April 24, 2018
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Will Calgary Stampeders make it third time lucky?

Will Calgary Stampeders Make It Third Time Lucky?

The Calgary Stampeders lost the Grey Cup for the second season on the bounce. Dave Dickenson’s men held the lead over the Toronto Argonauts heading into the fourth quarter. However, the Stampeders failed to put further points on the board, allowing Toronto to make a comeback to snatch the crown. Cassius Vaughn made the play of the game to turn the contest in the Argonauts’ favour. Calgary were driving, aiming to kill off the game, but a fumble from Kamar Jorden allowed the defensive back to return the ball 109 yards for the decisive score. Lirim Hajrullahu secured the result for the Argos before Bo Levi threw a late interception in his desperate bid to get his side back into the contest.

Calgary last won the Grey Cup in 2014, two years before Dickenson’s arrival. Although the head coach has performed brilliantly to guide his side to the title game in back-to-back seasons, he will be desperate to drive them over the line in 2018. The Stampeders are backed in the odds provided by Betway as of 19th April at 2/1, highlighting their consistency under Dickenson. However, it will take a stronger effort in the Grey Cup to clinch the trophy, although the club will be returning the majority of their starters from last term.

Offense

Mitchell returns for his fifth campaign as the club’s starter. He is coming off another productive campaign, throwing for 4,700 yards along with 23 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. The 28-year-old was not quite as efficient as his 2016 campaign when he won the CFL Most Outstanding Player Award, although he was still able to move the ball downfield with regularity. The defeat to the Argos will have stung the offense – none more so than Jorden, who committed the costly fumble.

The wide receiver had a quality season, putting up over 50 receptions for 717 and a team-leading six touchdowns. Alongside Marquay McDaniel, Marken Michel and DaVaris Daniels, the receiving quartet will be aiming to dominate the league once again by putting up huge numbers. McDaniel was Mitchell’s primary target and notched 860 yards from his 65 catches. Dickenson will have high expectations of his passing attack to maintain their high standards.

The running back position will need someone to the come to the fore after Jerome Messam’s departure to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Messam reeled off back-to-back seasons of over 1,000 rushing yards and will not be easily replaced. Roy Finch and William Langlais will be among those expected to rise to the occasion. However, the offensive burden may fall on the shoulders of Mitchell and the passing attack for the 2018 campaign.

Defense

Alex Singleton was the standout player on defence for the club last season. His outstanding form was recognised as he won both the Stampeders’ team award for CFL’s Most Outstanding Player along with the club’s CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian Award. Singleton notched 125 tackles and four sacks over the course of the season. He recovered a fumble in the Grey Cup, highlighting his value across the board. Dickenson will be looking for the linebacker to lead the defensive unit to another stout season.

Calgary’s pass-rush has taken a massive hit with the departure of four-time CFL All-Star Charleston Hughes. He led the team in sacks with 11 quarterback takedowns last term but he was traded away by general manager John Hufnagel. However, both Micah Johnson and Ja’Gared Davis both remain on the defensive line, coming off impressive seasons of production. Johnson has been named an All-Star in his last two terms, while Davis had nine sacks last term. Following Hughes departure, the form of the duo will be more important than ever to the Stampeders, while the club will also be active during the CFL Draft to add talent.

In the secondary, Shaquille Richardson and Ciante Evans were the standouts. The latter led the team in interceptions with five over the course of the campaign, while Richardson snagged four. The unit has remained intact from their Grey Cup defeat, although they struggled with the speed of DeVier Posey in the contest as he racked up the yards with ease. That should provide the motivation for another surge to the Grey Cup this time around.

Future

Dickenson’s men have the talent on the roster to reach the title game for the third year on the bounce. The quality of their quarterback and the wideouts should strike fear into opposing teams. Although they’ve lost some key veterans – Messam and Hughes – from last term, they remain in a good place for another assault on the crown and this time to get over the line.

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