Stamps’ numbers sterling with home win streak at 16
Taming of the Lions was latest showcase for all three phases of the West’s top team
Another CFL game at McMahon Stadium, another victory. Ho-hum.
The Calgary Stampeders, by virtue of their 16th straight home win, bolstered their lead in the CFL’s West Division by dismantling the B.C. Lions 27-13 on a sunny Saturday evening.
That’s not the only streak still alive: It’s now eight games without a loss and 15 consecutive victories over divisional opponents.
What we learn about the 10-1-1 Stamps every weekend is the same thing — this is a pretty good football team, methodically working its way to the ultimate objective.
1 Consistency in all facets
The Stamps are doing big things and small things in every part of their game. There’s a typically huge defensive effort, a stalwart special teams performance and the offence doing just enough without being scintillating to keep the Stampeders train chugging.
“One thing we’re doing is we’re working extremely hard, and we believe in each other,” Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson said. “Playing together as a team — we’re not flashy, even defensively. We just make the plays.
“We need to play better, but I do think all three phases are working hard and doing the right things.”
Part of that consistency revolves around the health of running back Jerome Messam, who will be further evaluated this week after falling victim to a vicious helmet-tohelmet hit Saturday night.
2 Singleton continues excellence
There’s no getting away from it: Linebacker Alex Singleton is a oneman wrecking crew, a whirling dervish who is drawn to the ball. If he’s bucking for Most Outstanding Player honours, he’s going about it the right way.
He led all tacklers with 11 and added a quarterback sack Saturday night. He even managed to best the first purely defensive player to win MOP honours in 2014, Solomon Elimimian, who recorded 10 tackles on the evening.
3 Special teams are special
Any time you can hold the speedy Chris Rainey in check, you’re doing something right. Conversely, once again the Stamps’ return game, powered by the shifty Roy Finch, was a dominant feature.
“Our special teams group has been leaders,” Dickenson said. “Roy has had an amazing start to the season. We covered well. I have to give (punter) Rob Maver credit, too: He’s punting the ball with good height and he’s spotting it. It does hurt his overall average, but he’s doing the right things.
“Special teams, I think, is an area we’ve, in the last two years, put more emphasis on getting our roster a little more special-teams friendly, and that means getting the bigger bodies and the speed out there, and I think our group has bought in.”
4 Maver has wheels?
Who would have known this? In the fourth quarter, when Maver eluded a Lions player looking for the block and scampered 24 yards and the first down, it was the first time the Stampeders punter took off in a game since he was with the CIS Guelph Gryphons in 2008.
“In college, it happened twice, a couple of times in three weeks,” Maver recalled. “It’s a long time ago that I pulled and ran with the football.”
To many, it was the play of the game.
“It was a big play,” Maver said. “I’m not trying to pat myself on the back … if they block it, they’re probably scoring. Instead of being a tie game, we were able to make it a two-score game.
“I think everybody who watches me at practice knows I wish I could be any other position than punter, and that’s not because I don’t love my job, but football is so fun. I pretend I’m a quarterback all the time. So running was kind of fun. On the stat sheet, it looked great.”
5
Pressure, thy name is Stamps D-line
Pressure from the left, pressure from the right, pressure from the middle — Lions QB Jonathon Jennings was running from it all night long.
The Stamps’ defensive front was an ongoing concern for the Lions’ offensive line, which was no match and badly lost that trench battle. Apart from Singleton’s sack, Ja’Gared Davis, Micah Johnson and James Vaughters each notched one, while Charleston Hughes was constantly in Jennings’s face.
One thing we’re doing is we’re working extremely hard, and we believe in each other … Playing together as a team — we’re not flashy, even defensively. We just make the plays.