November 24, 2017

Stamps secondary has ‘something in store’ for Argo pass-catchers

Patri ck Doyle/CFL.ca

Ordinary isn’t good enough when it comes to the biggest game of the year.

Before each game this season Calgary Stampeder safety Joshua Bell has used what he calls “war paint” to meticulously decorate his face with different designs and patterns. He has something special in mind for when the Stampeders play the Toronto Argonauts in Sunday’s 105th Grey Cup presented by Shaw.

“I’ve got something in store,” Bell said with a nod. “It’s the Grey Cup. You want to look the best.”

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Josh Bell is pictured here without any paint on his face but this won’t be his look come game day (Patrick Doyle/CFL.ca)

The Stampeder secondary will also have to be special Sunday if they hope to contain the Argo’s receiver corps.

Toronto accumulated over 5,700 passing yards this season, second only to Edmonton. Quarterback Ricky Ray led the CFL in both attempts (668) and completions (474).

Ray had no shortage of targets.

S.J. Green was second in receiving with 1,462 yards and 10 touchdowns from 104 catches. Armanti Edwards had 962 yards and four touchdowns while DeVier Posey contributed 744 yards and seven touchdowns. Running back James Wilder, the CFL’s Rookie of the Year, also had 51 catches for 533 yards.

“They are good,” said Kahil Carter, Calgary’s defensive backs coach. “They are well coached. They have weapons of all sizes and speeds.

“For us always it’s a competition within ourselves. How good can we be at what we do? How much effort can we put in getting to the ball and can we tackle and make plays? No matter who you are playing against, if you can do that on defence, you have a chance every time. We know who we are. That’s how you win championships.”

The Stampeders will counter the Argo’s passing attack with one of the league’s best secondaries. It features players like Bell, halfbacks Jamar Wall and Brandon Smith and cornerbacks Ciante Evans and Tommie Campbell.

The Stampeders allowed the least points (349) this year, while giving up the lowest passing yards (4,582) and were second in interceptions with 20.

Bell said to be successful the Stampeders must keep the Argo receivers in front of them.

“You want to make sure they don’t get those deep balls,” he said. “Make sure they don’t get a highlight reel catch, one of those big momentum-changing catches.

“When the ball is in the air we are going to make sure we have as many guys there (as possible). If there is only one person, just make sure we do the best job we can to make sure they don’t come down with that ball.”

The Stampeders bent but didn’t break in their 32-28 Western Final win over Edmonton. Brandon Zylstra, the league’s leading receiver, was held to 65 yards with 31 of those yards coming on one of his four catches. Derel Walker scored a 69-yard touchdown on a broken coverage that Bell took the blame for.

“I have to put that on me,” said the six-year veteran. “If the ball is deep over the middle of my field, that’s my fault.

“They got one. I can promise it won’t happen this week.”

Wall said the Argo receivers present a different challenge than the Eskimos.

Jamar Wall was a part of one of the best secondary’s in the CFL and hopes to carry that success on Sunday (Patrick Doyle/CFL.ca)

“You can’t say they’re not as good as Edmonton,” he said. “They are just as good, just in different ways,

“They are not quite as big as those guys (Eskimos), but they are a little bit faster.”

Wall expects to see a lot of Edwards on Sunday. It was Edwards who made a key 17-yard catch at the three-yard line in Toronto’s 25-21 comeback win against Saskatchewan in the Eastern Final.

“He’s a rangy guy,” said Wall. “It’s not going to be an easy game.”

Edwards said there is little room for error when facing the Calgary secondary.

“They have been playing together for years,” he said. “They are experienced, they are never out of position. It’s one of the teams we have to be very disciplined on every route, or they are undercutting it and it is going the other way.”

What the Calgary defenders lack in size they compensate for with experience.

“They study, they watch film,” said Edwards. “You can tell. They know all the route concepts and they pass it off very well.”

The idea to paint his face came to Bell after years of hearing football players use phrases like “going to battle”, “going to war” or “being in fox hole.”

Bell’s face paint during the 2017 regular season was carefully planned out each and every week (CFL.ca)

Before applying the first brush stroke Bell did some research.

“I didn’t want to be disrespectful and be ignorant to different cultures and things,” he said.

Bell searched the internet to study face painting done by native American and African tribes. He learned some medieval soldiers painted their faces for battle.

Besides Bell, Wall also dabbles with paint prior face painting.

“I don’t do it as excessively as he does because I sweat way too much,” he said. “It’s going to drip before I get anything done.”

Calgary middle linebacker Alex Singleton is amazed how much time Bell takes putting his face on.

“It’s like a 20 to 30-minute process before the game,” said Singleton, the CFL’s top defensive player. “It is impressive, but I never got around to doing it. I don’t really want to take the time.”

Veteran receiver Marquay McDaniel isn’t interested.

“It’s just not me,” he said.

Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell shrugged.

“I’m indifferent about it,” he said. “If it’s something that drives them, then I want them to do it. You have to play good when your face is painted.”

Mitchell said he would put his foot down if his receivers started slapping on the paint.

As long as the team plays well, Carter doesn’t care how his players decorate themselves.

“It fuels me too,” he said. “Anything they do that can put them into the game mentally, I let them go for it.

“What ever they do to get up for the game, just stay up.”