DOMINANT DEFENCE PUTS ITS STAMP ON CALGARY’S GREY CUP VICTORY
Turnover battle proved decisive as best unit in CFL carried its team to a title
You could argue it was slippery enough out there for the monkeys to slide right off the backs of the Calgary Stampeders.
But to be perfectly honest, it was the Calgary defence that tamed the beast. It’s what they did all season long.
They were the CFL’s most dominant defence wire to wire. They smothered opposing offences right out of the gate and the wins piled up. Calgary won seven in a row at one point, and they did it on defence. The West’s perennial powerhouse finished on top again at 13-5 — and they got it done more often than not on defence.
So why wouldn’t the story be the same in the Grey Cup? They are who we thought they are. They beat Ottawa 27-16 on Sunday at Commonwealth Stadium in the Grey Cup.
Allowing 20 points or less is what they did all year long.
True, Calgary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell was named the game’s most outstanding player — throwing two touchdown passes and two picks — but that’s because offence is flashy and sexy and might have sold some of those 55,819 tickets that were purchased for this glorious Canadian kitchen party.
But defence wins championships. It’s right there on Page 1 of the big book of football cliches.
The Calgary defence won the day by making incredibly short work of the Ottawa Redblacks offence and whoever was wearing Trevor Harris’s jersey. The Redblacks quarterback threw for 288 yards, one TD and three crippling interceptions. He did not have a day to remember.
With two fumble recoveries and a turnover on downs, the Stamps won the turnover battle 6-2. A lopsided total like that one will pretty much guarantee that you end your season by hoisting the Grey Cup under a shower of red and white confetti in your northern neighbours’ house.
“It’s not a coincidence; everybody knows our defence is good,” said defensive back Jamar Wall, who had a pick, a knock-down and four tackles. “We pride ourselves on our defence. Our offence knows our defence is good. Bo comes up to us countless times and says, ‘Hey man, I appreciate you all.’
“Before this game was over Bo came up to us and said, ‘Hey man, defence won this game.’
“No one is naive or dumb or seeing things. We really know what’s going on and that’s what makes us a good team. If our offence is not doing well, defence is going to hold them. Defence is not doing well, offence is going to hold us.” Take Sunday.
The offence was doing just fine and Calgary was ahead 14-3 as the second quarter was inching to a close. Then Mitchell threw a gift of an interception to Sherrod Baltimore and suddenly the Redblacks were scrimmaging from Calgary’s 39. It was about to be a game again.
But three plays later, Calgary’s Jameer Thurman stripped Ottawa running back William Powell of the ball, Calgary’s Folarin Orimolade jumped on it and the Stamps’ defence had picked its offence off the frozen turf.
They did it time and again in the second half, continually snagging Harris’s lengthy, errant throws.
“We just tried to make him as uncomfortable as possible,” said Calgary defensive lineman Ja’Gared Davis. “You saw last week he was comfortable. He was the best thing smoking on the football field. That’s the type of player Trevor Harris is. When he has time he can pick any defence apart.”
Harris decimated Hamilton in the East final, throwing six TD strikes, but the Calgary defence was not some toothless tiger. They rose up, carried their offence to the finish line and ended a string of two Grey Cup defeats.
There were all kinds of heroes on that side of the ball. Junior Turner had the Stampeders’ only sack. Linebacker Alex Singleton led with eight tackles, because that’s what hedoes.
And how about cornerback Tre Roberson’s day? He had three knock-downs and an interception, five tackles and a forced fumble. And he wasn’t the game’s outstanding player because those are the kind of stats that somehow get lost in a Grey Cup.
He’s the grandson of the late, great Eskimos defensive back Larry Highbaugh. Grandfather would approve of a performance like that one.
Roberson is a rookie so he didn’t carry any emotional baggage into this game. But there were 27 Stamps who suffered defeat at the hands of the Redblacks two years ago and again last year when Toronto beat Calgary to ruin another dominant campaign.
They can all rest easier now. “I’m just awfully happy for the players. They’re the ones who have to face the music, mostly,” said Calgary GM John Hufnagel. “If they didn’t win this one, there would have been some really bad stuff said about them. So I’m very happy and excited for the players.”