Steinberg’s MMQB: Impressive outings highlight Week 2

Week 2 was marked with some really strong individual performances on both sides of the football.  On top of that, the league’s only unbeaten team looked as cohesive as you’re going to see; while an offence we’re used to watching soar had major issues.  

All in all, we’ve got a ton to get to.

All guns blazing

Last week we made sure to highlight the defensive effort of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in their impressive victory over Edmonton.  The Riders defence continually set their playmakers up with outstanding field positioning, allowing Darian Durant et al to strike with solid efficiency.  

In Saskatchewan’s 36-21 win over Calgary in on Friday night, field position wasn’t much of an issue.

The Riders were just fine defensively once again in their home opener, but this time it was the Saskatchewan attack that took centre stage.  Against a very good Calgary defence, I sure did like how Durant moved the football and made sound decisions from start to finish.  

The Riders pivot was accurate and looked like the guy who was so strong to start and finish 2012.  This is the Durant they’re going to need in Regina to get back to the Promised Land, and through two games, so far so good.
    
Just like we wrote last week when referring to the Stampeders, it had to be encouraging to watch the key playmakers earn their keep at Mosaic.  No one is really surprised to see Kory Sheets or Weston Dressler put up gaudy totals, but it’s Chris Getzlaf who has been the early surprise in green to start the season.  

We all know the Riders receiver has the stuff to be a top guy in this league, but he struggled with consistency and drops in 2012.  Through two games this year, he’s already matched his touchdown total from last season and looks to be a perfect target to stretch the field when Dressler is under wraps.
    
Let’s not forget, we’ve yet to see the debut of Geroy Simon.  If Simon can be an effective and sure handed target, and if Getzlaf can continue using his size and strength to separate like he has through two games, then watch out.  

Sheets is going to be a beast all year long, of this we have no doubt, and Dressler will be his usual dynamic self.  With two more effective options open to Durant (we’ll see on Geroy), this is Riders attack could be as potent as they come.

The right stuff

One of the biggest criticisms I had of the Eskimos during 2012 was their inconsistent use of Hugh Charles.  There were nights when Kavis Reed’s team would use their top running back early and often, and you would see a much more effective offence as a result.  

Last year, the Eskimos couldn’t figure out what they were doing at quarterback, and it baffled me as to why Charles wasn’t more of a consistent piece.
    
If you want more evidence as to why the Esks need to use Charles as a primary weapon in 2013, look no further than yesterday’s 30-20 victory in Hamilton.  With 119 yards and a touchdown on the ground and another major through the air, Charles showed us all why he remains one of the most dangerous and versatile threats in this league.  

Currently, he doesn’t get mentioned in the same breath as names like Sheets, Jon Cornish, or Andrew Harris.  The MMQB fully believes he would be if he were utilized in a similar fashion as that trio.
    
Just as they were last year, the Eskimos remain unsettled at the quarterback position.  Sure, they’re a little more set with Mike Reilly calling signals, but we’re not talking about a seasoned vet by any means.  

Sunday was just his second start as a true number one quarterback, so why not make life easier on him? Using Charles as Edmonton did in Guelph does just that.
    
Not only does using Charles on a regular basis allow you to attack on a two-pronged basis, it also makes the job for Reilly much less difficult.  We saw play action utilized plenty by Reilly on Sunday afternoon, and it opened up plenty of mid-range looks as a result.  

Calvin McCarty’s impressive first down catch and run in the third quarter was a perfect example of how defences have to adjust when Charles has been established.  The guy is good, and I hope we’re writing about Charles plenty as the season rolls along.

Perfect harmony

When Solomon Elimimian left the BC Lions following the 2011 campaign, I wondered how their defence would adjust to losing one of the league’s best field roaming middle linebackers. 
That worry was quickly put to bed as Adam Bighill emerged as one of the league’s best mike guys last year, giving BC a seamless transition from one guy to the next.  

That’s why so many were interested when Elimimian returned to the Lions last year.

While it wasn’t as seamless having both guys on the team in the latter stages of 2012, the start of this season has been pretty darn good with both guys on the field.  

Shifting Bighill to the weak side and getting Elimimian in game action for the first time on Thursday night gave us a good glimpse of how these two might work together.
    
Elimimian returned to his regular spot in the middle of the field, registering nine tackles in the process. He and Bighill, along with Korey Banks on the strong side, worked in tandem together very well, finishing with 13 tackles total between them.  

What intrigues me going forward is how rangy that trio can be.
    
We know that both Elimimian and Bighill can move laterally as well as anyone in this league, and they make it their mission to track down ball carriers with deadly efficiency.  

Bighill has about as much range as any weak side linebacker we’ve seen, and it looks like he’s got the green light to move pretty freely.  It just ups the opportunity for gang tackling in the middle of the defence, and having these two work together might very well mean a pretty solid reduction in opposing YAC totals.  

They’re two of our favorite players in this league, and despite Bighill’s injury, we’ll be watching them very closely.

Protection questions

So much of Montreal’s success the last decade plus has been based on the play of Anthony Calvillo.  

Yet, so much of Calvillo’s success has been thanks to one of the league’s best positional units.  The Alouettes offensive line has been above reproach for so long, and for good reason.  That’s why what we saw Thursday night was so astonishing.
    
In the Als 19-11 loss to the Bombers, Calvillo was sacked seven times while throwing a pair of interceptions and being held to just 121 yards.  It’s that first total, however, that makes many scratch their heads.  

Montreal has been top three in sacks allowed the last three years, with 34 being the highest total they’ve given up…over an 18 game season.  In two games so far this year, they’ve given up more than a third of that total with 12 surrendered thus far.
    
Are we talking about age catching up to them? That’s easy to say, but I don’t buy it.  Sure Scott Flory turns 37 next week, but he truly is the elder statesman.  Otherwise, no one on the Als offensive line is older than 30, so it seems far too convenient to point at that.  No, this to me seems like some growing pains under a brand new coaching staff on the offensive side of the football.
    
Not only is Dan Hawkins brand new to the CFL at Head Coach, but so is offensive coordinator Mike Miller and offensive line coach Frank Verducci.  It’s a brand new look in Montreal, and it looks like it’s going to take some time for everyone to get on the same page.
    
It would be foolhardy to write this unit off, however.  This front five has
been one of the CFL’s best for so long, and guys like Flory and Josh Bourke are savvy pros.  I do think the Als offensive line will be just fine, but how quickly is the question.  

For Calvillo’s sake, let’s hope we’re talking about a fairly speedy process.