THE CANADIAN PRESS
It’s been several days since the Grey Cup is over which means by now you have consumed just about every storyline from the game. Even though I was hoping for a Calgary win I was bummed out, just like many of you were, about that illegal block by Taylor Reed. That would have been a hell of an ending. But the right call was made so let’s move on.
We’ve seen the footage of the Stampeders celebrating in Calgary, we’ve dissected the ratings and we’re now in that stage where we speculate about free agency and the futures of individuals like John Hufnagel, Kevin Glenn, Nik Lewis and just who will be coaching the BC Lions?
So if you will indulge me I’d like to take a big picture look at the 2014 season and how it will affect 2015.
Let’s get the messy stuff out of the way. I’ve written about it several times, 2014 was not a great season. It’s fine to admit that, we’re all adults here. It happens in every sports league in every corner of the world. Now don’t get me wrong, 2014 certainly had its fair share of highlights. From the rebirth of Edmonton, Hamilton getting a new stadium to Calgary putting it all together in a memorable Grey Cup.
But this was a down year and really in so many ways you could see it coming. Let’s start with the main reason, quarterbacks. I’m not going over new territory here, the strength of a football league with nine teams that play in a pass oriented environment will always be its quarterbacks.
So let’s consider what 2014 was all about at this position. You had so many new individuals adjusting to the harsh realities that come with being the number one starter. You’re dealing with a completely different level of pressure and responsibility that you won’t find at any other position in any other sport. To become a winning quarterback, to become the leader and the face of an entire franchise takes time.
But the story goes beyond youth. You had injuries to All-Stars in Ricky Ray, Darian Durant and Travis Lulay. While the return of Ottawa was fantastic and long overdue it also meant an overall dilution in talent that was naturally going to affect the overall play of the league. Out of 167 total games there were only 32 occasions when both teams scored 20 or more points.
You knew this was a down year for offence when I spent most of it yelling and screaming for a defensive player, John Chick, to win MOP and in the end that award went to a linebacker (by the way, so happy that Solomon Elimimian won! Very deserving).
So at this point you must be thinking wow, Cauz is the ultimate Debbie Downer. But really I’m just going over the very simple reasons for why this wasn’t the best year. Again, it really was quite predictable and I believe it isn’t that big a deal. It is nothing more than the cyclical nature of sports.
I believe that this year had to happen. We needed an average 2014 to help set up the next generation of stars. This was an unavoidable growing pains year. Not every season is going to be 2008 when you had three players throw for over 5,000 yards.
In fact when you consider how 2014 ended I’m damn excited for 2015. Consider what we have to look forward to.
Jonathan Crompton grew by leaps and bounds as the season went on, and won a playoff game all the while playing under the massive shadow of Anthony Calvillo. Crompton is 27 years old.
Drew Willy had his ups and downs but he finished third in the league in passing and has given Blue Bombers fans legitimate hope for the future. Willy is 28 years old.
Zach Collaros came back from a concussion, looked great in the Grey Cup despite being under constant pressure and proved Kent Austin was right in jettisoning Henry Burris. Collaros is 26 years old.
Mike Reilly proved that 2013 wasn’t a fluke and that he can both put up big numbers and win games. Reilly is 29 years old.
Bo Levi Mitchell put an end to the quarterback carousel in Calgary and had his two biggest days passing in the two biggest games of his career, the Western Divisional Final and the Grey Cup. Mitchell is 24 years old.
Five quarterbacks, all thrust into the role of starting quarterbacks, all experiencing varying degrees of success and growth. They’re all under 30 years old. That right there is the best indicator the league is in good hands for years to come.
Now this doesn’t mean there are not challenges. For the league to enter into another golden era of passing there are two things that must happen, Ricky Ray and Travis Lulay need to come back healthy next year and we’re going to need some better pass blocking. Let’s start with health. I’m not worried about Ray coming back from his shoulder injury but at 35 years old you would be a fool not to be worried about his long term health. Injuries seem to linger longer once you’re closer to 40 than 30.
The bigger question lies with Lulay. That magical 2011 season (MOP and Grey Cup MVP) seems like a lifetime ago and has been replaced with bad luck and multiple injuries. It’s never a good sign when even Wally Buono isn’t sure about Lulay’s future. Fingers crossed we see the Lulay of old and not merely a better version of Buck Pierce.
As for pass protection I’m looking at you Winnipeg and Hamilton. If you want your young signal callers to flourish, you cannot be giving up 71 and 65 sacks respectively. I understand it is not all your fault, sometimes those passers like to hold on to the ball a wee bit too long but I’m guessing you would both agree that improvement is needed.
Overall how can you not be excited about 2015? Over 50 per cent of the league is being led by sub-30 year old quarterbacks who are all trending up. You will have the return of Darian Durant, the promise of a healthy Lulay and the presence of the always dependable Ray. Throw in a healthy Jon Cornish and Chad Owens and I believe offensively 2015 will look nothing like 2014.
My final thought is that Calgary winning the Grey Cup also will contribute to an excellent 2015 season. The Stampeders feel like the closest thing we have to a juggernaut. I understand there will be roster change and possibly a coaching change but no team has been better the past five years than Calgary.
This creates one of my favourite narratives: Can anyone take down Goliath? Right now the Stamps have a massive target on their back and I can’t wait to see the league’s response.
Hey Edmonton, you guys were fantastic this year. Except you went 0-4 vs. Calgary and got blown out in the playoffs. No one will consider you a truly elite team until you take down your Alberta neighbour. Also I bet there is much seething going on in Saskatchewan after the Riders’ quick exit from the playoffs. Everyone will be gunning for the Stampeders next year, I for one am fascinated to see how they deal with the pressure of being the defending champs.
Well that should about do it for my regular columns until the start of training camp. I may pop up every now and then when news breaks. Let me say how much I enjoyed covering the league for yet another season. I want to thank everyone at CFL.ca for letting me be a part a part of the CFL and for giving me the freedom to write what I want.
And of course to all you fans of this great game. Thanks for putting up with my sometimes shoddy spelling/grammar, my wild biases, 2000+ word self-indulgent columns and my frequent tangents and often crazy theories. It’s been a blast. See you soon.
