To say the Calgary Stampeders have proven critics wrong in the early-season going isn’t strictly accurate.

Yes, it’s true there were many questions being asked about the Red and White heading into 2016. By now, you can probably recite the areas of concern mentioned by the skeptics from memory — new head coach in charge, star running back retired, stud receivers gone to try their luck in the NFL, veteran defensive players departed, etc.

However, in many cases the experts weren’t necessarily predicting the Stamps’ downfall as much as they were openly speculating about where Calgary would fit into a division that featured four coaching changes — including Chris Jones moving from the Eskimos to the Roughriders and Wally Buono returning to the sidelines in BC — as well as significant roster makeovers in Winnipeg and Saskatchewan.

One third of the way into the season, at least, the answer is at the very top.

After an opening-night stumble in Vancouver, the Stamps have rallied to go unbeaten in five games — four wins and one tie — and move into first place, a single point ahead of the Lions.

Head coach Dave Dickenson on July 21, 2016 (Photo by Johany Jutras)

New head coach Dave Dickenson admits he was one of the people unsure about how the team would get out of the gate after the off-season modifications.

“I’m actually surprised,” he said of the 4-1-1 start. “We had so many new parts — new players, new coaches, new personnel — I thought it would take us a little while to find our way. And it has, to be honest. We’ve just found ways to win.”

“I would say we’re a little bit ahead of where we thought we’d be,” agreed quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, who has thrown for 1,896 yards and 12 touchdowns through six games.

“Early on in the season, what helped us was last year going 3-2 (after five games) and then ending up 14-4. So this year when we win one, lose one and tie one (in the first three games), we didn’t panic. That’s the mindset we have in that locker room — no matter how the season begins, we know we can recover and we know we can go on a long stretch of wins. That’s what we’re looking to do right now.”

A team whose leadership was called into question because of the losses of Juwan Simpson, Keon Raymond and Randy Chevrier still had enough fortitude in Week 6 to overcome a late 15-point deficit against BC and record a thrilling overtime victory.

“We have a team that believes in itself,” said Dickenson. “We’re a team that has a never-say-die attitude. Our play will continue to get better and hopefully that translates into more wins. We’re still young. We’re still growing. We’re going to have some growing pains as well but we’ve got a good start and I think this team has the potential to be a real good one.”

A Stamps offence that was considered potentially suspect heading into the season because of the departures of Jon Cornish, Eric Rogers and Jeff Fuller leads the CFL with an average of 32 points per game.

The Stamps knew no single player would be able to replace the production of Rogers, who was the CFL’s leading receiver in 2015.

Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell during a game on August 4, 2016 (Photo by Johany Jutras)

“When you have a guy like that,” said Mitchell, “as a quarterback, you can lock in a little bit. You’ll see some throws that I made last year where I was trying to force it to Eric. Five-, six-man coverage and he was making the catch. That’s just the kind of guy he is.

“But if you look back at the film, there were times when I could have hit Quay (Marquay McDaniel) when he was wide open and I regretted not doing that when I looked back. It’s just a good reminder that no matter who you have out there, you spread the ball around. In the CFL, it’s a big field, man, so move the ball around.”

That’s certainly been reflected in the first six games as five different Stamps have been the single-game leader in receiving yardage.

Any concerns about how Dickenson would deal with the large shadow of predecessor John Hufnagel — now in the dual role of Stamps president and general manager — have been alleviated by all the evidence that Dickenson has continued to lean on Hufnagel for advice while still making his own imprint on the club.

In addition, DeVone Claybrooks has efficiently made the transition from defensive line coach to defensive coordinator while Corey Mace stepped into Claybrooks’ old position after retiring as a player. Ryan Dinwiddie, the only newcomer on staff, has seamlessly moved in and taken over as quarterbacks coach.

“We did the coaching changes the right way,” said Mitchell. “Those guys knew how it was going to happen and it wasn’t a surprise. I think that helps also with players. We knew Dave could be that coach and that guy to lead us.”

There’s still plenty of work to do and room for improvement, but so far, so good for the Red and White.