Once again, the Calgary Stampeders and the B.C. Lions are going head-to-head for first place in the West. Many say the Stampeders aren’t nearly as strong as the standings suggest and that the Lions are the better team. Some even say B.C. is favoured to win the Grey Cup. Do the numbers lie? Can the Calgary Stampeders earn top spot in the West, even in the eyes of the critics?
Can the Calgary Stampeders Earn Top Spot in the West?
Top Spot by the Numbers
B.C. beat Calgary in week one, and Calgary won in week six in an overtime thriller. When the Stamps played the Ottawa Redblacks, supposedly an equally matched team, the game ended in a tie. And admittedly, last week’s win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders was sloppy at best. Calgary coaches and players all admit they didn’t play well. So it is fair to say the Stamps haven’t won as convincingly as the Lions have in their previous games, but they still have more wins. Stamps have only lost one and the Lions have lost two games.
According to the CFL, if you analyze both teams purely by numbers, the Lions marginally lead the Stampeders in total points, passing yards, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns. But the Stampeders have the fewest turnovers and fewest sacks allowed in the league.
When looking at players, Bo Levi Mitchell leads Jonathon Jennings in completion percentage at 65.4% and 64.2% respectively. B.C.’s top receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux has 540 receiving yards, while Calgary’s Marquay McDaniel has 526. And on special teams, Calgary’s kicker Rene Parades (24 field goals made out of 28) tops Richie Leone (13 out of 20). When looking strictly at stats, B.C. has a slight advantage over Calgary, simply with total points, passing and rushing yards. But what about the intangibles? Sometimes a team stands out for how they’ve overcome adversity.
Overcoming Adversity
No one can deny that Calgary hasn’t had its fair share of coaching and player changes during the off-season. When the season started, questions arose on how new head coach Dave Dickenson would do after John Hufnagel’s eight-year reign. B.C. has also seen a new head coach this year, but a familiar one. Wally Buono came back to the sidelines as head coach, after a couple of tumultuous years for the Lions in the standings. Both teams have also seen some of their top performers leave either by trade, free agency or by NFL aspirations. Calgary is luckier in that Mitchell has remained healthy, whereas B.C.’s Travis Lulay was injured early on in the season.
What gives Calgary a slight edge over B.C. in overcoming adversity is how Calgary consistently finds a way to win. Fans have seen the Stamps come back from large deficits only to come out on top. Or they win the game in the last minute and even in overtime. Even last week in Saskatchewan, Mitchell and the Stamps walked into an angry Mosaic Stadium after Mitchell’s whistle blowing on the Rider roster violations. The Roughriders arguably played a better game, but the Stamps still got the win.
So who’s the better team? Both teams are so closely matched in offense and defence. And both teams fans will debate until the end of time who’s better. Going into B.C. Place against a stingy Lion’s defence will not be easy for the Stampeders. But by Friday night, we’ll know if Calgary can earn top spot in the West, even against the worst critics.
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