Special teams steadily improving

Stamps look to shut down long returns

For the special teams units, the beginning of the 2015 CFL season was a little more herky- jerky than the Stampeders’ coaches would have liked.

But, as the weeks have passed, they’re increasingly performing closer to expectations. Yet, they remain a work in progress.

“At the start of the year, we were trying to work through some things,” said special teams guru Mark Kilam. “We’ve had focal points every week to get better. Our goal every week is try to be consistent and improve the things we did well the week before. We had a good game last week and we’re trying to take the next step this week.”

The Stamps have been preparing for the mayhem that’s Mosaic Stadium and the winless Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday night.

Penalties on returns were a huge part of the team’s woes early on, but those, too, have been addressed. A growing familiarity with new rules could be one reason.

“We try to show them examples of what not to do,” said Kilam. “Different techniques to go along with how the game is being called. Every year, you’ve got to re- teach veteran guys and rookies how to play, and that’s what we’ve been focusing on. Our guys are committed to improving.”

“I believe the refs were calling it tighter at the beginning of the season,” said special teams ace Karl McCartney, “but now they’re letting us play. We had to clean it up because ( head coach John Hufnagel) is all about discipline. If you don’t clean it up, you’re getting a flight home. All the guys got the message and cleaned it up.

“We’re coming together nicely and hopefully we’ll continue to make plays and be more dominant,” he added, “because we’re used to being the top special teams and we have to work our way back there.”

One area of continued concern is long kick returns; Calgary has allowed four of 30 yards or more, which leads the league.

“Obviously, it’s a big concern,” Kilam said. “You don’t want to give up explosions on punts. It was something that we identified as a problem and we took the steps to work through it. Every week, we have the reminders of that and we’re striving to find our consistency in our game.”

An integral part of the Stamps’ package was absent on Wednesday, as returner Tim Brown was with his wife in the Sacramento area for the imminent birth of their first child. His contributions this season have been exemplary, as he leads the CFL in combined return yardage.

“What kind of an excuse is that? His first baby? Come on!” Kilam said with a laugh. “Football matters to Tim Brown. He’s going to challenge the cover team every time he has the ball in his hands. He can make one man miss in space. Our job as a return unit is to try to get him into the next level, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Meanwhile, the Roughriders await. They’re coming off a bye week and, despite the goose egg, won’t be an easy mark.

“They’re going to be fresh, they’re going to come out with nothing to lose,” said Kilam. “Whatever their record is, it’s not indicative of what kind of team they are. They’re a good football team. Their players know how to win and we’re expecting a dogfight.”

“Oh, yeah, they’re going to be amped up,” said McCartney. “If you look at their players, they have great athletes. I don’t know if it’s bad luck or the football gods, but they should have won a lot of games they played. So you can’t take them lightly.

“We’re going to have to raise our intensity. We’ll have to try to smack them in the mouth and see what happens.

“And they’ve got the 13th man there, that doesn’t help.”