Larry MacDougal/CFL.ca
Everyone who follows this league knows the Calgary Stampeders are a cut above everyone else right now. That was on display once again on Saturday night as the Stamps pounded the Ottawa REDBLACKS 48-23 at McMahon Stadium for their ninth straight win.
A new star has emerged over the last couple of weeks in Calgary; then again, that seems to be the case all the time with that team. We start off this week’s column by delving into why that is.
The right climate
The new star we’re referencing is DaVaris Daniels, who gave us the highlight of Week 13 with his ridiculous fourth quarter touchdown grab. That outstanding grab came one week after his breakout performance against the Edmonton Eskimos at Commonwealth Stadium. On that night, Daniels caught six passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns in Calgary’s comeback win. The Notre Dame product represents just another weapon in the arsenal for this Stampeders offence.
Over the better part of the last decade, Calgary has been the CFL’s most consistently elite team. One of the characteristics during this solid stretch has been the team’s ability to keep churning out effective receivers over and over again. If you really start to think about it, you’ll realize how much ridiculous success the Stamps have had at the position.
With names Daniels, Marquay McDaniel, and Bakari Grant right now, Calgary boasts one of the best sets of aerial weapons in the league. But think about the players not on this team anymore. In recent years the Stamps have had to say goodbye to impact players like Brad Sinopoli, Maurice Price, Nik Lewis and more, only to see those players go on to have continued success elsewhere. So how come the Red and White have so much success at receiver?
The answers to that question aren’t really all that complicated. First and foremost, Calgary has a guy by the name of Bo Levi Mitchell distributing the football. The Stamps quarterback is the Most Outstanding Player pacesetter right now and he truly does elevate the receivers in his charge.
Mitchell must be a dream to play with if you’re a receiver. He goes through his progressions in such a lightning quick manner it helps eliminate plays breaking down. And once Bo has decided on his target, the ball is out of his hands and on target quicker than anyone in this league. Whether you’re number one or number eight on the depth chart, Mitchell is going to give you a chance to succeed if your number is called.
Calgary’s offensive philosophy helps build up new receivers, too. Under Dave Dickenson’s tutelage in recent years, the Stamps have been based on a high tempo attack that emphasizes the playmaking ability of their receivers.
Because the Stamps are as balanced as they are, they don’t need to rely on Mitchell to force things during adverse times. Instead, Mitchell can just do his job quietly and effectively and, most importantly for this piece, he can have faith in his receivers.
When Mitchell completes passes, they’re rarely of the high risk, high reward mold. Instead, he gets the ball to an open receiver and lets his teammate do the rest. A solid array of weapons is definitely a good thing, but Mitchell’s ability to make his arsenal even stronger has helped push his team over the top.
And then there are the guys upstairs. For years, the Stampeders have been the envy of the CFL because of their ongoing success. Well, you can’t have so much success without a solid group in player personnel. Calgary’s scouting and procurement departments are some of the league’s best and they’ve helped to replace the big names the team has lost in recent years.
The Stamps are the number one team in the league by a large margin. Part of the reason why is their continued success at receiver. The best part is it doesn’t seem to matter who is catching balls in Calgary because they’re going to be successful regardless.
BUY WEEK 14 TICKETS
» Friday, 7:00 p.m. ET: Toronto at Ottawa
» Friday, 10:00 p.m. ET: BC at Edmonton
» Saturday, 4:00 p.m. ET: Winnipeg at Calgary
» Saturday, 9:30 p.m. ET: Hamilton at Saskatchewan
Who wants it?
Even despite their recent struggles, the Als are amazingly only two games out of an East Division playoff spot. The biggest reason for that is the continued inability of any team out east to really jump up and seize an opportunity. The division is there for the taking, but someone has to step up and get the job done.
For the longest time I thought that team was going to be Ottawa. The REDBLACKS didn’t fluke their way to a Grey Cup appearance last season and they looked so good to start the season. With losses in five of their last seven games, though, my confidence in that assertion has dwindled. Ottawa’s lopsided setback this weekend in Calgary didn’t help matters, either.
RELATED
» Ferguson: It’s time for Trevor Harris to sink or swim
Trevor Harris surveys the field in Week 13 vs. Calgary (The Canadian Press)
Hamilton was the other natural choice to start breaking away but also hasn’t been able to string anything together. Even with the return of Zach Collaros at quarterback, the Tiger-Cats haven’t won consecutive games since Weeks 4 and 5. They’ve shown real flashes of brilliance at times, but they’ve had trouble getting out of their own way other times.
With Montreal continuing to struggle and with the Toronto Argonauts in the midst of working in a new quarterback, the climate remains most favourable for Hamilton and Ottawa. The problem is, neither team has shown any definitive signs it’s about to catch fire.
I believe the REDBLACKS have the best and most balanced team while the Ticats have the division’s best player in Collaros. As such, I still believe one of these teams has it in it to pull away down the stretch. That said, even with a potential crossover in play, the East Division post-season looks totally wide open.
Play to your strengths
As the struggles for the Montreal Alouettes continued over the weekend, a recurring thought crept into my head once again. Despite his proven track record as a general manager, Jim Popp has found it difficult to duplicate the same success as a head coach. Now in his fourth stint on the sidelines, I think it’s time for Popp to hand the reins to someone else.
I don’t like it when people lose their jobs and I am definitely not advocating for Popp to be fired by the Als. Instead, I think Popp has the opportunity to do what’s best for the team he’s in charge of. By stepping down as head coach but continuing on as GM, I think Popp would set his team up for the most success going forward.
At 22-36, Popp’s all time coaching record isn’t a strong one to fall back on. On top of that, Montreal is currently in the midst of a four game lost streak and has lost six of its last seven contests. But there are more reasons to make this move than just negative results.
Doing the job of a professional football coach is a demanding, full time job. The same is true about being a CFL general manager. To do both jobs simultaneously has to be extremely taxing. By recusing himself of one of the gigs, Popp can put his full energy into the other. Focusing solely on player personnel could prove very beneficial for the Als right now.
Let’s not forget the outstanding job Popp has done as a general manager in this league. He helped build Montreal into a model franchise with multiple Grey Cup titles and even more appearances in the title game. For a solid decade straight, the Als were the CFL’s benchmark and Popp was a huge reason why.
By stepping down as head coach, I believe Popp helps his team in two different ways: First, he can find a better-suited person to lead the team on the field. Second, and probably more importantly, he can devote all of his energy into building Montreal back into the model franchise we know it’s capable of being.
Quick hits
Just a quick hat tip to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after their seventh straight win this weekend. The Bombers were true to form in their 46-29 win over the Argos on Saturday as they got the job done defensively once again. With a pair of interceptions and another forced fumble, Winnipeg added to its staggering turnover total, upping that number to 37 in the process. No one in the league is anywhere close, which is why the Bombers deserved some more props.
With Winnipeg’s win, it’s becoming more and more likely Edmonton’s only road to the playoffs is going to be through the crossover. That’s why the Eskimos’ 26-23 overtime loss to Saskatchewan was such a huge missed opportunity. Give full credit to the Riders for pulling it out, but the Esks needed to find a way to close things out on Sunday.
Fighting for their playoff lives, the Eskimos had an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter against a team with one win at the time. Those are the games you need to win at this stage in the game and the Esks let it slip away. Again, give full credit to Saskatchewan because the Riders deserve the win. That doesn’t mean the Eskimos won’t be kicking themselves for letting a much needed win go by the wayside.
