2015 Season Preview

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TheLionKing
Hall of Famer
Posts: 25103
Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Vancouver

Saskatchewan Roughriders


REGINA -- Darian Durant and the Saskatchewan Roughriders are thinking big this season.


2014 By the Numbers


Offence

PPG: 22.5 (5th)
Passing: 195.6 YPG (9th)
Rushing: 132.2 YPG (3rd)
Total: 305.1 YPG (6th)
Sacks: 49 (5th)


Defence

PPG: 24.5 (6th)
Passing: 245.9 YPG (5th)
Rushing: 115.4 YPG (7th)
Total: 331.8 YPG (7th)
Sacks: 61 (1st)
Interceptions: 19 (3rd)




Key Roster Changes

Additions:

LB Shea Emry
DB Keenan MacDougall
QB Kevin Glenn
DL Alex Hall
REC Nic Demski

Subtractions:

OL Dominic Picard
DL Ricky Foley
OL Ben Heenan
RB Neal Hughes
LB Brian Peters
LB Samuel Hurl



Important Dates



June 27 vs. Winnipeg
Massive buildup for a season opener + heated CFL rivalry = potential for a classic

Sept. 6 and 12 vs. Winnipeg
It's impossible to pick between the Labour Day Classic and the Banjo Bowl -- both will deliver.

Oct. 31 vs. Calgary
The second-last game of the season and one that could pose major playoff implications.



Key Statistic

2-7


The Riders' record last season without Darian Durant starting at quarterback.

That includes the Riders' 18-10 playoff loss, in which Kerry Joseph and Tino Sunseri combined to go 14-32 for 220 yards and five interceptions.


The Riders are aiming for a Grey Cup, as always, and the same goes for Durant – yet the veteran pivot has set a lofty personal goal: He wants to throw for 6,000 yards this season.

No kidding.

“I’m not joking,” Durant said in the off-season, asked about the milestone. “I think with anything you do in life, you should set your goals high. Students should strive to get all A’s, salesmen should strive to sell as many products or as many of whatever it is they sell.”

“It’s just a goal I set for myself – it’s not to take anything away from anybody else,” he continued. “Every team sets out to win the Grey Cup. That’s another goal. It’s just a goal that I have for myself.”

On the same afternoon the Riders earned a Banjo Bowl win over Winnipeg to improve to 8-2, Durant suffered a season-ending elbow injury to his throwing arm. The Riders struggled without him and wound up losing in the Western Semi-Final while Durant, fueled by the scene before him, rehabbed and vowed to return better than ever.

Durant and the Riders’ confidence should serve them well in the highly-competitive West Division where every team poses a threat heading into 2015, although confidence alone won’t do the trick. The team underwent a busy off-season marked by major underlying changes to the offensive and defensive schemes.

Defensive Coordinator Richie Hall was the first to go as Head Coach Corey Chamblin signaled a coming change to the outlook of the defence. On offence, meanwhile, the Riders parted ways with George Cortez, the brains behind the team's 2013 Grey Cup Championship-winning offence and Grey Cup MVP Kory Sheets.

This year marks a change in personality for the Riders, once a run-heavy team that will now find itself leaning more on the pass with veteran offensive coordinator Jacques Chapdelaine drawing up the X’s and O’s. Chapdelaine focuses on a pass-heavy offence with high-percentage completions and more attempts.

Durant likens it to ‘basketball on grass’, where the goal is to put the ball in the hands of the playmakers and let them do the rest.

“I love it,” said Durant on the new-look offence. “I think that’s what this game is about, when you have two downs to get a first down you want to get the ball in the hands of your playmakers and not hold onto it yourself.”

“The longer you hold onto the ball, the lower the percentages are of something good happening. I like the direction we’re headed in. I like the talent we have within our squad. I expect big things.”

The Riders have the tools to make it work. Weston Dressler, Taj Smith, Chris Getzlaf and Rob Bagg are among returning veteran receivers while sixth overall CFL Draft pick Nic Demski could play an unheralded role in the Riders’ offence.

Anthony Allen, Jerome Messam and Steven Miller are the running backs in contention for carries entering the season, while Head Coach Corey Chamblin has noted Allen's progression as a CFL back. The 26-year-old showed flashes in 2014 and if he can become the Riders' lead back, he may be a top breakout candidate in 2015.

"He’s changed his body and a lot of his habits because he’s mentally ready for what the CFL brings," Chamblin told Riderville.com about Allen, who arrived on the scene at the start of last year making the transition from playing both tailback and fullback with the NFL's Baltimore Ravens. Chamblin compared Allen's situation to that of Kory Sheets, who made a dramatic improvement from his rookie season to his sophomore season.

"Each day is not a new day to him," Chamblin continued. "I definitely think you’ll see that Kory Sheets change. Will he have as great a year? I don’t know that, but training camp will tell and then the season will tell.”

While the offence is surrounded by plenty of promise, the bigger question mark hangs over the defence, equally responsible for the Riders’ late 2014 season collapse. That unit was the worst it’s been since Chamblin took over as head coach, going from second in total yards in 2012 and third in 2013 to seventh in the league in 2014.

A change at coordinator and the acquisitions of Shea Emry and Alex Hall give the Rider ‘D’ a different look this season, but that unit will have to more closely resemble its 2013 Grey Cup-winning form if the Riders are going to stay afloat in the West.

If that happens, don’t sleep on the Riders in 2014 -- and especially don’t sleep on Durant, back in 2015 with a chip on his shoulder.
TheLionKing
Hall of Famer
Posts: 25103
Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Vancouver

BC Lions

VANCOUVER – It can be the less glamourous side of football but defence usually holds the keys to success.


2014 By the Numbers

Offence

PPG: 21.1 (7th)
Passing: 245.3 YPG (4th)
Rushing: 107.8 YPG (4th)
Total: 330.0 (5th)
Sacks: 53 (6th)


Defence

PPG: 20.3 (3rd)
Passing: 225.9 (3rd)
Rushing: 113.5 (6th)
Total: 315.9 (3rd)
Sacks: 46 (T-6th)
Interceptions: 14 (6th)




Key Roster Changes

Additions:

RB Shaquille Murray-Lawrence
DL Ese Mrabure-Ajufo
REC Austin Collie
DB Chris Rwabukamba
REC Lavelle Hawkins

Subtractions:

REC Seydou Junior Haidara
REC Kito Poblah
RB Stefan Logan
RB Tim Brown
QB Kevin Glenn
REC Ernest Jackson
DL Khalif Mitchell
DL Eric Taylor
DB Dante Marsh



Important Dates


July 10 vs. Saskatchewan
The Lions play their home opener in a key divisional matchup.

Sept. 18 at Calgary
The Lions and Stamps always play each other close, and this presents a tough road challenge.

Nov. 7 vs. Calgary
The Lions close out their season vs. Calgary in a game that could have playoff implications




Key Statistic

120-36



The point differential against the Lions over the team's final three games of the season, including a 50-17 loss to Montreal in the Eastern Semi-Final.


BC's late-season struggles likely played the biggest role in GM Wally Buono re-shuffling the deck a little bit, including hiring a new head coach.

Like the old saying goes, "defence wins championships," and that’s something that Adam Bighill is a firm believer in.

The Lions’ linebacker is entering his fifth season in BC after signing as a free agent in 2011. If there’s one constant that Bighill has always known it’s a dominant defence.

In 2012, only his second year with the club, Bighill was a featured part of a Lions resistance that was more of a wall than a defensive unit. He was named Defensive Player of the Week four times that season, one in which the team broke multiple records on defence and is known as one of the league's best groups in recent memory.

Yet such a vaunted defensive group, second-best in the West in 2014, was the same one that allowed 50 points in their playoff loss to the Alouettes. Because of the standings, the Lions had to play in a cross-division semi-final playoff game against Montreal. While the West was a much stronger division than the East, Bighill did not underestimate is competition. Rather, the team’s confidence simply couldn’t match what was being delivered on the field.

“Everyone was pretty excited we were going to the East to play," Bighill said in the off-season. "I think anyone looking into that situation would say the East is the optimal route with the West being so dominant last year and everyone would want to try going through the East."

“We felt confident and we didn’t take them lightly, because anybody can beat anybody on any given day – you’ve got to show up and play. For whatever reason things just really weren’t going our way. Montreal played a hell of a game and those types of things can happen sometimes.”

Now that time has passed, Bighill is able to reflect on what happened last season. The Lions finished 9-9 and would not have made the playoffs in the West had it not been for the crossover format. Throughout the year, it seemed that as soon as BC was able to string together some wins, the team would then drop its next few contests.

“I feel we played pretty well. We played sound fundamental football and we were maybe a little conservative in some aspects – we weren’t considered a really aggressive defence, where Montreal would be considered a really aggressive defence. I feel like we held teams quite well – we didn’t give up a lot. I feel like we were quite successful. Not the best we could be now, but we were pretty successful.”

Allowing so many points in a defeat can damage the psyche of a team but Bighill is using it as a learning experience despite still feeling stung. The Lions giving up such a high number of points is likely just a blip on the radar for this group, who have maintained a solid guard throughout Bighill’s tenure.

Still, the defence is comprised of 12 men, not just Bighill. Of course, one can’t mention that unit without bringing up the name Solomon Elimimian, the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player. Together, the duo combined for 11 sacks and two interceptions as one of the league’s most feared secondary pairs. Bighill believes it’s their comradery off of the field that allows them to be so successful on it.

“Solomon and I play really well together, we’re good buddies. I was super happy for his success during the year and he had an amazing season, played very well and was consistent in what he did,” said the 26-year-old. “He kept making the plays he was supposed to make – the plays that came to him, he didn’t miss them. That’s the mark of a great player, consistency. Always make that play 10 out of 10 times. Solomon showed that and that’s why he’s considered one of the best in the league.”

If Bighill keeps stressing the importance of team it’s because he knows the offence carries equal weight on the field. Especially after last season, many eyes of the league have been put on the health of quarterback Travis Lulay and running back Andrew Harris. Both struggled with injures last season and now are fully healthy entering the regular season.

The Lions are a prideful group and Bighill says it doesn’t matter which part of the team leads them to victory. The offence and defence support each other ‘through thick and thin’ and he knows that that they need to support each other and not point fingers when times get tough.

“Good things can happen when you stay positive and everyone’s working together and I think this year offensively it’s going to be a much different story.”

Bighill knows that the offence is the flashier part of the game because of the points they score but notes a unique set of circumstances last season that allowed for defensive players to be in the spotlight. Injuries to offensive stars like Ricky Ray and Jon Cornish allowed for players like himself, John Chick and Elimimian to put empasis on the defensive aspect of the game.

With a healthy roster and many important pieces staying in BC, the Lions are out to prove that last year’s playoff defeat was merely an aberration and not the start of a new norm. The team will be relying heavily on veterans Bighill and Elimimian to return the Lions to top defensive form
TheLionKing
Hall of Famer
Posts: 25103
Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Vancouver

Calgary Stampeders


2014 By the Numbers

Offence

PPG: 28.4 (1st)
Passing: 234.0 YPG (7th)
Rushing: 143.9 YPG (1st)
Total: 363.2 YPG (2nd)
Sacks: 26 (1st)


Defence

PPG: 19.3 (2nd)
Passing: 253.1 YPG (7th)
Rushing: 98.6 YPG (3rd)
Total: 325.3 YPG (5th)
Sacks: 50 (T-4th)
Interceptions: 29 (2nd)


Key Roster Changes


Additions:
DB Joe Burnett
DB Tevaughn Campbell
WR Lamar Durant
OL Karl Lavoie
LB Jasper Simmons


Subtractions:
DB Quincy Butler
OL Stanley Bryant
OL Brett Jones
DL Shawn Lemon
SB Nik Lewis
WR Maurice Price
WR Brad Sinopoli


Important Dates


June 26 vs. Hamilton
The Stamps open the season at home in a Grey Cup rematch.

Sept. 7 vs. Edmonton
Calgary hosts archrival Edmonton in the Labour Day game.

Sept. 12 at Edmonton
Two rivals turn the heat even higher with a rematch only five days later.



Key Statistic

11,250


The total number of career receiving yards for Nik Lewis during his 11 years with Calgary before leaving to sign with the Als this off-season.

The rest of the Stamps receivers and slotbacks combined career total? 3,834 yards, barely over a third of Lewis’ mark.


CALGARY – The cliché term said by or to any team coming off a championship season rings something along the lines of ‘the only thing more difficult than winning a title is defending it’.

Cliché or not, that is what the Calgary Stampeders have facing them in 2015.

Once seen as the team with all the parts but missing that killer instinct to put it together when it mattered, the Stampeders galloped their way to the league’s best record and a Grey Cup championship last season.

Sometimes they looked to be doing so with ease, if not for a scare on a late punt return in the Grey Cup game, proved to roll through the competition, even without their horse in the backfield, Jon Cornish, for half the season.

Cornish was there in 2008 the last time the Stamps won a Grey Cup, albeit in a far lesser role. Nonetheless it is experience like his that gives head coach Jon Hufnagel confidence in his team’s ability to withstand the moniker of being ‘the hunted’.

“I do have a group of core veterans that were part of that 2008 team that have the experience of trying to defend the championship,” Hufnagel said prior to the opening of training camp. “They have been working very, very hard in the off-season. I believe the mindset of our core veterans will help the younger guys in direction that we need to take as a football team to give us a chance to win some games and hopefully do some good things.”

Veteran leadership is exactly what a team poised to be in the playoff picture needs with a young head coach waiting in the wings and an even younger quarterback that has gone from backup quarterback to co-face of the franchise alongside Cornish.

Hufnagel will relinquish his coaching duties at the end of the season, handing controls over to Dave Dickenson. His general manager duties will remain intact and he can focus on securing contracts such as the one he and his quarterback agreed on in the off-season.

A statement made by both the Stampeders and Bo Levi Mitchell that the Texan is committed long term to being the leader of this team.

Mitchell signed a hefty contract extension that will see him through the 2018 season. A deal that coincides with his move to Calgary full time.

“It shows a great deal about what is important for Bo, and number one he wants to win football games. Number two, he likes the City of Calgary very much and he likes the Calgary Stampeders organization and he wanted to make a career and set roots in the City of Calgary,” Hufnagel said when he reflected on the off-season. “By signing this contract, he has made it very obvious to all the fans not only in Calgary but CFL fans all over that this is a young man that knows what he wants. Believe me, he may not be the highest-paid guy, but his banker’s is smiling.”

Mitchell will have a shift in weapons as it relates to which receivers will be on the opposite end of his attempts. Exception veteran Marquay McDaniel, pass-catchers that have been knocking on CFL stardom’s door such as Jeff Fuller, Eric Rodgers and Joe West will be leaned upon heavily. No more Nik Lewis or Maurice Price.

The defence is intact, the offensive line, not so much but either way Hufnagel could be leaving Dickenson with the best pressure situation of all when he takes over if everything goes as the Stamps plan: the task of winning a third straight championship.
Last edited by TheLionKing on Thu Jun 25, 2015 12:26 pm, edited 2 times in total.
TheLionKing
Hall of Famer
Posts: 25103
Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Vancouver

Edmonton Eskimos


2014 By the Numbers

Offence

PPG: 27.3 (2nd)
Passing: 245.9 YPG (3rd)
Rushing: 136.6 YPG (2nd)
Total: 363.8 YPG (1st)
Sacks: 46 (4th)


Defence

PPG: 18.9 (1st)
Passing: 206.7 YPG (1st)
Rushing: 95.9 YPG (2nd)
Total: 279.4 YPG (1st)
Sacks: 55 (2nd)
Interceptions: 21 (1st)



Key Roster Changes

Additions:

REC Kenny Stafford
REC Wallace Miles
OL Greg Wojt
OL David Beard
OL Danny Groulx
OL Alexander Krausnick


Subtractions:

SB Fred Stamps
OL Matthew O'Donnell
QB Pat White
DB Joe Burnett
REC AJ Guyton


Important Dates


June 27 at Toronto
It's technically a road game, but the Esks will play in front of a local crowd in Fort McMurray.

Sept. 7 at. Calgary
The Esks look to exorcise their demons in the annual Labour Day Classic.

Sept. 12 vs. Calgary
Vaunted rivals turn the heat even higher with a rematch only five days later.



Key Statistic

112



The number of receptions Adarius Bowman had last season, the highest total in the CFL since Jamel Richardson equaled that total in 2011.

Previous to that, Ben Cahoon also had 112 in 2003, while no other receiver eclipsed the mark since Derrell Mitchell caught 160 passes in 1998.


EDMONTON – There was nothing more Adarius Bowman could’ve done for the Eskimos.

After posting career numbers last season, the 29-year-old slotback was part of the team that lost the Division Finals to the eventual Grey Cup champion Calgary Stampeders.

For Bowman, he’s thankful for the year that helped him grow both on and off the field.

“There was nothing different that I did. The biggest thing was just coming into maturity. In this business that we play in, it’s when you’re given an opportunity,” said Bowman in an off-season interview. “I feel like I was given the opportunity to truly find my ultimate potential. I think Edmonton did a great job of noticing that and giving me the opportunity. This is my fifth year in Edmonton now. It’s a building process. I was satisfied with the way everything went.”

The Eskimos named Chris Jones as their head coach before the start of last season. For as large as the football world is, Bowman and Jones had already crossed paths.

Bowman, from Cattanooga, Ten., and Jones, from south Pittsburgh, grew up 15 miles apart. In middle school, Bowman played basketabll against a team coached by Jones. It was the confident mentality and discipline that the coaching staff instilled on the locker room that had Bowman excited to work with his new coach.

Still, the first impression Jones left on the Eskimos may not have been one of roses. Bowman recalls the team being worried about maintaining such an intense training schedule right out of camp, one which turned out to pay dividends for the club.

“Some were against the speed and the tempo and others were just trying to get better as a whole. We did go that tempo the whole year, and it made a huge difference from the years before that. The biggest thing was his intensity. I don’t think we were prepared for it, but we held to it and the leaders on our team showed up.”

The lessons Bowman learned during that training camp have turned him into one of those leaders. He’s realized that his maturity level as an eight-year veteran changed ever since returning from an injury three years ago and that he began to approach football differently.

“It’s very precious and you have to take advantage of the opportunities you get because it can be taken away from you at any moment. I feel like if anything was different, I came out from that injury stronger as a man and as a whole, so it’s making my game look better.”

For all the weapons that Edmonton has at its disposal, they are without a big name for the upcoming campaign after star running back John White suffered a season-ending injury in training camp. Despite that, the team maintains many of the pieces of last year’s second-ranked offence.

As much attention as the offence is receiving it is the Eskimos defence that should be the side of the ball to really strike fear into opponents. The team led the league in many defensive categories and allowed the fewest points per game.

If one message was clear for Bowman and his teammates it was that the best players were going to play. That’s what Jones was preaching when he opened training camp and that any veteran status or reputations on the field were going out the window. Everyone had to earn their spot.

“From day one in camp, every position has to be proven. He put our whole team back at stage one at the base and we had to work ourselves up,” said Bowman. “For me, that was different. Most of the time you get a new staff, they just overlap with how things were previously and they add their little pieces. I don’t want to say he tore it down, but he rebuilt what we had going on in Edmonton.”

Bowman credits the city of Edmonton for helping him in his growth process. He knows the Eskimos fans hold the team to a high standard. They do play in the City of Champions after all.

The relationship between Bowman and quarterback Mike Reilly is necessarily positive. Bowman calls Reilly the leader of the team and thinks that he is the best pivot for him at this point in his career. He credits Reilly for teaching him how to be a leader, a role Bowman now plays on the team.

“I’ve played with a lot of quarterbacks. Everybody has passion, but you can see it in him, in terms of how aggressive he is and his physical passion for the game. He’s going to give it his all.”

For some fans, it doesn’t matter how well the Eskimos do unless they show they can beat Calgary. Bowman is aware that the Stamps are the targets of the league but is confident in Edmonton’s talent level. He honours the fact that Calgary defeated them in the playoffs but has already moved past the loss.

“We’ve got a great base. I think our goal will stay the same and we’ll just build. We’ll continue to build.”

Edmonton is hoping that this is the year the building is complete.
TheLionKing
Hall of Famer
Posts: 25103
Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Vancouver

Montreal Alouettes

Solomon Junior Green is a strong, silent type. S.J. doesn’t get caught up with providing entertaining sound bites or filling up writers' quote books. Instead, Green walks the walk and let’s that talk the talk for him.


2014 By the Numbers

Offence

PPG: 20.0 (8th)
Passing: 210.2 YPG (8th)
Rushing: 104.7 YPG (5th)
Total: 294.5 YPG (8th)
Sacks: 31 (2nd)


Defence

PPG: 21.9 (T-4th)
Passing: 234.8 YPG (4th)
Rushing: 109.6 YPG (5th)
Total: 324.1 YPG (4th)
Sacks: 51 (3rd)
Interceptions: 14 (T-6th)


Key Roster Changes


Additions:

DB Chris Ackie
WR Samuel Giguere
QB Dan Lefevour
SB Nik Lewis
RB Stefan Logan
OL Jacob Ruby
SB Fred Stamps

Subtractions:

OL Ryan Bomben
WR Duron Carter
RB Steven Lumbala
WR Kenny Stafford
DB Geoff Tisdale
RB Brandon Whitaker
DT Khalif Mitchell



Important Dates


June 25 vs. Ottawa
The Als kick off the season hosting the new and improved REDBLACKS.

July 16 vs. Hamilton
Montreal will look to avenge the team's loss in the East Finals last year.

Oct. 23 at Toronto
This will be Montreal's last game against an East opponent during the regular season.



Key Statistic

8-2


The record of quarterback Jonathan Crompton once he became a starter mid-season.

Crompton began the year as the third option on the Als' depth chart but solidified himself and the offence mid-season to lead Montreal to the playoffs.


Montreal’s All-Star receiver goes about his business on the field with purpose; targeting and destroying defensive backs. During Green’s time with the Als he has racked up 368 receptions for 5,518 yards and 38 touchdowns. Over the last five years Montreal’s most dependable pass target has averaged 1,033 yards per campaign. He enters his ninth Canadian Football League season in 2015, all spent in La Belle Province. And as you can see, the 6-foot-2, 216-pound receiver has been consistently productive no matter who is lining up behind centre for the Als, be it Anthony Calvillo or anyone else.

That’s why the Alouettes wanted to secure Green’s services in the off-season. Letting him walk away as a free agent would’ve been devastating and created a large hole in Montreal’s offence. So General Manager Jim Popp signed Green to a three-year contract extension in January, before he could hit the open market. The new deal reportedly made No. 19 the highest-paid receiver league-wide and also the top-earning non-quarterback in the CFL.

“That was a very important signing from my standpoint. I don’t care what he makes, that’s not a concern of mine. I just care about what he adds to this football team,” Alouettes offensive coordinator Turk Schonert says.

Montreal’s first-year CFL play-caller explains that Green provides a tough matchup for opponents because of his size and quick feet. He doesn’t take long strides, so he can make sharp cuts. And even if you think you’re in good position on Green, if you put the ball up where he can go get it, he’ll do just that. Tremendously strong hands allow Green to high-point the football and secure the catch with a defensive back trying to knock the ball out.

“S.J.’s got a great history of making plays for this franchise,” Schonert says.

Another 1,000-yard effort in 2015 would put Green right up there with the best receivers to ever suit up for Montreal. Ben Cahoon sits atop the Alouettes’ all-time team receiving yardage list with 13,301. Red O’Quinn (7,699), Kerry Watkins (7,431), Jamel Richardson (6,598) and Hall of Famer Peter Dalla Riva (6,413) rank in that order after Cahoon. If Green put up a four-digit yardage total this season, he could jump in front of Dalla Riva and Richardson.

Surely Green doesn’t much care for individual goals, but the numbers he’s amassed are impressive. And no matter what offensive ideas are being put into place, Green always adapts and produces. He will be an integral part of the Alouettes' new offence if the unit is going to reach its potential. Schonert has put his personal stamp on the new scheme that has some similarities, but also varies from what Montreal did last season.

“I call plays differently and it is a system,” Schonert says.

Green quickly earns trust from new quarterbacks and coaches because he shows such an impressive catch radius.

“If you put the ball in his vicinity he’s going to catch it. He makes very tough catches, he can make catches in a crowd, he can make catches double-covered and he can make catches when it’s a bad throw,” Schonert explains.

If a defensive back has Green blanketed, he uses his innate ability to ability to get into a position where the ball can be thrown his way so he can reel it in.

“A lot of times you have to use your size and body, and when the ball is put somewhere you go up and grab it. It’s just like a rebound, you don’t know where that rebound is going to come off, but you have to see it and go get it. That’s like being a receiver when you’re in tight coverage, the quarterback has to throw it away from the defender and you have to go get it,” Schonert explains.

“S.J.’s pretty good at doing that.”

Should Montreal’s offence begin putting numbers on the board closer to basketball scores, expect Green to be hauling in quite a few “rebounds” for the Alouettes.
TheLionKing
Hall of Famer
Posts: 25103
Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Vancouver

Toronto Argonauts

TORONTO -- If the Toronto Argonauts have finally settled their situation off the field, this year is all about getting it done on the field.


2014 By the Numbers



Offence

PPG: 25.0 (3rd)
Passing: 280.3 YPG (1st)
Rushing: 91.1 YPG (7th)
Total: 354.3 YPG (3rd)
Sacks: 42 (3rd)


Defence

PPG: 25.3 (7th)
Passing: 250.0 YPG (6th)
Rushing: 104.2 YPG (4th)
Total: 331.0 YPG (6th)
Sacks: 46 (T-6th)
Interceptions: 13 (T-8th)


Key Roster Changes

Additions:

DE Ricky Foley
LB Brandon Isaac
WR Kierrie Johnson
RB Brandon Whitaker
RB Chad Kackert
DL Jason Vega
WR Dave Stala

Subtractions:

WR John Chiles
WR Jason Barnes
LB Shea Emry
OL SirVincent Rogers
WR Spencer Watt
RB Steve Slaton
RB Anthony Woodson


Important Dates


June 27 vs. Edmonton
The Argos 'Home Opener' is taking place in Fort McMurray, Alberta, far away from Toronto.

Sept. 7 at Hamilton
Toronto faces its heated rivals in the Labour Day Classic.

Nov. 6 vs. Winnipeg
The team says farewell to the Rogers Centre as it will play at BMO Field next season.


Key Statistic

3


The number of games last season in which both Chad Owens and Andre Durie were active for the Argos.

Durie wound up playing only four games because of injury, but his presence alongside Owens creates an attack that is hard for defences to plan for.


Highlighted by pending incoming ownership, the return of Toronto area native Ricky Foley and recent contract extensions for General Manager Jim Barker and Head Coach Scott Milanovich, the Boatmen are riding a tidal wave of confidence entering their 2015 season.

In short, they’re looking more and more like Toronto’s team.

York alum Andre Durie is healthy and back in uniform, reunited with fellow classmate Foley who was acquired from the Saskatchewan Roughriders in an off-season trade. Chad Owens is closer with the group than ever after moving his permanent off-season home from Hawaii to Canada.

The local pride resonating with the core of this football club is real. The Argos want to win for their city.

“Maybe everyone says that where they’re from, but I just feel that kids from Toronto and Ontario are just a little bit different,” said Foley back in the off-season upon his Toronto return. “Toronto’s a pretty unique city as far as Canada goes. We have a different perspective on things.”

There’s no doubting it played a role in the team’s unexpected run to winning the 100th Grey Cup Championship on home turf in front of all those Torontonians in 2012, and maybe this year the Argos can recapture some of that magic.

Yet despite all the feel-good storylines, there may still be some stormy waters left to navigate. It’s impossible to ignore the fact that Ricky Ray will miss the start of the regular season, potentially up to six weeks. As for the defence, we recall the fact that only a month ago the Argos switched defensive coordinators after the departure of Tim Burke on almost the eve of the CFL season.

And of course on that less optimistic note we’re reminded of an Argo team that missed the playoffs in 2014, despite Ray having led the CFL in passing yards. Oh, that sinking feeling – maybe it’s best to tamper expectations for now.

The Argos know what they expect and that’s a return to the post-season, which they missed by only one game in 2014, and then some.

“Last year was a learning experience for us and it’s not acceptable,” Barker, now entering his fourth season as a general manager only, commented in the off-season. “It’s not acceptable for us to not be in the playoffs and it’s not acceptable for us to not win the Grey Cup.”

“We’re focused on learning from last year and being able to put that knowledge forward this year into a quality year.”

Different but the same, the Argos are hoping that continuity in 2015 can be the key to a better season.

The recent sudden pitfall was never part of the plan, one that started out so well when the team won the Grey Cup in its first season with Milanovich as head coach and Barker as GM. After a winning a division title the very next year, the Boatmen seemed well on their way to becoming a perennial CFL powerhouse.

That sunk fast with a loss in the 2013 Eastern Final, while 2014 fared no better – an Argos season sailed off course with a slew of injuries and off-field distractions.

After winning five of their last seven games last year but still missing out on the post-season, the Argos return refreshed, refocused and ready to start anew.

“Obviously Hamilton for two straight years has gone to the Grey Cup, and that’s not acceptable for us,” lamented Barker. “We’re the last Eastern team that’s won it and we expect to be the next Eastern team that’s won it.”

Barker points out that the East Division is getting stronger, as the Ticats are just hitting their stride while the REDBLACKS have gone on an off-season talent binge. The Montreal Alouettes, meanwhile, returned to their elite ways on defence last season while also finding some late-season success offensively.

“The Eastern Division is going to be a very difficult division, and we get that,” Barker added.

But the Argos are no slouches either. It’s easy to forget that they were one late-season win against the Alouettes away from winning their second straight division title as opposed to missing the playoffs altogether.

While Ray starts the season on the shelf, the Argos have faith in emerging young backup pivot Trevor Harris, who’s had the benefit of developing behind a future Hall of Famer for the past three seasons. Harris should get a healthy full complement of weapons on offence that usually wasn’t available to Ray throughout 2014 after injuries sidelined Durie, Owens, Anthony Coombs and Jason Barnes among others for a good part of the season.

On top of recently-added veteran backs Brandon Whitaker and Chad Kackert in the backfield, Harris will also have sophomore Coombs to throw the ball to, a converted receiver taking on a role similar to Durie’s.

“He played enough to know what it’s like, so he’s not going to be a true rookie,” Barker explained, noting that Coombs should be a player the Argos can lean on. “He’s a guy we have high, high hopes for, and I think he’s got a taste of the offence now so Scott can be a little more creative with him with the things he does.”

Question marks clearly surround both sides of the ball, but with Jordan Younger coaching the defensive backs the Argos believe their young secondary is in good hands. Cory Greenwood anchors the linebacker corps while bookends Foley and Tristan Okpalaugo provide one of the nastiest pass rushes in the game (both finished in the top five in sacks in 2014).

A lot did go wrong for the Argos in 2014, and it’s possible that can happen again. Usually, like in any sport, a lot has to go right in order to win a football championship. With veterans Jason Barnes, John Chiles and Spencer Watt out of the equation, the Argos will hope that their talented core of playmakers can stay healthy.

If that happens, though, they can remain optimistic. Just like last year, a tight race is expected in the CFL East Division. The Boatmen expect not only to be part of it, but to navigate the way from atop.
TheLionKing
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Hamilton Ti-Cats

HAMILTON -- No matter how many times you knock ‘em down, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats just keep getting back up.


2014 By the Numbers



Offence

PPG: 23.2 (4th)
Passing: 269.7 YPG (2nd)
Rushing: 91.2 YPG (6th)
Total: 330.8 YPG (4th)
Sacks: 65 (8th)


Defence

PPG: 21.9 (4th)
Passing: 260.4 YPG (8th)
Rushing: 76.8 YPG (1st)
Total: 314.2 YPG (2nd)
Sacks: 50 (T-4th)
Interceptions: 17 (4th)




Key Roster Changes



Additions:
LB Byron Archambault
OL Ryan Bomben
LB Jonathan Langa
DB Johnny Sears Jr.



Subtractions:
DB Delvin Breaux
OL Marc Dile
WR Greg Ellingson
WR Samuel Giguere
OL Greg Wojt


Important Dates


June 26 at Calgary
The Ticats look to avenge their Grey Cup loss as they visit the Stamps to open the season.

Sept. 7 vs. Toronto
Hamilton hosts the archrival Argos in the always-heated Labour Day Classic.

Nov. 1 vs. Ottawa
Chris Williams finally returns to Hamilton in a game that could hold playoff implications.




Key Statistic

1,968


The number of combined yards for Brandon Banks last year, tops in the CFL. Along with leading the league in punt return yards, he also finished third in kick return yards to go along with five receiving touchdowns.


If Banks can improve on his production this season he will be a serious x-factor for Hamilton.


It’s a recurring theme in Hamilton that plays along quite nicely with this city’s blue-collar, Steeltown mentality – one the players and the coaches and seemingly everyone in the organization have taken to heart.

Pull out whatever old cliché you want: The Ticats play their best football when their backs are against the wall. They didn’t give up after slow starts the last two seasons out of the gate just like they didn’t throw in the towel at halftime of the 102nd Grey Cup.

They aren’t letting back-to-back Grey Cup losses faze them and you can bet they won’t be intimidated by a few – OK, several – key injuries as they get set to open their season with a tricky road test in Calgary, a Grey Cup rematch no less.

It’s a mentality Head Coach and General Manager Kent Austin has instilled upon his team from the very first day he arrived in Steeltown: Pay no attention to the depth chart because if your name is on the Ticats’ roster, you better be ready to play.

“We have a depth chart because we have to have one, but philosophically we don’t believe in that,” Austin told Ticats.ca this pre-season as the Ticats’ rash of recent injuries continued.

Nationals Spencer Watt and Linden Gaydosh were lost in the off-season to season-ending Achilles injuries, while Brian Bulcke and Luke Tasker were big names to go down throughout pre-season. Most recently the team announced Eric Norwood was hitting the six-game injured list, while Adrian Tracy, a backup who stood out in his first pre-season game, will also miss time.

But while the Ticats are down to their backups’ backups at some positions, Austin is confident in what he’s preached all along.

“We tell a player that if he finds himself on the football field playing in a real game, he’s expected to play at the same level as a starter,” said Austin. “That’s why he’s on the team – that’s why we chose him to be on our football team, because we believe he can play at that level.”

“We’re not going to create an artificial safety net subconsciously for someone to fail and have an excuse to fail,” he continued. “The expectations are the same if you’re on the football field for everybody.”

If the injury angle fails to rally the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, surely they can channel their inspiration from one of several other potential sources. For one, the team has played in two Grey Cup Championships in a row and feels as though it’s on the cusp of winning its first championship since 1999.

Then there’s the manner in which they lost in the final last year, rallying from a halftime deficit before having what appeared to be a game-winning 90-yard punt return touchdown in the dying seconds called back on a holding penalty.

“It was just so disappointing,” said veteran slotback Andy Fantuz, awarded the game’s Most Valuable Canadian in a somewhat sweet but mostly bitter post-game moment. “I was so upset for my teammates and we had worked so hard. I felt like we deserved it as a team and as an organization, and the community of Hamilton and all of our fans.”

“I thought we played really well and we turned it around from the start of the season,” he added. “I really wanted it so bad and it was disappointing.”

Fantuz returns this season off back-to-back Grey Cup losses for the second time in his career, having previously suffered such a fate with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He did win a Grey Cup with the Riders before relocating closer to home with the Ticats, and since arriving the 31-year-old has witnessed the rapid transformation of an organization into a winner.

Austin arrived in 2013 representing sweeping organizational change, taking over both the football ops department and the coaching staff. Since then he’s acquired and developed one of the league’s top rising star quarterbacks while building an offence that finished second in net yards in 2013 and fourth last season.

Fantuz won a Grey Cup with Austin in 2007 and isn’t surprised by the transformation that’s been witnessed in Hamilton.

“When Kent came he brought a whole different coaching staff and a whole new attitude to our team,” said Fantuz this off-season. “We really took to that and we all bought in. The players want to play for him.”

“I think he’ll be the first to say that it comes down to the coaches and the players and he says ‘it’s your team, you do what you want with it’,” Fantuz continued. “We rally around each other.”

“He has knack for creating a locker-room that goes from having a few leaders to a locker-room that is full of leaders, where everyone has a voice and everyone has a say and everyone can contribute in their own way.”

The Ticats are licking their wounds on defence while Luke Tasker will miss the start of the season at receiver, but one facet of the team you know will be ticking will be an offence led by second-year starting quarterback Zach Collaros.

The success of that unit will play the biggest role in whether or not the Ticats can justify their status as the favourite to win the East Division this season, and more importantly whether they can return to the Grey Cup for a third straight shot at a title.

Facing injuries and the growing pressure to produce this season, 2015 may provide the true test of a Ticat.
TheLionKing
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Ottawa RedBlacks

OTTAWA -- The Ottawa REDBLACKS may be the newest CFL team, but that doesn’t mean they’re new. Definitely don’t call them an expansion team.


2014 By the Numbers

Offence

PPG: 15.4 (9th)
Passing: 241.6 YPG (6th)
Rushing: 82.4 YPG (9th)
Total: 300.0 YPG (7th)
Sacks: 56 (7th)


Defence

PPG: 25.8 (8th)
Passing: 263.8 YPG (9th)
Rushing: 124.1 YPG (8th)
Total: 372.7 YPG (9th)
Sacks: 37 (9th)
Interceptions: 16 (5th)


Key Roster Changes

Additions:

WR Ernest Jackson
OL Alex Mateas
WR Maurice Price
OL SirVincent Rogers
WR Brad Sinopoli
WR Chris Williams
WR Greg Ellingson



Subtractions:

WR Dobson Collins
WR Eric Fraser
OL Alexander Krausnick-Groh
WR Wallace Miles
LB Jasper Simmons


Important Dates


July 4 vs. BC
Star off-season additions get their coming out party at the team's home opener.

Oct. 1 vs. Montreal
Ottawa hosts Montreal in a game that could have substantial playoff implications.

Nov. 1 at Hamilton
Chris Williams makes his Hamilton return in another game that could affect seeding.


Key Statistic

11


The number of receiving scores that Chris Williams hauled in during his last CFL season in 2012.

Last year, the REDBLACKS recorded 14 touchdowns as a receiving group. Williams will be a huge boost for the team's passing game.


“Be ready,” said veteran running back Chevon Walker, asked in the off-season about what kind of statement his team may look to make in 2015. “The REDBLACKS aren’t going to be anyone’s doormat.”

“We’re going to be ready to go.”

Coming off a two-win season in their inaugural campaign, the REDBLACKS set out this past off-season to show they should be taken seriously as a CFL contender. Considered a much better team on paper, now they just have to justify the hype on the field.

An off-season that generated non-stop excitement in the National’s Capital culminated with a disappointing pre-season, but the new season begins on Thursday and Ottawa is tied with everyone else atop the East Division standings.

Can this second-year REDBLACKS team combat the odds and become a Grey Cup contender? Walker thinks there’s no doubt.

“We have a shot,” said Walker, 28, about to enter his fourth CFL season. “Our chips are going to be real good. We’ve got some good checkers.”



Walker scored the REDBLACKS’ first ever touchdown in 2014, a three-yard run on his team’s first drive of the game to put Ottawa ahead 7-0 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The REDBLACKS lost that game and 15 others last season, and so far their biggest splash has come off the field instead of on it.

But after an off-season that included the addition of legitimate MOP candidate Chris Williams, among many other star receivers, the REDBLACKS are dedicated to changing that. Williams became the pinnacle of all off-season activity this past winter, choosing to sign with the REDBLACKS after two seasons away from the league.

The 27-year-old set return records in his first go-round with the Ticats before heading south to the National Football League. He returns to the CFL in the prime of his playing career looking to alter the fate of a young franchise.

In short, Williams could be an offensive game-changer for a REDBLACKS team that scored a league-worst 15.4 points per game in 2014.

“We’re happy to have a guy who’s so dynamic, not only as a returner because that’s where he’s so dynamic, but also as a receiver,” REDBLACKS second-year GM Marcel Desjardins told OttawaREDBLACKS.com after the signing.

“It’s going to add some interesting elements to what we’re able to do offensively.”

Greg Ellingson, Ernest Jackson, Maurice Price and national Brad Sinopoli are the other four receivers the team added this off-season, while SirVincent Rogers and Alex Mateas were offensive linemen added through free agency and the draft.

“We’ve got some good, tall, big star receivers; we’ve got a steady line; a steady defence; good interior guys,” said Walker. “We’re looking solid.”

Walker, meanwhile, could be as impactful as any of the REDBLACKS’ big additions. The 5-foot-10, 201-pound burner is among the CFL’s fastest players but had his year cut short by a broken arm suffered halfway through.

He’ll have to prove himself as the team’s starting running back but could find plenty of open field with all of those weapons around him.

“They gave me the opportunity and they gave me a raise,” said Walker, who will look to improve the league's worst rushing attack in 2014. “I’ve got to deliver. I like the pressure.”

“Pressure, that’s the only way I feel like playing football,” he continued. “If you don’t like pressure, what’s the point in you playing football?”

“It’s like one-on-one boxing in the ring: You’re the guy in the backfield, what are you going to do with the ball in your hand?”

While Walker flies under the radar entering 2015, all eyes will be on veteran Henry Burris, back for a second year as the team’s starting quarterback after an up and down first season in the National Capital. Burris threw more interceptions (14) than touchdowns (11) last season for the first time in his CFL career as a regular starter.

His 78.7 quarterback rating was also the lowest of his career as a starter, a number he’ll have to improve substantially this season if the REDBLACKS are going to contend for a Grey Cup Championship.

With a much improved receiving corps and a more experienced O-line, many people agree that this team looks just fine on paper. Starting Thursday, however, we'll begin to see what this team is truly made of.

“We look good on paper," agreed Walker. "Now we have to deliver and get it done. Everyone has to be on board with the game plan and the coaches."

"I feel like we have the opportunity. We’ve got to be sound and focused and be ready to go.”

The REDBLACKS open their season on Thursday night in Montreal against the Alouettes.
TheLionKing
Hall of Famer
Posts: 25103
Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Vancouver

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

WINNIPEG – When Mike O’Shea interviewed for the position of head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, one of the hot topics was the need to bring stability.


2014 By the Numbers

Offence

PPG: 22.1 (6th)
Passing: 243.0 YPG (5th)
Rushing: 84.1 YPG (8th)
Total: 291.7 YPG (9th)
Sacks: 71 (9th)


Defence

PPG: 26.7 (9th)
Passing: 224.9 YPG (2nd)
Rushing: 135.9 YPG (9th)
Total: 279.4 YPG (1st)
Sacks: 43 (8th)
Interceptions: 13 (T-8th)


Key Roster Changes

Additions:

OL Stanley Bryant
OL Sukh Chungh
LB Samuel Hurl
OL Dominic Picard
DB Garrett Waggoner
DB Jamaal Westerman

Subtractions:

OL Steve Morley
DB Jason Vega
RB Carl Volny
LB Ian Wild
DB Johnny Sears Jr.
SB Cory Watson


Important Dates

July 30 vs. BC
The Westerman brothers square off against each other in the CFL for the first time.

Sept. 6 at Saskatchewan
Winnipeg faces its heated rival in the Labour Day Classic.

Sept. 12 vs. Saskatchewan
The teams go at it again in a Labour Day rematch, also known as the Banjo Bowl.


Key Statistic

71


The number of sacks which Winnipeg allowed last season, setting a franchise-worst mark.

Winnipeg made its offensive line a main focus in the off-season, drafting Sukh Chungh with the second overall pick and signing Stanley Bryant and Dominic Picard.


“One of the things we talked about when we were going through the hiring process was identifying a few of the issues the organizations may have had in the past and moving forward from that,” O’Shea told BlueBombers.com during the off-season.

His comments came during a press conference as the Bombers announced a contract extension for Drew Willy, unequivocally going all-in on the 28-year-old as their franchise quarterback – the guy they will now hang their hat on for the foreseeable future.

It was one stroke off the team’s off-season checklist but more than that a move that painted a very stable picture for the 103rd Grey Cup host. Of all the team’s lingering issues of the past, O’Shea and General Manager Kyle Walters have left few, if any remaining in 2015.

Settling the quarterback position was always at the top of the list and something the team took care of last season, despite finishing last in the West and missing the playoffs. First and foremost, Willy proved he belongs in the starting CFL quarterback club.

“He works like one, in everything he does,” continued O’Shea. “When he talks about putting 100 per cent effort into anything he’s trying to accomplish, you notice that right off the bat.”

“Add in throughout the season you recognize how tough he is and those leadership qualities are put forth to his teammates – to me it’s quite easy to see that he’s going to be successful.”

Willy’s first season in Winnipeg was much like the Bombers’. A quick glance at his 14 touchdowns and 16 interceptions would suggest a failed season, much like with his team’s 7-11 record and fifth in the West standing.

Yet for both Willy and Winnipeg, 2014 meant so much more.

With a 5-1 start last year the Bombers competed and captivated an entire fan base, proving to the league and more importantly themselves that they won’t be pushed around – that the Bombers of old are no more.

They won only one of their next 11 games after that, yet through it all remained the belief that Coach O’Shea and GM Walters had built something successful and potentially long-lasting both at quarterback and throughout the rest of the roster. The growing pains of 2014 will pay dividends this year.

“We’re building something special here,” said Willy. “Every day is a process and we need to enjoy every meeting and practice and focus on every single detail, and obviously get off to a hot start like we did last year.”

“But it’s definitely a marathon so we’ve got to win more games throughout the year and get into the playoffs.”

The Bombers believe they’ve taken the right additional steps this off-season to do just that. The top priority outside of securing Willy’s long-term future with the club was improving an offensive line that surrendered a franchise-worst 71 sacks last season.

It’s hard to gauge just how effective the quarterback can be when he’s picking himself up off the turf on every play, and the Bombers responded by adding some premier talent in free agency and through the draft.

Dominic Picard arrived as a free agent after being released by the Saskatchewan Roughriders and will provide some veteran savvy on the inside of the Bombers’ O-line. Stanley Bryant will protect Willy’s blindside after departing from the Grey Cup Champion Calgary Stampeders.

Sukh Chungh was drafted by the Bombers second overall and is a hard-nosed, aggressive guard with a nasty streak that could single-handedly shape the personality of the team’s line.

“I think this year things will change and they’ll change for the better,” said Bryant. “I think we’ll be a more explosive aggressive group.”

Bryant was one of the top players to hit free agency and chose Winnipeg above at least two other suitors plus Calgary, citing the opportunity to play a key role in helping a team overcome a drought to win a Grey Cup Championship.

“Just winning and turning this thing around,” Bryant explained on his motivation to sign with Winnipeg. “I just want to be a part of that and make history. I want to do something no team has ever done.”

“I feel like we’re going to do this thing. We’re going to get the job done and we’re going to get to the Grey Cup.”

Questions remain in Winnipeg, such as how to improve a defence that in 2014 placed eighth in the CFL in total yards and dead last in the league in run defence. Richie Hall was brought in from Saskatchewan to become the defence coordinator, National and former NFLer Jamaal Westerman adds some veteran experience on the D-line coming from the NFL.

In the end, though, the Bombers have answered more questions than they’ve left open. Their offensive coaching staff returns intact and the offensive line has been upgraded considerably, while Willy is ready to make strides in his second year as a CFL starting quarterback.

There’s reason for real optimism in Winnipeg this year and it starts with stability, something the Bombers haven’t entered a season with for quite a while before now.
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