Saturday, June 03, 2006
CFL Preview: West Division
Here's a look at this year's Western Division in the CFL
BC Lions: The Lions looked well on their way to the Grey Cup last September, but then the wheels suddenly fell of and they lost 7 of thier final 8, including the western final to Edmonton. This year the QB controversy has been solved. The Lions will go to Dave Dickenson full time since Casey Printers has left for the NFL. On defense the Leos lost LB Barrin Simpson, but Korey Banks, who led the league in interceptions in 2005, was drafted from Ottawa. On the offensive side of the ball the Lions said goodbye to a pair of veteran O-linemen. That could be the Lions' Achilles heel if adequate replacements aren't found. That's because Dave Dickenson might be the best QB in the league, but he's also the most injury prone (except for Nealon Greene). If Dickenson goes down there will not be Printers to hand the ball to, only last year's third stringer Buck Pierce, who did see some limited playing time.
Calgary Stampeders: The Stampeders had a resurgent 2005 season under coach of the year Tom Higgins (say it without giggling to yourself). Both the "D" and the "O" were solid but unspectacular. The Stamps have added WR Elijah Thurmon and WR Darnell McDonald is back in the fold, so QB Henry Burris should have more targets this year. RB Joffrey Reynolds had a great first half of last season, but faded badly down the stretch. George White is already out for the season with a torn Achilles, so the defense takes a hit there. Calgary's pass defense was their downfall last year, but it doesn't look to be much better. Against the potentially explosive passing games of BC and Edmonton, the Stamps could find themselves reeling. After a few years of disappointing teams, Calgary looks to be back on track and could contend for the Grey Cup.
Edmonton Eskimos: The defending Grey Cup champions enter the season with a few question marks, but one question that has been resolved was the QB controversy. Jason Maas was dealt to Hamilton, so it's Ricky Ray's team all the way. The offensive line could be a trouble spot with the retirements of Kevin Lefsrud, Bruce Beaton, and Chris Morris, but people should remember that the latter two struggled last season anyway, so their replacements shouldn't fare any worse. RB Troy Davis will be here for the entire season, so the running game wont be the revolving door that it was in 2005. The Eskimos biggest strength will be the passing game, as Ray should not have any signs of rust this year, plus has a supremely deep receiving corps to throw to. The #1 ranked defense was largely kept intact as everyone who left, most noteably Joe Montford and Rashad Jeanty, had their spot filled by an adequate replacement.
Saskatchewan Roughriders: The Riders enter 2005 surprisingly similar to the team that finished a disappointing fourth in the west last year. Roy Shivers and Danny Barrett were expected to be handed their walking papers, but are instead back for another season. Call this year 7 of the "5 year plan". The biggest upgrade was at quarterback, with Kerry Joseph replacing inconsistent Nealon Greene. The Riders also added WR Jason Armstead, but in the process gave up last year's MVP candidate Corey Holmes. Also, Calgary signed away last year's receiving leader Elijah Thurmon, and veteran Travis Moore is gone, so the upgrade at receiver is minimul if at all. The defense was Saskatchewan's strength last year, and most key personel are returning so that is a bright spot. The player the Riders may miss the most is K/P Paul McCallum, who signed with BC. Often a target of the fans, the kicker was at least reliable, and decent Canadian kickers have been very hard to find lately.
Predictions:
1) Edmonton, 11-7. Ricky Ray will be settled in and ready to go this year, and will be supported by a solid running game. The defense is a year older, but shouldn't slip too badly. There are no noticeable weak spots aside from the O-line, but it was weak last year and the Eskimos still won the Grey Cup. Edmonton has the personel to win the west, as long as Danny Maciocia makes some better decicions this season.
2) Calgary, 10-8. The Stampeders may have over achieved a little last year, but they will be more mature and should maintain last season's second place standing. Henry Burris has not yet shown he's capable of taking a team to the next level, so this year will be a big test for him, because Calgary has a team capable of competing for the Grey Cup.
3) BC, 9-9. Personel wise the Lions look as good as anybody else in the league, but may still have the cloud of last season's disaster of a finish hanging over their heads. If Dave Dickenson stays healthy BC is a championship calibre team, but he's due to take another pounding with poor pass protection. My thinking is he will miss at least a few starts and Casey Printers wont be there to cover for him.
4) Saskatchewan, 8-10. Despite the upgrade at QB, it should still be noted that Kerry Joseph is still at best the third rated QB in the division. With no clear improvements anywhere else on the field, there's no reason to think the Riders will be any better than last year. So another season will pass with no playoff game at Taylor Field, but Shivers and Barrett will still be lauded as heroes for all there glorious successes in Regina. Keep in mind that the cross-over rule has been eliminated, so even if the Riders have a better record than 3rd place in the east, they still miss the playoffs.
Grey Cup: This will be one of the closest races in years with no apparent doormats or powerhouses. Since no clear favorite has yet emerged, I'll stay with the incumbent and pick Edmonton to return to the big game from the west. Hamilton looks to be the class of the east, so my prediction is that Ricky Ray and Jason Maas will go head-to-head for the Grey Cup that they both won last year.
BC Lions: The Lions looked well on their way to the Grey Cup last September, but then the wheels suddenly fell of and they lost 7 of thier final 8, including the western final to Edmonton. This year the QB controversy has been solved. The Lions will go to Dave Dickenson full time since Casey Printers has left for the NFL. On defense the Leos lost LB Barrin Simpson, but Korey Banks, who led the league in interceptions in 2005, was drafted from Ottawa. On the offensive side of the ball the Lions said goodbye to a pair of veteran O-linemen. That could be the Lions' Achilles heel if adequate replacements aren't found. That's because Dave Dickenson might be the best QB in the league, but he's also the most injury prone (except for Nealon Greene). If Dickenson goes down there will not be Printers to hand the ball to, only last year's third stringer Buck Pierce, who did see some limited playing time.
Calgary Stampeders: The Stampeders had a resurgent 2005 season under coach of the year Tom Higgins (say it without giggling to yourself). Both the "D" and the "O" were solid but unspectacular. The Stamps have added WR Elijah Thurmon and WR Darnell McDonald is back in the fold, so QB Henry Burris should have more targets this year. RB Joffrey Reynolds had a great first half of last season, but faded badly down the stretch. George White is already out for the season with a torn Achilles, so the defense takes a hit there. Calgary's pass defense was their downfall last year, but it doesn't look to be much better. Against the potentially explosive passing games of BC and Edmonton, the Stamps could find themselves reeling. After a few years of disappointing teams, Calgary looks to be back on track and could contend for the Grey Cup.
Edmonton Eskimos: The defending Grey Cup champions enter the season with a few question marks, but one question that has been resolved was the QB controversy. Jason Maas was dealt to Hamilton, so it's Ricky Ray's team all the way. The offensive line could be a trouble spot with the retirements of Kevin Lefsrud, Bruce Beaton, and Chris Morris, but people should remember that the latter two struggled last season anyway, so their replacements shouldn't fare any worse. RB Troy Davis will be here for the entire season, so the running game wont be the revolving door that it was in 2005. The Eskimos biggest strength will be the passing game, as Ray should not have any signs of rust this year, plus has a supremely deep receiving corps to throw to. The #1 ranked defense was largely kept intact as everyone who left, most noteably Joe Montford and Rashad Jeanty, had their spot filled by an adequate replacement.
Saskatchewan Roughriders: The Riders enter 2005 surprisingly similar to the team that finished a disappointing fourth in the west last year. Roy Shivers and Danny Barrett were expected to be handed their walking papers, but are instead back for another season. Call this year 7 of the "5 year plan". The biggest upgrade was at quarterback, with Kerry Joseph replacing inconsistent Nealon Greene. The Riders also added WR Jason Armstead, but in the process gave up last year's MVP candidate Corey Holmes. Also, Calgary signed away last year's receiving leader Elijah Thurmon, and veteran Travis Moore is gone, so the upgrade at receiver is minimul if at all. The defense was Saskatchewan's strength last year, and most key personel are returning so that is a bright spot. The player the Riders may miss the most is K/P Paul McCallum, who signed with BC. Often a target of the fans, the kicker was at least reliable, and decent Canadian kickers have been very hard to find lately.
Predictions:
1) Edmonton, 11-7. Ricky Ray will be settled in and ready to go this year, and will be supported by a solid running game. The defense is a year older, but shouldn't slip too badly. There are no noticeable weak spots aside from the O-line, but it was weak last year and the Eskimos still won the Grey Cup. Edmonton has the personel to win the west, as long as Danny Maciocia makes some better decicions this season.
2) Calgary, 10-8. The Stampeders may have over achieved a little last year, but they will be more mature and should maintain last season's second place standing. Henry Burris has not yet shown he's capable of taking a team to the next level, so this year will be a big test for him, because Calgary has a team capable of competing for the Grey Cup.
3) BC, 9-9. Personel wise the Lions look as good as anybody else in the league, but may still have the cloud of last season's disaster of a finish hanging over their heads. If Dave Dickenson stays healthy BC is a championship calibre team, but he's due to take another pounding with poor pass protection. My thinking is he will miss at least a few starts and Casey Printers wont be there to cover for him.
4) Saskatchewan, 8-10. Despite the upgrade at QB, it should still be noted that Kerry Joseph is still at best the third rated QB in the division. With no clear improvements anywhere else on the field, there's no reason to think the Riders will be any better than last year. So another season will pass with no playoff game at Taylor Field, but Shivers and Barrett will still be lauded as heroes for all there glorious successes in Regina. Keep in mind that the cross-over rule has been eliminated, so even if the Riders have a better record than 3rd place in the east, they still miss the playoffs.
Grey Cup: This will be one of the closest races in years with no apparent doormats or powerhouses. Since no clear favorite has yet emerged, I'll stay with the incumbent and pick Edmonton to return to the big game from the west. Hamilton looks to be the class of the east, so my prediction is that Ricky Ray and Jason Maas will go head-to-head for the Grey Cup that they both won last year.
Comments:
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I think that Roy sHIVers and the Roughriders are a very successful and well run organization.
Sincerely,
the Los Angeles Clippers
Sincerely,
the Los Angeles Clippers
# posted by 
: June 04, 2006
: June 04, 2006
Kyle, I didn't get this. Dad told me not to worry about it that anyone who knows football will understand. :-)
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