Hop in a mental time machine, buckle up the calendar-crushing seat belt, and take a ride back. Waaaaaay back. To 1971.

The Thumper, peerless Wayne Harris, was marshalling the epicentre of the White Horse linebacking corps in 1971. John Helton and Dick Suderman were hounding QBs with the grim fervour of gangland leg-breakers collecting long-outstanding IOUs, while Larry Robinson, Frank Andruski and Howard Starks had things covered immaculately on the back end.

The late Jim Duncan was in charge in 1971. Ron Payne blueprinted the defence.

In 1971, soft contact lenses became available for the first time, Apollo 14 landed on the moon, and the Ed Sullivan Show signed off after 23 years on CBS.

It’s also the last time a Calgary Stampeders’ defence surrendered fewer points – 21 – over its opening four tests than the current group’s aggregate of 38.

And that edition would, in the final analysis, end a 23-year Grey Cup drought.

Yes, 47 years ago.

“1971?!” blinked the big man in charge of the 2018 rock-ribbed red-and-white resistance, eyes narrowing in disbelief. “You sure? I wasn’t even born yet!”

No, DeVone Claybrooks would not appear on this earth until six years later in Martinsville, Va., (complete with fashionably askew ball cap attached at birth, according to urban legend).

That’s how long ago you need scroll back, and conclusive evidence of just how splendid they’ve been.

Thursday at TD Place Stadium, the Stampeder D slapped manacles not even Houdini could’ve wrangled out of on the Ottawa Redblacks’ attack, suffocating Trevor Harris and Co. in allowing only 169 yards in total offence. And three measly points.

Over the off-season this defence lost an all-star cornerback and the franchise’s all-time co-leader in sacks and must currently make do without key figures the calibre of Tunde Adeleke and Jamar Wall.

And they’re still the Who’s Your Daddy? defence of the nation. As good as ever. Probably better.

“They’re doing a great job,’’ acknowledged head coach Dave Dickenson. “A lot of the rules are still set up to make it tough on the defences. It’s a team effort. We’re doing a nice job moving the ball, getting good position on special teams and then the defence is figuring out what they’re doing and taking the ball away.

“Pressuring the quarterback, good communication. I’m not sure we can keep the same numbers up but I do think we can play better. These guys understand that everyone will evolve. Offences will figure out what they’re doing a little bit more, try to come up with more plays.

“Never be satisfied. Stay hungry and go for it.”

Interior menace Micah Johnson – another monster night in Ottawa with three sacks, two tackles/forced fumbles Thursday – lights up like Rockefeller Centre on Christmas Eve when asked to qualify the enjoyment of playing in this particular group.

“Oh, it’s fun, man,’’ he replied. “Real fun. Just playing good team ball. Vibe-ing with the guys. On the same page. Showing up week after week.

“The camaraderie this year … I can’t say enough about it. A lot less distractions. A lot less personality distractions. Everybody together.

“I think we lost some of that Brotherhood last year. I don’t think we were as together then as we are right now.”

When asked if this could shape up as the best group in his six seasons as a Stampeder, there was no hesitation in answering:

“Yeah. Easily. No doubt.”

If the old hands are thriving in this environment, so are the young ‘uns, such as DB Tre Roberson.

“Exciting,’’ said the rookie, who snared his first CFL interception at TD Place Field. “What else can I say? We’re clicking. The pass defence has meshed with the pass rush. Everyone’s making plays within the scheme. If you do what you’re supposed to, know what you’re supposed to, we feel we

“Things happen. Things change. Fourteen games left. Nothing’s accomplished yet.”

That cautious philosophy would be music to the ears of Claybrooks, obviously a willing subscriber to the age-old ‘If something looks too good to be true …’ mantra.

“We were solid (Thursday) but I still wish we could have a few plays back,’’ he griped (softly). “Satisfied? At the end of November, that’s when I’ll be satisfied. We left money on the table. Four or five sacks. Messed up some coverages.

“May look like it’s easy but right now it’s just a grind.

“We’ve still got to keep putting in the work and the effort. But we’ve got the best staff in the league. Great continuity and we understand how to get the most out of our players and what players can grow in our system.

“What I love about coaching is you get young men and you turn them into grown men. You see the maturity level of Micah, who didn’t have a smidgeon of playing D-end, just outside linebacker in Green Bay. He gets here, first thing I do is throw him in at D-tackle and say: ‘Trust me. You gonna make money.’ Now he’s one of the most dominant players in there.

“You get guys to buy in and possess the versatility we do on the field, as a play-caller of the defence … there’s a lot available to you.”

Success against the visiting Montreal Alouettes on Saturday at McMahon would push the Stamps’ season-opening win streak to five, a franchise longest since reeling off seven on the trot (including two victories over the late, unlamented Shreveport Pirates and one each against the Memphis Mad Dogs and Baltimore Stallions) over two decades ago.

Another mental time-machine ride, to 1995.

Not quite so as far back as ’71, granted …