June 21, 2017

Steinberg: Too close to call in the wild, wild West

Walter Tychowicz/CFL.ca

The balance of power shifted back west in 2016 with the top four regular season records coming from the CFL’s West Division. What’s scary is, at least on paper, not one of the West’s five teams looks to be any worse one season later. The division boasts high-end talent, incredible coaching and, unlike one season ago, not one coaching change to impact the proceedings.

The Calgary Stampeders were the class of the league in 2016 and were generally unopposed until being knocked off by the Ottawa REDBLACKS in the Grey Cup. The Stamps look formidable once again but BC, Edmonton and Winnipeg all are coming off successful 2016 campaigns themselves with solid chances of taking steps forward.

And don’t write off the Saskatchewan Roughriders, either. Year one under Chris Jones and his new regime was a frustrating one, but the Riders showed some promise down the stretch in putting together a four-game winning streak. Not one to rest on his laurels, Jones has been active in making changes and Saskatchewan serves as an interesting wild card to consider.

Calgary Stampeders
2016 record: 15-2-1

Bo Levi Mitchell walks off the field following a heartbreaking Grey Cup loss (The Canadian Press)

Motivation. For the Stampeders, there’s no question about what is driving them heading into the 2017 season. Ever since the final snap of November’s Grey Cup loss in Toronto, the Stamps have had that sour taste in their mouths. Well, with much the same team, Calgary is hoping the next 20 games will go a long way in erasing that taste.

Only one thing could have improved Dave Dickenson’s first season as Calgary’s head coach, and we all know what that is. Otherwise, though, Dickenson led the Stamps to one of the most dominant regular seasons in league history. While it’s likely too much to ask for the Stamps to be THAT dominant once again, it’s a good bet they’ll be fighting for their fourth division title in five years.

Calgary hasn’t added a ton to its 2016 group. Instead, General Manager John Hufnagel went to work on retaining the vast majority of an impressive crop of pending free agents. Charleston Hughes, Micah Johnson, Cordarro Law, Pierre Lavertu, Dan Federkeil, Marquay McDaniel, Rene Paredes and Rob Maver are all back in red and white. With a solid core already in tact, keeping all those pieces in the fold was extremely important for Hufnagel and the Stamps.

Calgary’s coming season doesn’t come without questions, though. Reigning Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Derek Dennis is now in Saskatchewan, so the Stamps have a hole to fill at left tackle. Long-time backup pivot Drew Tate is gone, too, putting a whole lot more pressure on Andrew Buckley in just his second year in the league.

And then there’s the question of motivation. With so much focus on avenging their Grey Cup loss, will the Stamps be as dialed in as they need to be during the regular season? These are all valid questions, but the team’s track record leads you to believe they’ll be answered in a positive fashion. This is the most consistent organization over the last decade in the CFL and it looks like a powerhouse once again.

BC Lions
2016 record: 12-6

The Lions made significant strides in 2016 with Wally Buono back on the sideline (Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca)

Of all the work done this off-season, I like the job the Lions did the most of all. The West Division’s second best team for virtually all of 2016 made some huge roster moves via trade and free agency. Now they look ready to launch an assault on the Stampeders for the division crown. In fact, it’s that team one province to the east serving as a good chunk of BC’s motivation for 2017.

The Lions were no match for Calgary in November’s Western Final. As such, Head Coach and General Manager Wally Buono knew his team had to get better. “We played a much better football team (in the Western Final),” Buono told me a few weeks ago. “They were a much better football team. For us to make inroads, we’ve got to improve.”

While besting Calgary isn’t BC’s only goal for the coming year, the team knows it’ll likely have to knock the Stampeders off if they’re to get to the desired end result. “I can remember when I took over Calgary in 1990, we had a very specific goal,” Buono said. “To make sure we were better than the team up north. When we built our team, that was one of the things that we wanted to do: to build a team to beat the mighty Eskimos.

“When you look right now, the best team in the CFL, and I know they didn’t win the Grey Cup last year, but the best team the last seven or eight years has been the Calgary Stampeders. You’ve got be just factual and say: Hey, you know what, if you can’t compete with the best, then you’re not going to beat the best. We competed at certain points, but at the end of it, it wasn’t enough.”

Well, to their credit, the Lions look like a pretty scary group heading into 2017. Jonathon Jennings enters his second full season as BC’s starting quarterback and looks to be just getting started. Emmanuel Arcenaux and Bryan Burnham are back as one of the CFL’s most dangerous receiver duos and now have a little company — the Lions added Chris Williams in free agency to give them terrifying aerial potential, at least on paper.

I’m extremely curious to see how Hunter Steward does replacing perennial All Star Jovan Olafioye at left tackle. I’m excited to watch BC’s young, talented secondary go to work with very little turnover. And more than anything, I’m fascinated to see if the Lions can put together a true push for the division crown. If anyone can knock off Calgary, I think it’s BC.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers
2016 record: 11-7

After a strong first season in Winnipeg, Andrew Harris looks to continue progress (Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca)

It was so awesome to see the return of the Bombers last season. After a four-year purgatory away from the playoffs, Head Coach Mike O’Shea helped Winnipeg shake off an awful 1-4 start with a torrid 10-3 finish. The Bombers were full marks for returning to the playoffs but the question now is: can they build on their impressive 2016?

Winnipeg’s off-season wasn’t overly busy, but that was to be expected. General Manager Kyle Walters was so active leading into last season it wouldn’t have made sense to see a repeat performance. Instead, the Bombers are counting on steady progression from a slough of returnees in the hopes of building on their 2016 campaign.

My biggest question for Winnipeg is on the defensive side of the ball, and not because I necessarily see any obvious holes. The Bombers led the CFL by a country mile with 55 turnovers last season, and I wonder if it’s realistic to expect a similar performance a year later. I love a lot of parts in that secondary, led by T.J. Heath and Taylor Loffler, but 30 interceptions in a single season is quite the feat. Because that’ll be tough to do again, I’ll be watching to see if Winnipeg’s defensive unit can be as effective as it needs to be to challenge for a division title.

I’ve got very few concerns offensively, though. After establishing himself last season, Matt Nichols’s pre-season looks to have him poised for another strong, consistent season. The team’s depth at receiver allowed the Bombers to release Kenny Stafford over the weekend while Andrew Harris is likely locked in for 1,500 all-purpose yards or so. Behind an offensive line anchored by Stanley Bryant, I’m feeling pretty bullish on this Bombers offence for 2017.

And let’s not forget Winnipeg possesses one of the league’s most effective X-factors: Justin Medlock. The CFL’s kicking benchmark was a huge reason the Bombers returned to the postseason in 2016 and Medlock shows no signs of slowing down. After a rough start (by his standards), Medlock missed just five field goals in Winnipeg’s final 15 games.

The Bombers need to prove 2016 was the norm and not an aberration, which isn’t always easy to do. In saying that, though, this group looks like a sure bet to be a big West Division factor for a second straight year.

Edmonton Eskimos
2016 record: 10-8

Mike Reilly looks to restore his team’s status as a West Division powerhouse in 2017 (The Canadian Press)

Continuity and stability are two of the most important words when talking about the Edmonton Eskimos heading into the 2017 season. After their Grey Cup triumph in 2015, the Eskimos saw enough turnover for five off-seasons heading into last year. More than anything, having Jason Maas back as head coach gives Edmonton far more stability than they had to start the 2016 campaign. Let’s not forget, after all, how good the Esks were down the stretch.

Edmonton posted a 2-4 record while struggling through the first third of last season, but things picked up from there. The Eskimos got their offence kicked into high gear and finished 2016 on an impressive 5-1 run as they crossed over to beat Hamilton in the Eastern Semi-Final. There’s a lot to like about Edmonton heading into year two under Maas and it would be a tad surprising if they didn’t clinch a post-season berth for a fourth straight season.

Even with Derel Walker’s departure to the NFL, the Eskimos should be a handful on the attack once again. For my money, Adarius Bowman is still the league’s best receiver and he and quarterback Mike Reilly are as dangerous a hookup as they come. Edmonton also boasts a very underrated offensive line with virtually everyone coming back; the Esks allowed just 31 sacks in 2016, the second lowest total in the league.

Edmonton will have to make up for a couple of huge defensive losses, though. For a third straight year, the Eskimos lost an important player with a catastrophic training camp injury. This time around, it’s national linebacker Cory Greenwood, who’s now out for the season with a torn ACL. The injury robs Edmonton of one of its big free agent signings and will be a hard void to fill. Even with a few defensive uncertainties, though, the Esks look like a competitive group once again.

Saskatchewan Roughriders
2016 record: 5-13

There’s a lot on the line for Chris Jones and the Riders heading into his second season (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)

No one involved with the Riders will deny how disappointing last season was. Under new football chief Chris Jones, Saskatchewan went 1-11 out of the gates, falling well below expectations in the process. I’m not sure what to expect in year two with Jones at the helm, but I do think Saskatchewan will be an improved group. They really are the West’s X-factor, though, because it’s anyone’s guess as to just how improved they’ll be.

The exit of quarterback Darian Durant is significant, both on and off the field. To be honest, I’m more interested in what happens with the latter. Durant was such a big part of that team’s locker room dynamic and he leaves a huge void. However, with an exit like that, it gives new voices a real chance to be heard for the Riders, which can turn out to be a very positive thing. Plus, Durant’s immediate replacement, Kevin Glenn, brings plenty of experience with him, as he enters his 17th CFL season.

The addition of the aforementioned Derek Dennis has the potential to be huge for Saskatchewan. Dennis proved he’s a cornerstone left tackle and was chased in free agency as such. He comes to the Riders with an opportunity to anchor an offensive line that allowed a whopping 57 sacks in 2016. Protecting Glenn, or whoever is starting at quarterback at the end of the year, could prove to be the biggest factor in a dramatic Saskatchewan turnaround.

Speaking of quarterback, it was too bad to see Vince Young’s story come to an end due to injury, but Brandon Bridge had the type of training camp the Riders were hoping for. Bridge looked good, earned a spot on the depth chart, and now has the chance to push for meaningful playing time as the season goes along.

Saskatchewan gave up too much defensively last season, but there’s reason to be optimistic in 2017. They’ve got Henoc Muamba in the fold from the start and he gives the Riders a potentially dominant presence in the middle. The same can be said about Willie Jefferson, who picked up three sacks in five games upon arriving in Regina late in the season.

There’s so much unknown with Saskatchewan heading into the season. I’m confident they’ll be better than they were in 2016, but everything is up in the air from there. If that defence can keep games closer than they did last season, especially early, and if the quarterback situation progresses positively, the Riders have a chance to be a factor all year long. There’s nothing wrong with a little intrigue and unknown.