Season-opener: Alouettes at Stampeders

THE PREGAME

The Calgary Stampeders begin defence of their 2008 CFL championship on Wednesday night with a rematch of last season’s Grey Cup, a game that featured the Stampeders and the Montreal Alouettes. Calgary defeated Montreal 22-14 in Montreal to claim its sixth CFL title since the club was incorporated in 1945. It was Calgary’s first championship since 2001 and capped off a 13-5 season for the Western champions, which was their best regular season record since 1996 when they also went 13-5.

Head Coach John Hufnagel returned to the Stampeders after 10 seasons in the Arena Football League and the NFL and became the first rookie head coach to guide the Stamps to a Grey Cup win since Les Lear in 1948. Hufnagel was awarded the Annis Stukus trophy as the CFL’s coach of the year in 2008, becoming only the fifth Stampeder coach to win the award since its inception in 1961 (Jerry Williams – 1967, Jack Gotta – 1978, Wally Buono – 1992, '93 and Tom Higgins – 2005). Montreal went to the Grey Cup for the sixth time in nine seasons, the first time under rookie head coach Marc Trestman, but failed to win the big game for the fifth time (their only win was in 2002 against the Eskimos in Edmonton).

Montreal won the East with an 11-5 record in 2008 but lost both games played against Calgary — 23-19 in Montreal (Week 3) and 41-30 at McMahon in Week 12. The win for Calgary in Week 12 was the Stamps' second straight victory at the time and was part of a remarkable run for the Red and White that saw the team win eight of the last nine games (including the last four in a row) as the Stamps entered the playoffs as the league’s hottest team.

This is the fourth straight year the Stamps open the season at home and they are currently on a three-game winning streak in season-openers, beating B.C. 28-18 last year, Hamilton 37-9 in 2007 and Edmonton 24-14 in 2006.

The last time Calgary opened the season hosting Montreal was in 2003 when the Stamps lost 23-20 in overtime to the Alouettes. The last time Calgary opened the season at home versus their Grey Cup opponents from the previous season was in 1993 when the Stamps defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 54-34 after beating the Bombers 24-10 in the '92 Grey Cup. Calgary finished the 2008 season with a 7-2 home record and now sports a 20-6-1 record at McMahon over the last three seasons while Montreal was 4-5 on the road last year but is 4-1 in its last five games in Calgary. The Stamps also have played on Canada Day four previous times in their history and have posted a 2-2 record in those four games (a 22-16 loss to Toronto in 2005, a 32-12 win over Ottawa in 2003, a 21-20 win against Hamilton in 1998 and a 40-15 defeat at the hands of the B.C. Lions in 1987).

THE KICKOFF

Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. local time on Wednesday, July 1 at McMahon Stadium in Calgary. The game will be televised on TSN this week as part of a Canada Day doubleheader with the Toronto-Hamilton game preceding it at 5 p.m. MDT. TSN is once again the exclusive television broadcaster for the CFL will broadcast all 72 regular-season games this year as well as the playoffs and the Grey Cup. The game can be heard on the radio at QR77 (AM 770 on the radio dial and am770chqr.com on the Internet) and it will also be broadcast on the Internet on CFL broadband at www.cfl.ca.

THE OFFENCE

It’s the first game of the season so it’s a good time for a look at how the offence shapes up in terms of personnel for the upcoming 2009 CFL campaign. The Stamps’ offence scored 568 points and 58 touchdowns in 2008 so it’s not surprising that Calgary has made very little changes on the offensive side of the ball for this year. QB Henry Burris (#1) returns for his fifth year as the starting quarterback for the Stamps and is looking to build on the first 5,000-yard passing season of his CFL career. He also posted a career high in TD passes (39), received his first nod as the Outstanding Player in the Western Division and added a Grey Cu[ MVP performance to his resume. Burris cemented his status amongst the elite in the CFL at quarterback and was rewarded for his outstanding play with a four-year contract, ensuring the Stampeders of top-level play from the most important position on the team for the foreseeable future. Third-year QB Barrick Nealy (#17) will start the season at No. 2 on the depth chart while QB Drew Tate (#4) comes over from Saskatchewan, where he spent two seasons on the Riders’ practice roster.

Three-time CFL All-star (2005, ’06 and ’08) and four-time 1,000-yard rusher RB Joffrey Reynolds (#21) returns at running back again this year with RB Demetris Summers (#32) as his backup for the second straight season. FB Rob Cote (#26) makes the opening-day roster for the third season as a fullback. Third-year Stampeder RB Jon Cornish (#9) starts the season on IR. Calgary’s receivers comprise one of the best units in the league and they return intact for the 2009 CFL season, their fifth together as a group. SB Nik Lewis (#82) set club records with his fifth straight 1,000-yards season and 88th straight game with at least one catch in 2008 and is complimented at the other SB position by four-time 1,000-yard receiver Jeremaine Copeland (#80). WR Ken-Yon Rambo (#85) became the first Stampeder since the great Allen Pitts (1999) to lead the CFL in receiving as he complied 100 receptions for 1,473 yards and was named a CFL All-star for the first time in his career. WR Brett Ralph (#11), WR Ryan Thelwell (#3) and SB Jabari Arthur (#87) give the Stamps some of the best depth at Canadian receiver in the league. Arthur was recently diagnosed with a broken foot and will be place on the IR. Last season, the offensive line was the area of most change with four rookies making the team and only two starters back in their familiar positions. This year, 10-year veteran OT Jeff Pilon (#64) starts the season on IR as the only change to the starting five from the final regular-season game in November. C Rob Lazeo (#68) is back to anchor the line and will flanked by Calgary’s two outstanding second-year guards, Dimitri Tsoumpas (#67, the club’s nominee for rookie of the year in 2008) and Jesse Newman (#62). Imports Antonio Hall (#58) and Ben Archibald (#65) split time at tackle last year and both are back for this year as well as Godfrey Ellis (#61), Tim O’Neill (#66) and veteran Derek Armstrong (#60), who starts the season on IR for the second straight season. Former DT Randy Chevrier (#56) moves over to offence for the first time in his Stamps’ career to provide more depth along the o-line.  All in all, rookie Ryan and transplant Chevrier look to be the only newcomers to the entire offence from a year ago.

THE DEFENCE

Calgary’s defence led the CFL in points per game allowed (21.5) in 2008 but has not been immune to change like the offence has. Chris Jones returns as defensive coordinator and did a splendid job of moulding a young defence full of newcomers into the league’s best overall unit last year. Jones will have to get a repeat performance out of his reworked defence this year if Calgary expects to be playing in its second straight Grey Cup in 2009. Calgary employed four Canadians up front in 2008 and three are back in their familiar spots to start 2009. Mike Labinjo (#42) led the team in sacks with five, had terrific West Final and Grey Cup games and will start at DE with third-year veteran Justin Phillips (#44) backing him up while Miguel Robede (#95) finished the 2008 season as a starting DT. Juwan Simpson (#48) (who also started five games at DE in 2008) is the only returning import defensive lineman. Four rookies made the team on the d-line including imports DE Justin Brown (#91), DL Malik Jackson (#49) and DL Odell Willis (#98) and Canadian Alain Kashama (#97), brother to LB Fernand Kashama (#34) who starts the year on IR.

The linebacking crew will also have a different look to it as the team’s nominee for top Defensive Player in 2008, LB Shannon James (#23) is the only player back in his starting position from 2008. LB Dwayne Carpenter (#29) did start 12 games for Calgary in 2008 so James will have at least one familiar face lining up beside him. MLB will be filled by rookie Tray Blackmon (#30) while third-year vet Matt Grootegoed (#6) will provide depth at the middle spot. Marc Calixte (#37), Keon Raymond (#25, who can play in the secondary if needed) and rookie Tristan Black (#47) round out the crew. LB LeMarcus Rowell (#19) also starts the year on the injured list.

The Stamps have a CFL All-star in CB Brandon Browner (#27) to anchor their secondary, a unit that sees some change to it as well. CB Dwight Anderson (#33) remains on the other side to give the team a pair of excellent cornerbacks and S Wes Lysack (#31) is coming off his best year at safety. The defensive half position is a little more in flux due mostly to the injury of starter Brandon Smith (#28) who started all 18 games for Calgary in 2008. DB J.R. Ruffin (#8) continues his amazing comeback story at one DH spot (Ruffin played in only five regular-season games since 2007 due to a knee injury but started in both the Grey Cup and West Final in 2008) while returnee Milton Collins (#14) will battle rookies Davenzo Tate (#45) and Ronnie Amadi (#40) for the other DH spot.

THE SPECIAL TEAMS

Calgary enjoys a real strength in the kicking game with returnees K Sandro DeAngelis and P Burke Dales. Both are former All-stars, DeAngelis was All-Canadian in 2005, ’06 and ’08 (after leading the CFL in scoring with 217 points and field goals with 50) and Dales was All-Western in 2006. Calgary will miss Jon Cornish to start the season (Cornish led the team with 21 special-teams tackles in 2008), returnees Dwaine Carpenter (17 tackles in 2008), Matt Grootegoed (20 tackles in 2007) and Brandon Browner (30 tackles in 2007 and ’08 combined) can be counted on to pick up the slack. Markus Howell led the team in punt returns in 2008 and Demetris Summers finished sixth in the CFL in kickoff returns in his rookie season.

THE OPPOSITION

Like Calgary, Montreal’s success in 2008 means little change for the offence that scored the most points in the CFL with 584. QB Anthony Calvillo (#13) leads Montreal’s offence for the 12th season and is coming off his second award as the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player. Calvillo edged out Stamps’ QB Henry Burris for the award, passing for 5,633 yards (third best in his CFL career) and a career-high 43 TDs. At his disposal are the same set of weapons he utilized last season; RB Avon Cobourne (#6) is a dual threat out of the backfield as he rushed for 950 yards, caught passes for 607 yards and scored six touchdowns. SB Ben Cahoon (#86, 107 catches for 1,226 yards), SB Jamel Richardson (#18, 97 catches for 1,287 yards and a league leading 16 touchdowns) and WR Kerry Watkins (#81, 84 catches, 1,178 yards and 10 TDs) give Calvillo a receiving corps to work with that is every bit as good as the Stampeders’ gifted group.

Montreal’s defence has seen some changes, the most notable ones being the release of veteran LBs T.J. Hill and Reggie Hunt. Canadian LB Shea Emry (#35) steps into the middle and former DB Chip Cox (#11) moves up to linebacker,  joining LB Diamond Ferri (#40) to round out the corps. The d-line is a strength with all four starters returning highlighted by former Stampeders DT Keron Williams (#90, 10 sacks in 2008) and DE Anwar Stewart (#9, 2004 CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player). Another former Stampeder leads the secondary in CB Davis Sanchez (#2), joining four-year pro CB Mark Estelle (#31) at the corners while Montreal will start two rookies at the defensive half spots in DB Billy Parker (#17) and DB Jerald Brown (#39). Montreal boasts the best kicker east of Calgary in Damon Duval (#15); he finished second in league scoring with 206 points and fourth in field goal percentage at 83.0.

THE NUMBERS

The stats from a year ago suggest this will be a tight contest and you need to look no further than the scores of the three contests for proof. Calgary won all three games in 2008 (including the Grey Cup), but only by a combined margin of 21 points. Offensively, the two teams finished one-two in points scored, touchdowns scored, first downs, total offence, fewest interceptions, and one–three in sacks allowed. Montreal led the league with an average of 32.4 points per game scored, 63 touchdowns scored, 428.8 yards of offence per game, and allowed a league-low 22 sacks. Calgary was second with 31.6 points per game scored, 58 majors, 411.6 yards per game of offence, and was third in sacks allowed with 30 but led the CFL in fewest interceptions thrown with 14 (compared to Montreal’s 15).

Defensively, it’s almost as close between these two divisional champs. Calgary led the CFL in points allowed with 21.5 followed by Montreal in second with 23.5 points per game allowed. Calgary ranked second in offence allowed with 356 yards per game but Montreal was sixth at 396 yards. The two teams are first and second in run defence (Calgary leads the way at 89.7 yards followed by Montreal at 99.6 yards) but both ranked in the bottom half in pass defence with Calgary at fifth and Montreal at seventh; 291 yards allowed for Calgary and 318 yards for Montreal. Montreal does have the edge in sacks with 43 (second in the league) to Calgary’s 33 while Calgary led in interceptions with 19 to Montreal’s 18. The stats definitely suggest a close, high-scoring game, much like the 41-30 contest won by Calgary at home last year.

THE OTHER GAMES

As mentioned earlier, the Argos travel to Hamilton on Wednesday as the first game on opening day followed by the Bombers and the Eskimos from Commonwealth in Edmonton on Thursday night. The first Friday Night Football game of the 2009 season features a rematch of the West Final from 2008 as the B.C. Lions visit the Roughriders in Regina. The Lions won that game 33-12 before moving on to the West Final versus Calgary.

THE EXTRAS  

When Calgary and Montreal face each other in Week 1, the game will feature two of the only three teams in the CFL to have the same head coach and quarterback combination that started the 2008 season. Calgary, of course, is coached by John Hufnagel and quarterbacked by Henry Burris and Montreal features second-year head coach Marc Trestman and all-time leading passer Anthony Calvillo. The Lions are the only other team to have the same two men in those positions in former Stampeders boss Wally Buono and fifth-year QB Buck Pierce. All the other teams in the league have changed at least one if not both of the most key elements to any football team.

In the West, Edmonton’s Ricky Ray is back as the starting QB for the seventh season but has a new head coach in former Saskatchewan assistant and former Stampeder player Richie Hall. The Riders will have Ken Miller back for a second season in charge but he will start the season with Darian Durant at quarterback instead of another former Stampeder, Marcus Crandell,l who opened the season for Saskatchewan in 2008. In the East, Hamilton will have former interim head coach Marcel Bellefeuille leading the way with second-year Ti-Cat Quinton Porter getting to start the season as the No. 1 QB. Former CFL MOP Kerry Joseph (he won the award with the Riders in 2007) begins his second season as the Argos’ starting pivot but will have a new head coach in former NFL Europe Coach of the Year Bart Andrus (2005 with Amsterdam), Joseph’s third coach in just the short time he has been in Toronto. Winnipeg has new men in both positions, Mike Kelly comes over from his assistant job in Edmonton in 2008 to be head coach while one of his QBs with the Eskimos, Stefan LeFors, joins him as the Bombers’ starter. Over the last two opening weekends that have taken place (2008 and this season), there have been 15 new coach and starting QB combinations in the eight-team CFL.

— Written by Mike Hardiman