CFL DIVISIONAL PREVIEWS

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This article was published 30/06/2010 (5639 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WEST DIVISION

Saskatchewan Roughriders

LAST SEASON: 10-7-1; first in West; lost Grey Cup to Montreal.

COACH: Ken Miller (22-13-1); third season with Riders.

THE BIG QUESTIONS: Can Brent Hawkins and Luc Mullinder step up at defensive end for John Chick and Stevie Baggs, a dominating duo which combined for 23 sacks before bolting for the NFL?… Will the Riders be stung by the losses of coaches Paul LaPolice, Jamie Barresi and Kavis Reed, all to the arch-rival Blue Bombers, plus the exit of GM Eric Tillman?… Can the Riders, who finished first for the first time in 33 years last season, repeat that feat and take care of some unfinished business in late November?

POWER GAME: No team gets more production from its foot soldiers than the Riders, a testament to their depth, their coaches and their management. QB Darian Durant has a superb array of receivers and home-field advantage means more here than anywhere else in the land.

FATAL FLAW: The Riders finished seventh in run defence last year and lost middle linebacker Rey Williams to the NFL. The addition of Barrin Simpson should help, but in a division that features Joffrey Reynolds, Jamal Robertson and Arkee Whitlock, shoring that run ‘D’ up will be critical.

ON THE HOT SEAT: RB Wes Cates. Consider this: through the first 11 games of 2008 — in which Cates was an outstanding-player candidate — he rushed for 1,015 yards (a 6.04-yards per carry) and had four 100-yard games. Since then? He’s had just two 100-yard rushing efforts in 20 games, has missed five contests and is averaging 4.7-yards per touch.

BOTTOM LINE: They took some serious personnel hits this offseason — and also added some weapons in Dominique Dorsey and Prechae Rodriguez — but in a division where every team has question marks, the Riders remain the most-stable outfit. Just like last season, however, expect the race for first to be a photo finish.

OUR CALL: 1st.

THE QB: Darian Durant — Turns 28 this summer and the West All-Star is poised to take a step into the QB elite category. He’s a student of the game, a leader and superb when the pocket breaks down (501 yards rushing) but must improve his 24:21 touchdown-to-interception ratio and cut down on the six fumbles he spit up last year.

Edmonton Eskimos

LAST SEASON: 9-9; third in West; lost to Calgary in West Semi-Final.

COACH: Richie Hall (9-9); second season with Eskimos.

THE BIG QUESTIONS: Can Hall also handle the defensive coordinator chores he has taken on this year?… How quickly can the Esks revamped secondary come together, especially with B.C., Montreal and Saskatchewan their first three opponents?… Is Kevin Strasser the right fit at offensive coordinator after Rick Worman was whacked mid-season a year ago?

POWER GAME: With Ricky Ray at QB and Arkee Whitlock having emerged as a ground threat the Esks have all the pieces to field a balanced attack. Getting Kelly Campbell back from the NFL makes this potent offence even deadlier.

FATAL FLAW: No team gave up more passing yardage than the Esks last season and the secondary has undergone an overhaul by adding Lenny Walls, Chris Thompson and Lawrence Gordon. But that also speaks to a lack of pressure up front and Edmonton finished last with just 32 sacks.

ON THE HOT SEAT: GM Danny Maciocia. Patience with this regime is waning after a 24-29-1 record over the past three seasons. The Grey Cup is in the Alberta capital this November and the faithful in Edmonton want — no, demand — the Esks at least be contenders when the games matter most.

BOTTOM LINE: It’s not that the Eskimos did a whole lot of sexy things this offseason, but their rivals spent the winter trying to stop the bleeding. A consistent QB in Ray and a proven kicker in Noel Prefontaine could go a long way to a home playoff date.

OUR CALL: 2nd.

THE QB: Ricky Ray — His numbers are astonishing, especially considering the Edmonton offence has been so predictable for so long. Doesn’t turn 31 until October and has already thrown for 32,370 yards and 175 TDs. Memo to the good folks at the Canadian Football Hall of Fame: you can start working on Ray’s bust right now.

Calgary Stampeders

LAST SEASON: 10-7-1; second in West; lost to Saskatchewan in West Final.

COACH: John Hufnagel (23-12-1); third season with Stampeders.

THE BIG QUESTIONS: A revamped O-line has folks fretting about whether Henry Burris can make it to August alive. How DO they offset the losses of big hogs Dimitri Tsoumpas (Miami), Jeff Pilon and Jesse Newman (retired)?… Can rookie Rob Maver replace one of the top kickers in CFL history in Sandro DeAngelis, who exited to Hamilton with an 83.8 field-goal percentage?… The secondary will again see a number of changes and remains a work in progress. Can these guys stop anybody?

POWER GAME: So much offensive firepower with Burris playing pitch and catch with Nik Lewis, Ken-Yon Rambo and Romby Bryant and RB Joffrey Reynolds grinding it out on the ground. These guys can score with anybody and may need to with all the changes on defence.

FATAL FLAW: A lot of turnover for a team that appeared in the West Final. And when a good chunk of that turnover comes on the O-line and features a rookie kicker, that could be an invitation to frustration in what should be a dandy race for playoff spots.

ON THE HOT SEAT: DL Mike Labinjo. There’s just so much upside with the homegrown defender but that potential was wasted last season when he was too heavy and limited to just 10 games because his body broke down. When healthy and committed, he’s a force.

BOTTOM LINE: Could finish anywhere from first to fourth, but this team had seven games decided by a field goal or less last season and trading Maver for DeAngelis is a huge risk.

OUR CALL: 3rd.

THE QB: Henry Burris — Now 35, Burris continues to be one of the most prolific passers in CFL history. Get this: he has AVERAGED 4,535 yards passing over the last six years.

B.C. Lions

LAST SEASON: 8-10; fourth in West; lost to Montreal in East Final as crossover team.

COACH: Wally Buono (235-122-3); eighth season with Lions

THE BIG QUESTIONS: Can the Lions offset the losses of their leading rusher in Martell Mallett, fullback in Rolly Lumbala, receiver Ryan Grice-Mullen and defensive end Ricky Foley to the NFL?… Is it too early to panic about the O-line worries?… Who carries the mail? With Mallett in Philly, the Lions turn to Jamal Robertson, who had 1,031 yards for Toronto last year but is 33. Bigger question is whether Canadians Jamall Lee, Andrew Harris and Jerome Messam can make an impact in the rushing attack.

POWER GAME: Any receiving corps that includes Geroy Simon is deadly, but the aerial attack also features Paris Jackson, an emerging star in Emmanuel Arceneaux and now former Bomber Derick Armstrong. B.C. finished just six in passing last year before QB Casey Printers took over late in the season.

FATAL FLAW: Just like the Stamps, there are big question marks about the O-line depth. Adding Keron Williams and Davis Sanchez to the defence will help offset the loss of Barron Miles (retirement), but the Leos gave up the second-most points in the CFL last season and were dreadful against the run (eighth overall).

ON THE HOT SEAT: QB Casey Printers — He was phenomenal six years ago (35 TDs, 10 interceptions) before taking his NFL shot and flaming out in Hamilton. He’s saying all the right things, but there are still so many questions even with the remarkable resurrection of his career late last year.

BOTTOM LINE: Admittedly, a bit of a guess placing them here at the bottom given Buono’s track record. But there’s been just so much change and we’re still not sold Printers has changed his ways.

OUR CALL: 4th.

THE QB: Casey Printers — Since his coming-out-party in ’04 he’s been a complete bust, throwing 18 TDs and 22 interceptions. That said, he’s still only 29 and is the most-athletic QB in the CFL.

EAST DIVISION

Montreal Alouettes

LAST SEASON: 15-3; first in East; Grey Cup champions.

COACH: Marc Trestman (26-10); third season with Alouettes.

THE BIG QUESTIONS: Do the Alouettes get fat and sassy or will they become the CFL’s first repeat Grey-Cup champion since the 1996-97 Argos?… Here’s the annual question: what happens if Anthony Calvillo drops with an injury?… Did GM Jim Popp find replacements for three main losses in Keron Williams and Davis Sanchez (to B.C.) and kick-returner extra-ordinaire Larry Taylor to the NFL?

POWER GAME: Where do we begin? First in points scored a year ago; first in defence. Even with the offseason defections the Als can win a track meet with their offence or grind it out and win defensively.

FATAL FLAW: We’re really just nit-picking here, but losing Williams, Sanchez and Taylor will sting. And despite his gaudy numbers, we also wonder about RB Avon Cobourne’s durability.

ON THE HOT SEAT: Owner Robert Wetenhall/president Larry Smith — All the Alouette success means more NFL eyes are watching. Teams have been sniffing around Popp and Trestman for a long spell and after going 26-10 over the last two years and making two Grey-Cup appearances — winning one. The question is whether management can keep either one beyond this season.

BOTTOM LINE: Nothing to suggest this still isn’t the CFL’s elite outfit and capable of another 13-15-win season.

OUR CALL: 1st.

THE QB: Anthony Calvillo — Turns 38 in August, but he’s healthy and the slam-dunk Hall of Famer could play into his 40s if he wished.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

LAST SEASON: 9-9; second in East; lost to B.C. in East Semi-final.

COACH: Marcel Bellefeuille (10-15); third season with Tiger-Cats.

THE BIG QUESTIONS: Can this crew legitimately push the Als? To be the best you have to beat the best and the Ticats have dropped four straight against Montreal and six of their last seven with the average margin of defeat in those games a whopping 18.5 points… Signed Sandro DeAngelis to handle the placekicking after a so-so season from Nick Setta, but is Canadian rookie punter Justin Palardy the best option?… Can the Kevin Glenn-Quinton Porter combo work without any friction?

POWER GAME: Explosive options on offence include Arland Bruce III, DeAndra’ Cobb, Maurice Mann and Marquay McDaniel catching passes from Glenn, but the Greg-Marshall-led defence shouldn’t be undersold. This unit finished second in points allowed, upgraded in the secondary and features a ferocious front seven.

FATAL FLAW: Will miss solid offensive tackle Jason Jimenez (injured), are unsettled at kick returner and using a rookie punter. And as much as Mann and McDaniel have upside, they don’t have the resume of a Bruce III — yet.

ON THE HOT SEAT: Bellefeuille — It’s one thing to make a team competitive again, it’s quite another to take the next step into the winner’s circle. Expectations have changed in Steeltown and the boss, as always, is in the crosshairs.

BOTTOM LINE: They’ve become the sexy pick to close on the Als and make the race for first in the East competitive again. We wholeheartedly agree, but it says here they may also need to peek over the shoulder occasionally at the team closing on them from right here in River City.

OUR CALL: 2nd.

THE QB: Kevin Glenn — It’s his team to lead after wrestling away the starting chores from Porter and throwing for 1,652 yards over the last five games. A pure pocket passer with a lightning release, he’s working in a good system and has a solid set of receivers.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

LAST SEASON: 7-11; third in East; missed playoffs.

COACH: Paul LaPolice; first season as a head coach.

THE BIG QUESTIONS: Can LaPolice make the transformation from successful offensive coordinator to head coach? He’s spent a decade in this league as an assistant, but this is also his first stint as the head knock and we’ll see how he reacts to having every decision magnified… It’s about the offence — can this bunch go from a pop-gun attack to feared over night?… How much will the secondary miss Jonathan Hefney and Lenny Walls?

POWER GAME: The defence was on the field for an eternity last season, but does get after people and finished second in takeaways and first in interceptions. Fred Reid is emerging as an elite tailback and Jovon Johnson provides the spark in the return game.

FATAL FLAW: Absolutely awful passing the ball in ’09 — Bomber QBs combined for just a 47.8 completion percentage — and that’s a key reason while LaPolice was recruited. Some talent here, but a lot of questions remain unanswered.

ON THE HOT SEAT: LaPolice — He comes with a sparkling background and, if nothing, else Bomber fans want to be entertained not put to sleep by the attack. But he’s also the third head coach in three years and that Grey-Cup drought is what everyone is fixated on in these parts.

BOTTOM LINE: Should be improved and help make the East competitive again. Will chase Hamilton for second and attempt to prevent a West Division crossover in the fight for a playoff spot.

OUR CALL: 3rd.

THE QB: Buck Pierce — Tough as hell, gritty and oozes leadership. But he also takes some hellacious hits and that leaves him vulnerable to injury. Was 21-12-1 as a starter with the Lions and is still only 28. Consistent and accurate thrower with a career completion percentage of 65.2.

Toronto Argonauts

LAST SEASON: 3-15; fourth in East; missed playoffs.

COACH: Jim Barker (14-22); second season as Argo head coach (9-9 in 1999; 5-13 as Stamps boss in 2003)

THE BIG QUESTIONS: Cleo Lemon at QB? The former Miami Dolphin, now 31, has got a great skill set, but is new to the Canadian game and was so-so in the preseason… CFL rookie pivot, rookie tailback and rookie kicker — how patient will the dwindling fan base be as the squad undergoes another makeover?… Can the Argos push for a playoff spot or will they miss for the third season in a row, an embarrassment which hasn’t happened since 1979-81?

POWER GAME: Let’s see… we like the retro uniforms from a year ago and then there’s the, ummm… Seriously, the sweeping changes by Barker and his staff will serve the franchise well over time. Long-time Argo Mike O’Shea will improve the special teams and the O-line will be decent. But this team is 7-29 over the last two years because they haven’t really done a whole lot particularly well.

FATAL FLAW: The passing game is going to struggle, even with the addition of Jeremaine Copeland from the Stamps and there are just so many question marks at key positions all over the roster.

ON THE HOT SEAT: Owner David Braley/president Bob Nicholson/Jim Barker — There’s no quick fix here, but the Argos have to do something to make themselves relevant in this market again. Winning helps, of course, but the organization’s problems are deep-rooted.

BOTTOM LINE: Not good enough right now to be a playoff contender. But this thing had to be blown up and Barker dropped a nuclear warhead on the roster over the winter. They’ll be vastly better prepared and coached than a year ago, we’re just not certain the results will show in the win column.

OUR CALL: 4th.