Menu
June 27, 2018

Heavyweight Battle

Ja'Gared Davis during a game in Saskatchewan on Sept. 2, 2017 (Photo by David Moll)

The scent of danger, warns Ja’Gared Davis, will be everywhere.

“It’s balance that makes them so tough to stop,’’ critiques the marauding rush end, looking ahead to Thursday night’s McMahon Stadium date against the Ottawa Redblacks. 

“No. 1, there’s Trevor Harris. A real leader. Always going to put his best foot forward. In my mind, he’s a master with the ball. Like a smart lawyer, if you give him a loophole, he’ll find it.

“He has a knack of making the right play, finding the right man, making the right throw.

“He takes what he can get. He’ll settle for the check-down instead of going for the home run, setting things up for the home-run ball later.

“Then they have so many receiving threats. (Greg) Ellingson, (Diontae) Spencer, (Brad) Sinopoli. And (William) Powell is one of the best backs in this league.

“They’ve just got players across the board.

“For them to do what they did against Sask right out of the gate just shows what type of team they are.

“First game and they look like a well-oiled machine.”

In their 2018 opener eight days ago, the Redblacks showed no signs of needing to get the competitive kinks out, thumping the western interlopers from Saskatchewan 40-17.

“They always start out the year, in my opinion, fast,’’ says Calgary boss Dave Dickenson. “Seems like their offence is clicking, running the same type of stuff. Early in the year, there as tough a match-up as anybody.”

To the chagrin of the visiting Riders, the Redblacks gorged themselves on 459 yards in offence, Harris throwing for 345 of those and tailback Powell tacking on 94 more along the ground.

“They do present a lot of unique challenges,’’ acknowledges Stamps’ defensive co-ordinator DeVone Claybrooks. “You look at their key cogs on offence and they’ve pretty much all been on board since Rick (Campbell)’s been coaching there.

“With the weapons they have, you can’t really pigeonhole and say okay we’ve got to upload and stop the run or drop back in coverage.

“So you have to play them completely honest, which is a rarity. We do get a great look at that in practice with the balance of our offence, though.

“I tell you every week when you ask me – it starts with stopping the run and getting after the quarterback. Do those two things and I think we’ll be okay.”

Davis is set to make his second straight start following a frustrating time getting healthy through camp, opening his 2018 account at BMO Field in last week’s 41-7 pasting of the Argos with four tackles and a lone QB sack.

“I missed a whole lot of time, and to see my brothers out there battling during two-a-days during training camp, through the pre-season and then the first game was tough,’’ he says. “Who doesn’t want to be out there with their family?

“Finally being able to be on the field beside ’em last week was a great feeling. But I’m still so far behind the 8-ball. Everybody’s been getting prepared for at least a month straight.

“I’m trying to get the rust off. Trying to get this motor going. But it’s slowly coming along. I’ve just got to be persistent and keep going.

“The great thing about this team is that we all prepare as if we’re starting. We hold everybody accountable. When you’re out there, I expect you to go for two or three sacks, make that big play, cause that fumble, make that tackle in the backfield. And when I’m out there, everybody expects it of me. That’s the type of standard we hold each other to.

“That’s what makes a great unit.”

Thursday, the Stamps are aiming to open their campaign a pristine 3-0. The only time they’ve done that since 2001 happens to be four seasons ago, the year of their most recent Grey Cup triumph.

Directly in front of them, though, the scent of danger will be everywhere.

“Whenever we play ’em,’’ says Davis, reiterating the cautionary mode, “it’s always a battle right to the end. No blowout games. Just close, hard-fought games.

“Highs and lows for both sides. Big plays on offence, big plays on defence. You know coming in you’ve got to put your best foot forward.

“Like two heavyweights throwing punches. Who’s going to land the last punch or who’s going to withstand the last punch.”