Stampeders 1st team to secure playoff berthCalgary tops in both league, West at 9-2 this season
Head coach John Hufnagel hasn't always been satisfied with the performance of his Calgary Stampeders in games this season, but he can't argue with the results.
Calgary tops both the league and the West Division at 9-2 and is the first team this season to secure a playoff berth.
"We've won in different fashions, but we won as a team and that's the good part," Hufnagel said Monday.
"We don't always hit on all cylinders offensively, defensively sometimes we're on the field too much, special teams we're not as productive as we'd like to be, but as a team, one phase has been outstanding to allow us to peck out wins. That's essentially the sign of a good team."
The Stampeders have worked for their wins with a constantly rotating cast of characters. All CFL teams deal with injuries in a season, but the theme of Calgary's season so far is resiliency.
The employment of three different starting quarterbacks has been well documented, but the Stampeders have also been forced to cover gaps on the offensive line, at receiver and in the defensive backfield when starters went down.
It begs the question how much better Calgary would be if they weren't routinely plugging holes in their lineup.
"It's hard to improve under those conditions," Hufnagel said. "When you have new people in your lineup, then there's an adjustment period.
'We don't always hit on all cylinders offensively, defensively sometimes we're on the field too much, special teams we're not as productive as we'd like to be, but as a team, one phase has been outstanding to allow us to peck out wins. That's essentially the sign of a good team.'- Stampeders coach John Hufnagel
"Our offensive line has been a scramble all year long. I'm hoping that before the season is over we can get our five in there and get a couple games underneath our belt to head into the playoffs.
"Same with our quarterback position. With three different quarterbacks playing, it's the same playbook, but like I've always said, each quarterback brings their own personality."
Calgary's 26-22 win over Hamilton combined with the Saskatchewan's 31-29 loss to the Toronto Argonauts on the weekend allowed the Stampeders to gain sole possession of first place in the West.
A 25-7 Edmonton Eskimos victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers eliminated the possibility Winnipeg (2-9) could finish ahead of Calgary in a crossover playoff scenario. The Esks, last in the West at 2-9, also can't catch Calgary because the Stampeders won the season series between the teams.
Grey Cup rematchThe Stampeders host defending league champion Toronto, the East Division leaders at 7-2, on Saturday in a rematch of last year's Grey Cup. The Stampeders are unbeaten at home at 5-0.
Calgary's win over the Tiger-Cats on Friday was by no means a classic. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell struggled early, but marched the Stampeders downfield with two minutes remaining to score the eventual winning touchdown.
The defence that had given up 408 passing yards to Hamilton's Henry Burris sprang to life on the last drive of the game. Sacks by Charleston Hughes and Cordarro Law helped prevent the Ticats from countering with a winning score.
Mitchell, 23, was Calgary's third string quarterback in training camp. He's won his three starts with veterans Drew Tate and Kevin Glenn on the sidelines with injuries. He's also come onto the field to preserve wins when Glenn has gone out of the game.
While Mitchell entertained reporters in the Stampeders dressing room post-game, Glenn walked by chanting "All we do is win. No matter who is playing. We just win."
Hufnagel said he allowed himself scotch and a cigar post-game, but that was in celebration of his 62nd birthday.
One of the team's big recent improvements is in sacks, with 23 in the last four games. Hughes and Winnipeg's Alex Hall were tied for first in the league with a dozen sacks apiece ahead of Law with nine.
Receiver Maurice Price has also been an impact player since his return from a hamstring injury with four touchdown catches in the three games.
Running back Jon Cornish, who has achieved 1,000 rushing yards for a second straight season, and the consistency of field-goal kicker Rene Paredes, are the constants for Calgary this season.
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