Steinberg’s MMQB: Pivot storylines dominate Week 3

Week 3 of the Canadian Football League season saw all kinds of quarterback stories play out.  In a league driven by the position, I guess we shouldn’t be surprised, but it still was the thing I took most from the four games we saw this weekend.  One story gives us another outstanding career milestone, another raises questions for the next 15 games, and the other is an affirmation of what we already knew.

First and foremost

Before we get to those quarterbacks, though, top billing has to go the CFL’s only unbeaten team.  Darian Durant is a quarterback, of course, so I guess writing about the Saskatchewan Roughriders has a link to the theme of this article as well.  It seems you can’t write about the Riders without a reference to running back Kory Sheets either, and the MMQB really isn’t surprised to see what he’s done thus far. 

We wrote in the pre-season how it just felt like Sheets was poised for something even more special than 2012, and through three weeks of the season, it sure does look that way.  

Now can the league’s most explosive player keep it up?  That will be one of the more interesting stories to watch.

Overall, though, the Riders deserve all kinds of accolades.  They truly have been the best team to this point and they are full marks for their spotless record.  So what is different with this Saskatchewan squad when compared to the team that won three straight to start the season last year?  It’s a good question that deserves some further exploration.
    
In 2012, the Riders started the season very strong before a Week 4 collapse against the Calgary Stampeders started a bizarre six game losing skid and cemented the rollercoaster nature of their year.  

Is this year’s edition poised for the same type of disappointment? Or are they a better, more prepared group ready to take on all that comes with being a frontrunner? From what I’ve seen, I’d lean towards the latter.
    
Even though the 2012 incarnation of the Riders had given up just 37 points through three games (they’ve allowed 67 so far this year), it felt like a lot of their success came largely because of inept play on the other side.  Maybe it’s just perception, but in 2013 Saskatchewan seems to be the reason for ineptitude on the part of the opposition.
    
Take their 39-28 win over the defending Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts on Thursday night.  In holding the Argos to just three points in the middle two quarters, they also had Ricky Ray and company frustrated.  We saw a total team effort defensively, with Richie Hall’s defence dialing up all kinds of different pressure packages.  And while the linebackers were racking up sacks, quiet performances from John Chick and Keith Shologan helped the Riders shut down Grey Cup MVP Chad Kackert for really all but one big play.  

With Chick’s speed and ability to move laterally, it sure was a bad idea to run to his side of the field on Thursday night.
    
All in all, Saskatchewan looks scary, there’s no doubt about that.  They took control of their Week 2 game against Calgary at the most crucial stage, and they shut down the best team in 2012 for more than half of a football game one week later.  

They might just lose in Week 4, but I simply cannot see this team swooning like they did for an extended period of time one year ago.  They’re just that much better.

Smiling milestone

Quarterback Henry Burris continued to add to his outstanding career totals in Hamilton’s 25-20 win over Winnipeg on Saturday night, and he did so in pretty impressive fashion.  

While the perennial ageless wonder Anthony Calvillo continues to work out issues with a new offensive coaching staff in Montreal, Hamilton’s Burris moved himself into a tie for fourth on the CFL’s all time touchdown list with 306.  

He did so while putting together one of the most flawless games of his career.
    
At the age of 38, Burris threw just six incomplete passes while racking up 362 yards passing to go along with a pair of touchdown strikes.  He was crisp, elusive, and explosive in the victory and let’s not forget that he did it without his two most dangerous targets from one year ago in Chris Williams and Andy Fantuz.

It’s pretty amazing to think Burris has worked his way as high as he has on the all-time touchdown list when I think about it.  It has nothing to do with his skill or ability, but solely because of how quickly time flies.

It doesn’t seem that long ago when Burris was a little known third stringer behind Jeff Garcia and Dave Dickenson in Calgary.  It seems even more recent that he drew the (continued) ire of Rider Nation when he rejected Saskatchewan’s contract offer to join the Stamps following the 2004 season. 
Now with his third CFL team, Burris has had his fair share of detractors, but he really has been one of the league’s most consistent players. 

While there have been playoff disappointments, you can’t really argue that Smiling Hank helps teams win.  He continues to show the ability to get the most out of his receivers, and the guy hasn’t lost one bit of the competitive fire that has kept him in pro football for so long.  Good on him, and it’ll be interesting to see where he ends up on the all-time lists when he finally calls it a career.

Where do they go from here?
Kevin Glenn was not spectacular or spellbinding in Calgary’s 22-14 win over the Montreal Alouettes on Friday night.  You know what he was, though? He was the Kevin Glenn we’ve come to expect, and he was the guy who was so instrumental in helping an injury-riddled Stampeders team make the Grey Cup game last year.
    
The Stamps quarterback completed 22 of 28 passes against the Als, passing for a respectable 268 yards and one touchdown in his first start of the season.  He used Nik Lewis and newly converted Brad Sinopoli has his primary receiving targets, and did the job he was asked to do.  

Calgary isn’t looking for explosive, 400-yard games from Glenn.  They’re looking for a calm, composed, confident game manager who can make important conversions under fire.  That’s exactly what he did against Montreal.
    
So now what? Drew Tate’s status remains unknown heading into Calgary’s home date with Montreal this Saturday night.  The Stampeders starter missed Week 3 action with a strained forearm muscle in his throwing arm, thrusting his understudy back into the spotlight.  

Will Tate get the call once again if he’s good to go physically this week?
    
I would guess so.  Calgary has made no secret of their desire for Tate to be their starting pivot, regardless of how reliable and successful Glenn has been.  I understand the thinking, and I agree with it for the most part.  

At 28, Tate is six years younger than Glenn and still has a fairly impressive ceiling he has yet to touch.  Glenn, on the other hand, has forged out exactly what he is in this league.  I believe, and so do the Stampeders, that Tate’s ceiling is higher than what Glenn has attained.  The problem is, Tate has to play to get there.
    
2013 is the telling season for me.  Tate bristles at questions about the multiple injuries he’s suffered throughout his career, but they’re fair game.  Tate has never played a full CFL season and also battled through injuries during his college career at Iowa.  

However, I stop short at slapping the “injury prone” label on him because I want to see his second season as a number one play out.  So far, we’ve seen him miss one game.  If that’s the only game he misses, then that tag won’t be as accurate as some think.  If this storyline continues, though, Calgary is going to be faced with a decision.

Is it better to play the guy who you believe has more potential long term, even though he may be in and out of the lineup? Or is it better to stick with the more reliable, maybe more pedestrian option who will likely be good to go each and every night?  Let’s see if the Stamps are faced with those questions later on this season.

Underlining the obvious

Since entering the CFL, Lions quarterback Travis Lulay has been nothing but a success.  In his very short career north of the border, he’s won a championship, a Most Outstanding Player award, and has elevated himself into the elite conversation among playmakers in this league.  

What we saw on Saturday night in BC’s 17-3 win at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton is a perfect example of why.
    
In less than hospitable conditions, Lulay took his team on his back and was the driving force behind a dominant second half performance.  With just four points scored in the first 30 minutes, Lulay showed us his versatility in the second half of the football game, throwing a pair of touchdown passes but also keeping an Edmonton defensive group with their ears pinned back guessing.
    
It was tough sledding for Andrew Harris in the rainy conditions, and even though the Lions made sure they kept him a factor by putting the ball in his hand 21 times, it was Lulay who had the Eskimos running around.  

The Lions pivot rushed for 41 yards in the second half, even though he was starting to find much more success through the air.  It was his 41 first half rushing yards that allowed that passing game to become a much bigger factor after halftime.
    
I loved how Lulay continued to show no hesitation in tucking the ball and running it himself in the third quarter, even as things were starting to stretch a little bit.  By continuing to establish his rushing threat, Lulay effectively opened the field up and was almost singlehandedly responsible for the 16 points scored by BC in the second half.  

It was good stuff and surprised absolutely no one.   But, just because it’s typical stuff from the guy doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth a mention!