THE CANADIAN PRESS
I know it’s only four weeks into a long CFL season, so it might be premature to be talking about who the league’s top team is. By record, it’s the Calgary Stampeders, as they’re the only three-win team to date. The defending Grey Cup champs haven’t made it easy on themselves, though, and that’s what spurred on this question for me. Is there a head and shoulders best team playing right now?
Rise up
The reason I ask the above question is because things have been so close early on this season. The Riders have lost all four of their games by a combined 12 points, while Calgary has won its three games by a combined seven points. In fact, how close things are at this point this season is rather different from what we saw one year ago.
If you remember, last season saw the West beat up on the East early on and it showed in the massive disparity in records. Through four weeks in 2015, we’re looking at a much closer and rosier picture when it comes to the standings. Let’s hope it continues.
So who is the best team in the CFL right now? For me, because they’re the champs, the Calgary Stampeders still hold that distinction, but it’s no runaway right now. The Stamps have found ways to win and in a lot of ways are fortunate to have the 3-1 record they have right now. That said, teams that win titles also know how to win close games. I think there’s something to be said about Calgary’s ability to do that early on.
The scary thing about the Stamps is they’re probably going to get better as the year goes along. Yet here they are racking up wins when they’re clearly not at their best. They’re setting things up nicely for another run at the West Division crown. Calgary has competition, though, with Edmonton and BC nipping at its heels with head-to-head matchups still to come.
The Stamps may be number one in the CFL right now, but several teams are on their tail.
The Eskimos look like they’ve put a rough Week 1 behind them. Edmonton’s two most recent games, both wins over Ottawa, haven’t really been close. Matt Nichols wasn’t as good in his second start of the season as he was in the first, but I still think he can win more games than not while the ball is in his hands. Defensively is where the Eskimos are shining right now, though, and we’ll touch on that a little later on.
That’s two straight impressive wins for the BC Lions, as they’ve already won their season series with Saskatchewan. Now at 2-1, they’re getting solid play at quarterback and look like they’ll be able to run a pretty balanced offence. We also tend to forget that the reigning MOP resides in Vancouver, too, with Solomon Elimimian leading a very strong linebacker group.
And don’t forget Toronto in this mix. I know the Argos are coming off a loss and now a bye week so they aren’t as front-of-mind as they were a few weeks ago, but I think they’re the most complete team in the East. A lot of attention is paid to their weapons offensively, but Toronto’s points against totals look pretty darn good through three games, too.
The Stamps are champs, so right now, I still think they’re the team to beat. Through four weeks, though, the Eskimos, Lions, and Argos are very much in the same category with them. And records aside, the Bombers, REDBLACKS, Ticats, Riders and Als aren’t that far behind.
Welcome to the party
After a rough opening salvo, it seems the Edmonton Eskimos have arrived defensively. The Esks have allowed 29 combined points in their back-to-back wins over the REDBLACKS, and they were frustrating the entire way through.
It’s tough not to tip your hat to what Edmonton has done against the run. In two games against Ottawa, the Eskimos allowed 91 combined yards on the ground and never really allowed it to be a factor. Could some of that be the quality of opposition? Maybe, but Ottawa is a much improved group, and the Esks made its running game look non-existent.
But it’s what Edmonton is doing in the passing game that has caught my eye just as much. This group looks more than ever like it’s a Chris Jones team. Just like when he was a defensive coordinator in Montreal, Calgary, and Toronto, Jones has a team that is based on speed, agility and versatility.
Jones has always wanted his teams to fly to the football, and he’s always put emphasis on foot speed when it comes to player personnel. As such, Jones has always been able to successfully plug and play. Guys can play different spots, and replacing a regular is made easier because of how important speed is.
Newcomer John Ojo is a nice example of this. The 25-year-old DB paid his dues and spent a good chunk of time on the practice roster before getting his shot to start this season. Two interceptions later and you’d think he knows something about Henry Burris that we don’t. The truth, though, is that Ojo is an athletic player who fits well in a Jones defence.
It’s another example of good scouting. Jones knows what he wants. Ojo is quick, as we’ve already seen, and even played some receiver in college. Jones is also looking for versatile players he can plug in at different spots. Ojo checks that box, too; he’s playing corner right now, but he spent a good chunk at safety at Florida A&M.
So, in other words, Ojo is a perfect fit on this Edmonton defence.
The real deal
I know the Bombers lost on Saturday night in Calgary, but that doesn’t mean everything is bleak. In fact, I’m liking Winnipeg more and more every time I watch it play. First off, the Bombers could have very easily beaten the Stamps had one or two things gone differently. Second, what they’re getting right now at quarterback is pretty special.
Drew Willy burst onto the starting scene last year and it didn’t take long for Willypeg to be born. Well, good news Bombers fans, your franchise player looks like he’s taken a big step forward this season.
I’ve always liked Willy’s confidence on the field. He’s never been afraid to throw the deep ball, and he did that nicely a couple times on Saturday night. We know the guy can fire it, and we know he’ll step up and take a hit to complete a throw. Those things haven’t changed.
Jamie Nye says Drew Willy’s time is now. Where does Willy stand among next-gen quarterbacks?
What is different, however, is Willy’s decision making. Plain and simple, he’s making better decisions and he’s become a more accurate passer. Willy connected on 63.8 per cent of his passes last year, a number that has jumped up to 77 per cent through a little more than three games this season. It’s easy to see why, too.
Pay attention to Willy next week in Edmonton. He works through his progressions so much smoother and it’s allowed him to use the entire field. Look at his 75-yard touchdown pass to Clarence Denmark in the first quarter, because it’s a good example. Denmark was at least the third, if not the fourth, option that Willy cycled through before deciding to pull the trigger. That wasn’t tunnel vision locking on a deep threat. That was a well-read field by a quarterback who truly looks like the real deal.
Quick hits
Call me the president of the Lulay Love fan club, because here’s another blurb about BC’s quarterback. We saw more of the Lulay we know come to play against the Riders on Friday night, and this time it was his athleticism doing the trick.
Lulay was the game’s leading rusher, picking up 105 yards on six carries. His 40-yard dash was vintage, and even if you take that out of the picture, a 65-yard performance on five carries looks pretty darn good too. Lulay is still getting settled back in as a starting pivot, but everything we used to love from him seems to be still there. When he truly puts it all together, watch out.
If you’re Rakeem Cato, you’re probably a pretty happy camper. As a starting quarterback, Cato is 2-1 with the Alouettes and just completed another solid outing on Thursday night. He wasn’t spectacular in a 17-13 win over Hamilton, but he didn’t need to be. For a young quarterback to be as mistake free as Cato has been in three starts is certainly impressive.
You’re also probably feeling pretty blessed if you’re Cato, too. Why? Well, because he’s got a pretty perfect group of receivers to help him get comfortable. In a brand new league starting games as a pro for the first time, having the likes of SJ Green, Fred Stamps and Nik Lewis in your corner is not a bad thing. So far, Cato has done a nice job relying on those vets to help him along.
