Calgary Stampeders

Canada's version of the Super Bowl takes place in Toronto on Sunday night, as the Calgary Stampeders will take on the Toronto Argonauts at 6 p.m ET. 

Though both squads finished second in their respected divisions, their tough play down the stretch was enough to clinch a Grey Cup appearance.

You're more likely to know who Peyton Manning or Tom Brady is, which is why I'm here to provide you with a few players to watch in this game.

Jon Cornish, Calgary, RB

Cornish is having his most productive season of his six with the Stampeders.

This season, Cornish has rushed for 1,457 yards and 11 TDs, which is two more touchdowns than he recorded last season for Calgary, according to the Stampeders official website.

A double threat, Cornish also boasts 38 receptions out of the backfield for 338 yards and two touchdowns, which is something the Argonauts will need to key in on.

Chad Owens, Toronto, WR

Wideout Chad Owens is closing in on a 100-reception season if he has a big game in the Grey Cup.

As the Argonauts website posts, Owens has recorded 94 receptions this season for 1,328 yards and six touchdowns, which is quite impressive.

What's even more impressive is Owens' kick-return skills, as he's averaging 22.4 yards per return in 2012.

If Owens has a successful Grey Cup, perhaps the New York Jets may want to look into this guy.

Nik Lewis, Calgary, WR

Another player the Jets could use is Nik Lewis, who has been an absolute beast for Calgary this season.

Calgary's official site tells us that Lewis has 100 catches for 1,241 yards and an astounding 10 touchdowns this season, only adding to a powerful Stampeders offense.

All around, it's been a career year for Lewis, who is looking to complete this season with a championship.

Ricky Ray, Toronto, QB

Ricky Ray could probably start for a handful of NFL teams.

If his 68.6-percent completion percentage isn't impressive enough, maybe his 4,059 yards and 20 touchdowns are (h/t Toronto Argonaut website).

While Ray has had much better seasons in his career,  he's still an important guy to watch in the 2012 Grey Cup.

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After executing a big upset in the Western Final, the Calgary Stampeders are getting set to take on the Toronto Argonauts in the 100th Grey Cup on Nov. 25 in Toronto.

But can the Stamps maintain their momentum and put away the Argos?

The regular season sends a bit of a mixed message.

On the one hand, the Stampeders finished with a solid 12-6 record, the second best record in the CFL this year. The Argonauts on the other hand finished at 9-9. That was good for second in the East Division but only the fourth best overall in the league.

Moreover, Calgary's offense was the second best in the CFL, scoring 535 points on 6,786 net yards. Its defense gave up the third fewest points (430).

Toronto by contrast were sixth best in offense (445 points scored on 6,449 net yards) and defense (491 points).

Just going by those raw numbers, the Stampeders should take this game by a 29-24 score.

But that's not the complete picture.

Toronto won both games against Calgary this year, taking the first game 39-36 and the second 22-14. It would seem they have the Stampeders' number.

In particular, the Argos seem to have Jon Cornish figured out. In two games against Toronto this year, the CFL's leading rusher was held to just 82 yards combined on the ground, which is right in line with his per-game average for the year.

If the Stampeders can establish the run and get Cornish producing on the ground the way he typically does, those extra 40 yards of offense could be the difference in the game. Plus, if the Argos' defense has to spend all its energy containing Cornish, it will open up passing lanes for the Stampeders' dangerous group of receivers, led by Nik Lewis, Marquay McDaniel and Maurice Price.

Kevin Glenn once again needs to come up big, make good decisions and keep the turnovers to a minimum as he did against the BC Lions in the West Final, passing for 303 yards and three touchdowns with only a single interception.

On the other side of the ball, Calgary has to control the Ricky Ray/Chad Owens show.

Ray threw for 399 yards last weekend against the Montréal Alouettes in the East Final and Owens, the CFL leader in all-purpose yards this year, was on the receiving end of 207 of them.

Take Owens out of the game and the Stamps will be in good shape.

The X-Factor, of course, is the venue.

Toronto should be comfortable playing at home in the Rogers Centre with a friendly crowd in the stands. Then again, they were only 4-5 at home this year.

Meanwhile, Calgary went 5-4 on the road.

The Calgary Stampeders are going into Grey Cup weekend, though, in some circles as the clear underdog. If they play the the way they've been doing so far in the playoffs, those prognosticators may be proved wrong.

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After a dramatic late-game victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Calgary Stampeders are now setting their sights on the BC Lions in the Western Final.

But do they have enough to put the Lions away in Vancouver?

Judging by the regular season, it doesn't look good.

Calgary lost two out of three against BC and the Lions' stifling defense held the Stampeders to just 71 points in those games combined, an average of 23.7 per game.

When you consider that the Stamps had the second-best offense in the CFL this year and averaged just a hair under 30 points per game on the season, the fact that BC was able to do such a good job of containing them is a bad sign.

On top of that, the Lion's held running back John Cornish in check on the ground in all three games, including a dismal minus-one yard in their first meeting.

Cornish, who led the CFL in rushing yards with 1,457, was only able to make his per-game average in their last meeting, the one time Calgary beat BC. 

Add to it the fact that quarterback Drew Tate, fresh off his big comeback from an early-season shoulder injury, broke his forearm late in last weekend's tilt.

But wait, there's more.

Stampeders head coach John Hufnagel announced on Friday that All-Star middle linebacker Juwan Simpson is doubtful for Sunday with a foot injury.

None of this is good news, obviously.

There are two glimmers of hope, however.

The first is last game's result. Calgary earned a convincing 41-21 victory while the Stampeder defense forced three fumbles out of BC backup QB Mike Reilly.

The second is that Calgary's No. 2 quarterback option, Kevin Glenn, has done a fine job running the Stampeders' offense in Tate's absence. Glenn passed for a solid 4,220 yards this season, putting up numbers that were very similar to Lions' No. 1 QB Travis Lulay.

Speaking of Lulay, he will be in the starting lineup for BC on Sunday after missing most of the last three games with a shoulder injury. Although he only threw a handful of passes in the Lions' final game of the regular season, he's apparently good to go and feeling rested and healthy.

The biggest difference between Glenn and Lulay was that Glenn threw six more interceptions, and that could be a concern. Glenn will have to make fewer mistakes if the Stamps are to have a chance.

Calgary also has to figure out a way for Cornish to have an impact on the game. If he can rush for 80 yards or better and keep BC's offense keyed on the run, the Lions will have trouble containing Calgary's many weapons.

On the other side of the ball, Calgary's defense will have to step up and contain Lulay. A big part of that will be rookie Deron Mayo filling Simpson's shoes and sealing up the middle of the field.

If they can do those things, the Stampeders have a puncher's chance of making it to the Grey Cup 100. 

If not, they'll be watching the Grey Cup from the stands.

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To mark the 100th Grey Cup this year, the CFL is taking the Cup on a cross-country train tour, with dozens of stops throughout Canada.

This weekend the Grey Cup Train hit Calgary, drawing out thousands of fans to take in the festivities.

There are three Holy Grails in the Canadian sports world: the Stanley Cup (NHL), the Brier (men's curling) and the Grey Cup (CFL). As one of the oldest trophies in North American pro sports, the opportunity to lay eyes on the Grey Cup is rare and exciting.

Governor-General Earl Grey donated the cup for the 1909 amateur rugby football championship of Canada, which was won by the University of Toronto. Over the years, as the game evolved into what we now know as Canadian football, the cup followed along.

With the formation of the CFL in 1958, the Grey Cup became the symbol of professional football excellence in Canada. That year, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers took home the trophy.

Since then, every active CFL team has won the Cup at least once. The Cup even spent a year south of the border, when the Baltimore Stallions won the CFL championship in 1995 during the CFL's brief attempt to bring real football to an American audience.

Leading up to November's presentation of the Grey Cup to the CFL's best team, the trophy is traveling by train from British Columbia to Nova Scotia. Each stop includes interesting and engaging events for the fans who visit, and the train itself is a museum tracking the evolution of football in Canada.

The nation is also commemorating the 100th Grey Cup in various ways. 

Canada Post has a series of Grey Cup stamps available, with the cup and each team represented. 

The Canadian Mint has also produced a special 100th Grey Cup loonie (aka $1 coin).

So, it's a pretty big deal overall.

At the Calgary stop, several current and former Calgary Stampeders were in attendance to sign autographs and check out the museum and the Cup themselves. Members of the University of Calgary Dinos football team were around, manning play areas for the kids.

And there were a number of other activities, souvenirs and distractions for the rest of the crowd.

And, of course, there was the Grey Cup itself, out on display in front of the train for all to see and take pictures with.

For myself, this was a rare opportunity to get a close look at one of the most storied and revered prizes in my country.

And even for someone like my wife, who is not much of a football fan, this meant something—she was born within hours of a Grey Cup game where her hometown Roughriders beat the Rough Riders (true Canadians will understand the distinction), so she has frequently described herself as a "Grey Cup Baby."

At the end of the day, an event such as this has an impact above and beyond the CFL community. This event has touched people throughout Canada and beyond, which makes it pretty special.

Keep tabs on the train's progress on its website, and be sure to get out and have a look when it reaches your neighbourhood—it's well worth it.

Follow me @calgaryjimbo 

He’s 24 years of age and a sophomore in the Canadian Football League. He signed with the Calgary Stampeders on May 4, 2010, after working out in Tampa, Florida, before joining them at the main training camp.

His name is Landan Talley, and he is currently making the most of his playing time at receiver after an opportunity presented itself in the form of an injury to Ken-Yon Rambo.

Talley started his college career at Lambuth University, where he was an instant success, recording many great statistical years, including one game against Lindenwood University where he recorded 248 yards and four touchdowns.

His rookie campaign wasn’t stat-padding in any way but an amicable effort nonetheless, as he would catch two passes for 18 yards and one touchdown. He would also return eight punts for 43 yards and 12 on kickoff for 236 yards.

One of the biggest games of his young CFL career came when he suited up in the Western final against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, where he would return 66 yards on six punts and two kickoffs for 81 yards.

It wasn’t until this season that he eventually get an opportunity to showcase his talents to head coach John Hufnagel and the team after receiver Ken-Yon Rambo went down earlier this season.

During his last four starts, Landan Talley has recorded 221 yards and two touchdowns and has become a consistent target for Henry Burris and Drew Tate when needed.

Talley has played six games on the season and has accumulated 288 yards and three touchdowns overall.

His efforts in the game against B.C. certainly won’t go unnoticed as Talley connected with Henry Burris for an 81-yard catch and run for the touchdown that would tie the game at 24 apiece.

His speed and hands have certainly made him a reliable option and his route running has raised his stock even higher.

Talley will make it hard on the coaching staff to try and determine what to do at receiver when Ken-Yon does make his return, but if it was my choice, Landan Talley would be in the starting offense.

For now, what John Hufnagel plans to do when Ken-Yon Rambo is available again is unknown, but he will certainly need to find room to keep Landan Talley on the active roster as they head into the playoffs.

The Calgary Stampeders were left out of the Players of the Month in August. While many would feel the Stamps were snubbed by the decisions, if you asked the players themselves, I'm guessing they wouldn't be too hurt by the choices.

The CFL has seen some very talented players making waves throughout the season, and most of them have been on teams that haven't necessarily been winning. You'd think that a team that is 7-1 and leading the league in many categories would be stacked with players leading the league.

The reality this year has been that big player performances haven't really led their teams to victory. None show this fact more than Arland Bruce III, who tied a CFL record with 16 catches to go with 272 yards receiving back on July 31. The Tiger-Cats weren't ever really in the game, losing 37-24 to the Roughriders.

Kevin Glenn had 425 yards passing in the game to go with three touchdowns. Bruce was the Offensive Player of the Week, and Glenn was the runner-up in a game that they didn't come close to winning.

It's the same for the Calgary Saskatchewan game in Week 4. The Stampeders doubled the Riders 40-20, yet Durant had 354 yards passing to the 279 yards passing Burris had.

When you look at the rushing stats for two-time rushing leader Joffrey Reynolds, you might wonder if he’s having a tough year. Reynolds has only had a 100-yard rushing game, but still sits in third place in rushing yards, although he’s 170 yards back of Toronto’s Corey Boyd.

Even the receivers haven’t blown us away. Nik Lewis is on pace for an All-Star year, but the catches have really been spread out. Although Ken-Yon Rambo missed the first four weeks of the year, he could be on pace to shine.

What is most impressive about this season for the Stampeders is the fact the whole team is doing well. The passes have been spread around, and the rushing is even being shared. Drew Tate has had only taken a few snaps at quarterback, but has been very impressive throwing 7 of 8 for 66 yards and three touchdowns with a very impressive 158.3 passer rating.

Jon Cornish has even taken some serious reps at running back, and has not disappointed with an 8.8 yard average and 274 yards rushing.

Looking at the defense, the Stamps have had everyone pulling their own weight. Calgary leads the league in sacks with 22, but no Stampeders players are close to the sack leader. Montreal’s John Bowman and Winnipeg’s Phillip Hunt lead the league with seven sacks, while both Robert McCune and Malik Jackson have four sacks each.

No Stampeder player is even in the top 20 in defensive tackles. Juwan Simpson leads them with 29 tackles, 24 behind league leader Kevin Eiben.

With all that said, it doesn’t surprise me that the Stampeders haven’t been well-represented in the Players of the Week, or the Players of the Month. The team has been playing so well together, and everyone has been pulling their weight, and making the most of their chances when they get the chance.

The Stampeders still have a long way to go before they can say they are the best team in the league, seeing as they still have two games against the Montreal Alouettes, and two games left against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium.

That being said, playing well as a team will make it that much harder for other teams to beat them. There aren’t any huge weaknesses, and shutting down one player only leaves openings for others to step up, and so far they have. At the end of the year, they may not take home any of the hardware, but they’ve got as good a shot as any of winning it all.

There are four teams leading the CFL with 3-1 records. Three of the teams were expected to contend, but two have surprised because of their defensive play.

Having battled for the 2009 Grey Cup in one of the greatest games in CFL history, the Montreal Alouettes and the Saskatchewan Roughriders didn’t lose enough in the offseason to drop out of contention for first in the East and West divisions, respectively, and are currently leading their divisions at 3-1.

Right alongside them with 3-1 records as well, however, are the Calgary Stampeders and Toronto Argonauts.

The Calgary Stampeders showed last year their offense can usually get a job done, but they've had some defensive troubles keeping them from moving forward. Some positions were addressed, but changes on the offensive line had people questioning coming in. The offensive line has answered most of their questions, allowing less than two sacks a game and averaging 158 rushing yards a game.

It is Calgary’s defense that has most impressed as the Stamps have only given up 21 points a game, 99 rushing yards a game, and only two rushing touchdowns. What’s most impressive was their ability to shut down a Saskatchewan offense in Week Four that coming into the game led the league in many offensive stats.

Even though there have been offensive struggles this season, the Stamps defense has held its own, keeping them in games and giving the offense more chances to succeed.

Much of the same can be said for the Toronto Argonauts. The Argos were very hard to watch last year from a fan’s perspective, lacking in many positions from the coach down. A new coach and philosophy gave a lot of people hope when the season began, but expectations weren’t high with many new faces in the lineup.

Jermaine Copeland was brought in to bring a spark and to mentor young receivers. So far his output has been limited, but not due to his lack of effort. The Argonauts made a questionable choice in starting NFL veteran but CFL rookie Cleo Lemon at QB, because in doing so Toronto bumped back veteran backup Dalton Bell.

While the Argos are 3-1 this season, the offense can’t be credited for much of the success. Some questioned the choice to go with Lemon over Bell, and I think the statistics are showing they might be right.

Lemon averages 190 yards passing a game with three touchdowns, four interceptions, and four fumbles in four games.

Rookie running back Cory Boyd has been the only shining light for the Boatmen on offense, leading the CFL in rushing through four weeks with 431 yards on 66 carries.

The defense on the other hand has been incredible, shutting down some solid offenses, and bringing their team back in games they probably should have lost.

Many thought the Stampeders would have wiped the floor with the Argos in Week One. The Argos didn’t play well on offense, but the defense held Calgary to 23 offensive points. The other seven points were off a fumble return for a touchdown near the end of the game.

After giving up some big yards in the win over Winnipeg, Toronto’s defense came up huge against Calgary, limiting Henry Burris to 207 yards passing and intercepting him four times. The Argos defense also held two-time CFL rushing leader Joffrey Reynolds to 44 yards on the ground.

Calgary had the lead for most of the game, but Toronto was able to stop Burris and the Calgary offense from putting it away, helping the Argos to come back and take it.

The Argos defense wasn’t finished there. The BC Lions looked like a formidable opponent, and again had a lead on the Argos late in the game.

Former Argo Jamal Robertson did have two touchdowns, but only rushed for 54 yards and fumbled once.

Travis Lulay looked pretty sharp in his first CFL start, but did throw two picks to the Argos defense, one which was returned for a touchdown late in the game to give up the lead and eventually the game.

While both teams deserve credit for their victories, I have to wonder how long the winning streaks will last. Calgary overcame some offensive struggles to put up a huge win over Saskatchewan. The Argonauts haven’t been able to do much offensively, and while Boyd leads the league in rushing, he only has one touchdown.

Calgary looks to be moving in the right direction and could be number one at the season’s end, but while the Argos do look much better than anticipated, they will have to get much more out of their offense if they plan on challenging Montreal for first in the East.

Everything fell together for the Stampeders in 2008, finishing up with the Grey Cup victory in Montreal. With the 2009 Grey Cup in Calgary, and not many key changes to worry about, the idea of being repeat champions wasn't a stretch.

As the 2009 season progressed, complacency, injuries, and trouble beating the Green and White made a lot of people wonder if they could do it.

It didn't take long into the season to wonder who was going to lead the team. Mike Labinjo came to camp seriously overweight and lost his spot to Justin Phillips.

In week four, a horse collar tackle ended the season for the 2008 top receiver, Ken-Yon Rambo. All year long, the Stampeders struggled to start a consistent offensive line with injuries to Jeff Pilon, Rob Lazeo, and Jesse Newman.

Plus, even though he surpassed the 1000 yard mark, it took Nik Lewis 17 games to get his first and only touchdown of the season.

With all the negatives, there were a lot of positives. Jermaine Copeland picked up where Rambo left off, leading the Stampeders in receiving.

Even though the offensive line was constantly changing, Joffrey Reynolds led the league in rushing for the second straight year.

All that being said, fans won't have to worry about unfulfilled expectations. So many fans have already lowered their expectations for the 2010 season.

The offensive line saw the biggest changes with Dimitri Tsoumpas heading to the NFL, and Jeff Pilon opting for retirement. Jesse Newman, Rob Lazeo, and Ben Archibald will be back, but there have been questions about their replacements. There are a few young draft picks and import free agents signings that could earn a spot, but that's not a comfortable place to be for Hank and Joffrey.

Experience was needed, so the Stamps signed John Comiskey in January to beef up the line before realizing his knee wouldn't hold up. Like Pilon, he decided to retire.

The questions arise with the experienced linemen that were signed, as both Dan Comiskey and Matt Sheridan were brought out of retirement after each having 18 months off of football.

While Sheridan is only 33 years old and has at least a few years left, Comiskey has probably only one or two years at most left in his career. These signings are clearly short term fixes, and with the time they took off to heal and train, both Sheridan and Comiskey should be good for at least this season. Hopefully they still have a step to go on their mean streaks.

Special teams will see some changes for the new season after Sandro Deangelis bolted to Hamilton for more money and to be closer to home. Sandro has been the elite of the league for five years, and although his skill at the position will be missed, apparently his attitude and personality won't be.

The question arises from the replacement for Deangelis. Kicker/Punter Rob Maver was drafted fifth overall by the Stampeders. Some have said Maver could be good, but his placekicking is somewhat suspect outside 40 yards. His punting is supposed to be his forte. This sounds an awful lot like Duncan O'Mahony to me. Although nothing could be as strange as that situation.

Warren Kean was brought in to compete, and Burke Dales is still the punter for now, so we have a couple options that can fill that role. Whatever the case, chances are the kicking game won't be as good this year.

The return game will see a complete overhaul this year after the release of Demetrius Summers and the retirement of Marcus Howell.

While I was a fan of Howell, and he will be missed, he had lost a step in the last few years, and a change was needed.

Summers was NOT the answer, as his speed was counteracted by his lack of cutting ability. A perfect return setup was needed for him to see any more than 20 yards.

The return game leaves a big question mark, but that is a place where some young speedster could come out of nowhere.

For those that thought getting rid of Titus Ryan was a mistake, you need to remember that Ryan's inability to catch or hold onto the ball was a huge problem, which led to the Stamps pulling the plug. Besides, I'll take Romby Bryant anyday over Titus Ryan.

For the first time in the last decade, the Stamps will be starting more than one of the same defensive linemen from the year before.

In fact, they're all the same. Charleston Hughes and Juwan Simpson are back at defensive end, DeVone Claybrooks, and Tearrius George are back at defensive tackle and Mike Labinjo has lost a good amount of weight that should help him get back to his winning ways of 2008.

The other area of the defense that remains solid and could be the best in the league is the defensive secondary. Brandon Browner and Dwight Anderson are back on the corners, and John Eubanks and Keon Raymond are back at the halfback position. Wes Lysack will probably split time with either 2010 draft pick Taurean Allen or 2009 draft pick Eric Fraser.

Lysack is still one of the best hitting at the safety position, and what he lacks in speed he makes up for in smarts and skill. I would lean towards Allen because of his speed, but Fraser could fill in nicely at halfback as well if needed.

The linebacking core took a beating in the off season with the releases of Shannon James, Dwain Carpenter, and Tim Johnson. An overhaul like this makes a lot of people worried, but the questions that come from the linebackers are answered from within the strengths of the other defensive positions.

Malik Jackson showed last year that he can play both defensive end and linebacker. He'll take a few steps back and will be a very capable linebacker. Jackson was a linebacker in college and shouldn't have any trouble stepping back into that role.

The other linebacker to change positions will be Milt Collins taking a few steps forward. Calgary lacked speed from the linebacker position, and it's my guess the Stamps hope Collins can bring some better cover skills while still being able to deliver a blow to opposing running backs if needed.

The Stampeder recently saw two receivers leave Calgary, with Jermaine Copeland leaving for Toronto and Brett Ralph deciding to call it a career. As much as I, and many others, loved these players, their departures will hardly be devastating.

Copeland had a great season last year in Calgary after a couple average seasons. Stats aside, Copeland has been the consummate professional— working hard every game and practice and leading the team in many ways. Last year's stats were padded by the fact that Ken-Yon Rambo was injured for the season early on, and Calgary needed Copeland to be the go to guy. With Rambo back and healthy, Copeland wouldn't be getting the balls thrown his way enough to see the stats even close to last year.

PK Sam came to the Stampeders in return for Copeland in the trade, and while Toronto needed experience, Sam is six years younger and has a good solid career ahead of him after coming back from the NFL. At 6'3", Sam gives Henry Burris another big target to throw to. With Ken-Yon Rambo, Nik Lewis, and Romby Bryant, the import class of receivers should do mighty fine.

Brett Ralph will always be remembered as the little receiver that could. His nickname "7-11" was very fitting because he was always open. He was the guaranteed first down receiver all of his five year career, and he will be missed.

The Canadian receivers in Calgary this year aren't anything to scoff at, though.

Ryan Thelwell has always been a steady receiver that can break the big play if he needs to, and he has fully healed from his Achilles tear, so he'll be fine.

Arjei Franklin came to the Stamps from Winnipeg in the middle of the season last year, and had been very consistent for the Bombers. Like Ralph, Franklin makes up for his lack of size with good hands and good football sense.

Aside from that, the Stampeders are solid! Two time rushing leader Joffrey Reynolds comes back to try to make it three years in a row, and "Smilin' Hank" Henry Burris is back again to lead this offense. If either gets injured, it does open up questions, but they are the same question every team has if their quarterback or running back goes down.

Plus, don't forget about the rookies and NFL castaways that come into camp looking for a shot to make it in professional football. After all, that's what makes the CFL great.

When all is said and done, there were a lot of changes that have happened, but there are enough consistencies that will make this team very competitive, especially in the key areas of the offense and the defense. Even though there appears to be some questions, you can expect the Stampeders to be right in the hunt for the first place bye come November.

Expectations for the Calgary Stampeders were very high at the beginning of the 2009 season. Not only were they Grey Cup Champions, but there was a chance for them to do a few things that haven't been done in a long time.

Calgary is the host city for the 2009 Grey Cup, and winning at home has been a rarity. The BC Lions were the last team to win at home, when they beat the Baltimore Stallions in 1994.

The Stampeders could become the first team since the '96-'97 Toronto Argonauts, led by Doug Flutie, to win back-to-back CFL Titles.

They could also become the first team in over 50 years to repeat as champions on home turf. (It is a bit of an asterisk since the Grey Cup Championship was pretty much only played in Toronto and Montreal, with the occasional game elsewhere up until the early '80s)

The new season for the Stampeders did have some question marks on the defensive side of the ball with the losses of multiple starters, including DE Charleston Hughes (Philadelphia, NFL), DB Lenny Walls (Winnipeg, CFL), and LB JoJuan Armour (released, misconduct).

Losing Armour was a tough one because he was a leader in many ways on a team that was known as one of the toughest in the league to move the ball against. Along with Armour, there were only a few faces on the defensive line that returned.

These losses seemed to show their effects right away, as the Stamps started the season 0-2. The defense seemed to pick up a little slack in Weeks Three and Four with convincing wins over Toronto and BC.

Since then, with the loss of Mike Labinjo on the defensive line, the Stampeders became one of the most porous defenses to run against.

When middle linebacker Trey Blackmon was injured, the Huffnagel had to make some changes and fill some big holes.

Not often do changes make such a big difference.

Head Coach John Huffnagel made the comment that he wasn't bringing in potential players, he was bringing in players to play now. That he did.

Signed were DT Devone Claybrooks, DB John Eubanks, and LB Tim Johnson. Their first test was against the Argonauts, and it seemed to be positive, even though it was only against Toronto.

The next matchup, against the Edmonton Eskimos on Labour Day, turned out to be the big test, and they were up to the challenge.

The Labour Day rematch in Edmonton was expected to be different, and other than giving up 34 points, the Stamps D held their ground and gave their offense a chance to win in the fourth quarter.

They even had a huge game from newly acquired DE Jim Davis, who had four tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble.

The new additions have definitely brought the Stamps defense back to respectability. They probably weren't expected to do this well, this quickly. Thus coach Huffnagel brought back former Stamps defensive linemen Charleston Hughes and Tay George.

Both players had a nose for the quarterback in their time here, and will be welcome additions.

That does leave a dilemma, though. Who do you keep? 

Lucky for Mike Labinjo that he's on the injured list, because I don't know if he'd have a spot on this line with all these guys in town. Early season standout Odell Willis will be the odd man out this week to allow for Hughes and George to be in the lineup.

Davis' three sacks against Edmonton earned him another look, but some others may not be so lucky.

The additions are tough for some remaining players as some may lose their starting positions, or maybe even their jobs. It will, however, be good for the team and extremely bad for opposing offenses as this new defensive line consists of none of the same starters from the opening of the 2009 season.

It's too early to knight them as the most dangerous D line yet, but it won't take long to see an impact. 

The first victim? Quinton Porter and the Ti-Cats.

Defenses beware, Wes Cates is back!

Cates, the starting running back for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, had missed the first two games of the seasons due to a shoulder injury. There was much scepticism to when Cates would return to the lineup, but it appears he is ready to go.

“I’m ready.” Cates said to Mitchell Blair of Riderville.com. “If they need me on the field for every play, I’m ready and I’ll be able to handle it. The team’s been doing great in my absence, now I get to join in on the fun and start contributing.

The return of Wes Cates is very timely, considering the Riders are welcoming the powerhouse Montreal Alouettes into town. Hugh Charles, the replacement for Wes Cates in the first two weeks, performed admirably in Cates' absence.

However, Wes Cates just brings so much to the table.

Ever since he was traded over from the Calgary Stampeders, Wes Cates has excelled as a starter. Finally getting a chance to become a full time starter, Cates rushed for 866 yards in his first season with the Roughriders. The next season he rushed for 1,229 yards and had 12 touchdowns while battling injuries.

But the stats don't quite paint a clear enough picture. They don't say just how valuable Wes Cates has been to the Riders.

Cates played injured during the Riders 2007 Grey Cup Grey Cup Run and made some timely plays. He was the Riders best player in their 6-0 start to the 2008 season.

Wes Cates has great vision on the field. He is patient as he picks his way through opposing defenses with a blend of speed and power. Cates also has solid hands and has been a reliable receiver out of the backfield.

In fact, Wes Cates could very well have a rushing title under his belt if he had not suffered through injuries. The whole Rider nation is undoubetly hoping Wes Cates' return is a permanent one.

The return of "The Green Machine" may just be the spark the Riders need against the Montreal Alouettes and the rest of the league.