Calgary Stampeders' Week Four Win Proves They Are the Team To Beat

The CFL season is just over three weeks old, and we have already seen some very exciting football. Exciting things that may go against what we originally thought would happen.

We have learned that Anthony Calvillo is NOT ready to retire, Ricky Ray and Jason Tucker can still pull out the spectacular pass and catch, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders will NOT be a pushover without Kerry Joseph.

We have also learned that Henry Burris has bulked up, and it has effected more than just his biceps.

I hate giving out this distinction this early, and although I am always excited for a new season, this year is different.

Last year's Stampeders were great on offense, but couldn't shut down a team to save their lives! This year's team has the same explosive offense, but has revamped a defense that can only get better.

The interesting thing about the defense is that not many CFL vets were brought in except for a few players. It was sad that Calgary had to lose football great Brian Clark, who was not physically close to retiring. Calgary also let go of fellow linebacker Scott Coe.

Clark's leadership and talent were very evident, and Coe was an animal out on the field. I'm not sure I liked Coe's attitude, but he was talented. 

Bringing in JoJuan Armour eased some of the pain of losing Clark and Coe.

Armour was the TiCats leading tackler last year, and has speed to burn. There have been a few players who have been added to a defense that has come together better than last year's team. Are they more talented? One would say yes, but I think more importantly they are playing well together and making plays.

Week one was a test against the No. 1 rusher in the league from one year ago, which they passed with flying colors. I don't think BC will be that easy to push over every time they play, but it was a huge confidence builder.

Week two was a big test against the passing game, and they didn't have a terrible game. They did give up more that 300 yards passing to a revamped Edmonton Eskimos, but they started to gel in the second half. They did lose, but Jason Tucker had to make a circus catch in order to secure that win.

Week three was a very solid effort. Anthony Calvillo had a solid game throwing for 274 yards in the first half. Now, 120 of those yards came on two plays.

On the first, the defensive back went for the pick and got burned for a huge touchdown. The second one was a dump off to the running back, who was being covered by a D-lineman who dropped into coverage.

Take away those points and yards, and Calvillo had just an average game, and the secondary had a strong outing.

Week four wasn't as close as it would have been with the Jesse Lumsden in the lineup for Hamilton, but the Tiger-Cats aren't completely pathetic. They showed signs of talent in their win over Toronto, and it wasn't just Jesse Lumsden that was putting up points against Saskatchewan.

With that being said, I think the Calgary Stampeders have become the team to beat, and here's why.

The BC Lions are much more talented than they showed in Calgary, but the Stamps have shown that they are very strong against the run and that they can handle the Lions' pass attack. The Lions passed well last week, but that was against the winless Blue Bombers.

The Edmonton Eskimos got the win against Calgary in week two, and were very good against Toronto last week. The way they are playing, they won't be in the basement come playoff time. The only knock against Edmonton is the run. They have done alright against some teams so far, but if a team can shut down their aerial attack, and keep the ball themselves, the Eskimos run game will not win them any games.

The Montreal Alouettes are a very strong team and will remain the top in the East, but are beatable, and Calgary showed that in week three.

The biggest controversy here is in Saskatchewan. You may be saying, "But Saskatchewan is 3-0!" That's a very good point, and they have beaten Edmonton, BC, and Hamilton.

Darian Durant has also surprised me with how he has handled being a starting quarterback. He will be a great quarterback, and I would not be surprised to see him as the starting quarterback at the end of the season.

One fact still remains. 

Durant is still a rookie. He played perfectly against the Tiger-Cats. Not super flashy, but he got the job done and didn't make mistakes. That is huge for confidence, and can make him much more effective this season.

Hamilton has shown they aren't the best defense, so this next week will be the real test for Durant. Montreal's defense is much stronger, and if they make it through this week against Montreal, the scene will most likely be set for a battle with Calgary for first in the West.

The Riders are a great squad who play VERY well as a team, and have proven to a lot of teams and to myself that they are serious contenders again this year. I still don't think they are quite there yet, and these next few weeks will show.

If week six is where my point has to be made or broken, so be it.