continue playing football given his wife's cancer diagnosis in 2007. Not only has Calvillo returned, but he has done so almost better than ever.

TAIT: The MOP race is super-tight. Calvillo is a super story, given what he came back from in ’07. His passing numbers are slightly better, but Burris is the better scrambler. Honestly, we haven’t made our pick yet and it could come down to a coin flip.

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