Nye: A New Year's Resolution for every team

Jamie Nye

CFL.ca

@jamienye

2024 is almost upon us and I’ve been looking forward to the road to the 111th Grey Cup in Vancouver since it was announced as the host city.

But a new year also comes with New Year’s resolutions. Diet, fitness, lifestyle, budgeting, and mental health, are all among the things people will look at to improve themselves for the up coming year.

You know the nine franchises are also doing the same to enhance their chances to be in Vancouver in late November to have a chance at a championship.

So here’s the New Year’s resolution for each franchise – as I would see it – going into 2024.

Ottawa REDBLACKS

In life you can’t control injuries. But if the REDBLACKS could try to control something for 2024 it’s stability at quarterback.

From Nick Arbuckle to Jeremiah Masoli to Tyrie Adams to Dustin Crum, it was a turnstile early in the season and the REDBLACKS again suffered.

With new offensive coordinator Tommy Condell on board, he has shown the ability to work with various quarterbacks and find success, but it would be a lot easier if they had the same starter for a few consecutive weeks in the early going in 2024.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

Establishing a winning culture immediately comes to mind for the Riders. A new head coach needs to establish the expectations, the standard, and the commitment that it will take to win in Saskatchewan this season.

Corey Mace has already said all the right things after being announced as the new head coach a month ago. He spoke to culture and a way to eventually turn it over to the players to keep themselves accountable.

The culture has been lacking and players, current and former, have all spoken about seeing something missing. The will to win, at times, appeared to be evident on the opponent’s sideline more so than the Riders.

That must change in Saskatchewan.

Edmonton Elks

I see the need in Edmonton in 2024 to establish a better pass rush.

The Elks were a team that didn’t get to the quarterback consistently and, in turn, didn’t force many turnovers.

The way to force the ball out of the hands of the opponent is through pressure on the quarterback. If you can make them have to make quick decisions, they’re more likely not to see the whole picture on the defence you’re throwing at them.

So in 2024 the Elks needs more pressure, which can lead to sacks, fumbles, and bad throws for interceptions.

It would be a big help to an offence now led by an exciting young quarterback.

Calgary Stampeders

A better summer.

Not to use Times Person of the Year to add to the Stamps resolution, but it was a cruel summer for the Stampeders in 2023.

A 3-8 record through the end of August had the Stampeders in desperate need of help in the back half of the season. Of course they got it, they won three of seven and thanks to the Riders losing skid, they squeaked into the playoffs.

Coming out of training camp in 2024, the Stamps need a better summer to find themselves back to where they’re used to: 10+ wins and battling for first.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

The new way in Hamilton is going to be a bit difficult. The president of football operations is Orlondo Steinauer, who has coached most of the players for a while now.

Now it’ll be up to Scott Milanovich to take charge and show his leadership at the next level.

Yes, Milanovich did win the Grey Cup in 2012 but Greg Marshall found it hard to establish himself with Ken Miller still there in Saskatchewan. Mike Benevides couldn’t find success since Wally went upstairs and even the transition to John Hufnagel to Dave Dickenson has had some hiccups. But now they’re inseparable.

The Tiger-Cats resolution is setting clear and direct boundaries on which coach is in charge of what.

Toronto Argonauts

The best way for the Argonauts to approach 2024 is lock up the free agents, especially on defence.

Wynton McManis, Shawn Oakman, Adarius Pickett, Robertson Daniel and Jamal Peters are all holding expiring contracts and could hit free agency in the new year, among others.

The New Year’s resolution is ensuring as many of your pillars on defence return to the 16-2 Argonauts because you know their former coordinator Corey Mace might be lurking to bring them over to Saskatchewan, among others looking to upgrade talent on defence.

BC Lions

There wasn’t much wrong with the Lions in 2023 to improve on, except one glaring issue: running the ball!

If I was Jordan Maksymic and Rick Campbell, I’d be looking to improve the run game in the new year. The Lions were very much a pass-heavy offence, despite being a team that would play with the lead in a lot of games. Diversification of the play calling should help the Lions to improve on an already impressive team.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

This one is easy: finish in November.

It must be a long off-season for the second-straight year in Winnipeg to see a championship game slip away yet again. The Argonauts and the Alouettes both with comebacks in the fourth quarter and late-game heroics have prevented the Bombers from a four-peat as Grey Cup Champions.

Yes, the Bombers have to get there first and you might say they need to get an injection of youth or fresh faces, but we’ve seen them transition stardom from veterans to Dalton Schoen, or a future hall of famer to Brady Oliveira.

I’m less concerned about that than I would be in the inability to close out the final game of the season.

Montreal Alouettes

It’s hard to find a New Year’s resolution for the team that won it all in 2023.

They’re already locking up a lot of their key free agents. They have their quarterback locked up for two more years. The head coach and general manager have also signed onto long term extensions.

So here is a fun one: get the Grey Cup.

I don’t mean the trophy. They already have that. What I mean is the game itself.

Montreal is now a city that has the longest drought of hosting Grey Cups, last hosting in 2008. They need to put in the work and finish the roof project at the Big ‘O’ to get a successful big through the process of awarding the game.

This might not be a 2024 mission but I started travelling to Grey Cups in 2009, meaning I’ve never been to Montreal for a Grey Cup Week. I’d like that to change.

We know Winnipeg will host in 2025, why not Montreal in 2026?

Nye: A New Year’s Resolution for every team

Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca