Stamps’ blueprint for 2018 shouldn’t change
In six months, the Calgary OT TAWA Stampeders will return to training camp and get back to work.
In a couple days, some of the players will probably be back in the gym and getting ready for next year.
Eventually, the bruises will fade and the wounds will heal, but the pain’s not going to go away.
There’s no use going over everything that went wrong here. Fans know about the fumble and the interception and the 109-yard Argos touchdown. So let’s move forward. Already on Monday, online betting site Bodog had the Stampeders installed as 3-to-1 favourites to win the 2018 Grey Cup. So at least there’s that.
But it’s going to take a herculean effort for the Stampeders to get back to the big dance in Edmonton next year.
Here’s a look at five key areas that may define how the Stamps do or don’t bounce back:
1. STAY THE COURSE
There were some crazy people who called for Dave Dickenson’s head after Sunday’s loss.
Let’s just get this out of the way: that is ridiculous.
Dickenson has been extremely adept in his handling of this Stampeders team during his first two seasons as head coach. His job should be as secure as any head coach in the league.
The Stampeders lost on Sunday. They lost in the Grey Cup a year ago.
There were some questionable play-calls late in both games.
But the Stamps got to the big dance for two years in a row. Most fan bases would love that sort of run.
It’s frustrating that the Stampeders haven’t won a Grey Cup in the last two years, but this remains an organization that’s extremely well-run.
The only way forward is to keep doing what works, and as disappointing as the Stampeders’ championship failures have been, their process works.
2. BE BETTER
With all of that being said, there are sure to be some lingering psychological issues from these biggame losses.
Every year is different and each of the Stamps’ season-ending losses in recent years have come with a different cast of characters and under very different circumstances.
And yet, it’s alarming that they keep happening this way, and you can’t help but think that it’s going to be harder for everyone to fully buy-in for another full season next year.
Or maybe not. Maybe the Stamps will be more motivated than ever, but everyone involved needs to sort through the wreckage of this loss and figure out whether there’s anything that can be done to limit the damage.
3. MESSAM’S FUTURE
Jerome Messam was very good in the Stamps’ two playoff games.
He proved the people who were writing him off after a slow backhalf of the regular season wrong. Messam still had lots left in the tank, it turned out.
But there’s no question the Canadian running back is nearing the end of his career. Does he have another year in him? He’d definitely say yes, but he’ll be 33-years-old and the list of running backs who have made a consistent impact at the age is very short.
The Stamps need to be planning for life without Messam, whether that begins next year or not.
4. NFL-BOUND
While the Stampeders haven’t released their list of free-agents yet, it’s understood that both Ciante Evans and Da Varis Daniels are out of their contracts.
Evans seems like a sure-thing to get a shot in the NFL. He’s 25 years old and has been one of the very best corners in the CFL for the last two seasons. Some team, somewhere in the U.S. is going to want to take a look at his suitability for the NFL game, and it could be a big loss for the Stamps.
Daniels, meanwhile, had high expectations coming into the season. Given his Notre Dame pedigree and his astounding rookie year, he seemed like a safe bet to make the NFL.
His 2017 season didn’t go quite as well, but he had a massive Grey Cup game and that could be enough to earn him a look with an NFL team.
Those are big holes to fill, and big opportunities for younger players looking to make their mark.
5. LOCK UP BO
This is similar to Dickenson. Some fans were furious with quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell for his late interception against the Argonauts, but those fans have no idea how lucky they have it.
Mitchell stood before the media and accepted responsibility for the loss while defending Kamar Jorden. It was a leader displaying leadership at a time when that was needed the most.
Yes, Mitchell has lost two straight Grey Cups, but other than that, all he’s done is win in the CFL.
Mitchell might want to explore his options in the NFL when his contract expires, but the Stampeders should do everything in their power to make sure that doesn’t happen.