Saskatchewan vs. Calgary, Week Six: Who's Going to Win?

Four weeks of CFL football have had some people scratching their heads, while others are ecstatic with the outcomes of their teams.

The Grey Cup Runner-up Winnipeg Blue Bombers are winless after most people anticipated they'd repeat as East Division Champs.

The BC Lions are now getting back on track after starting 0-2.

The Calgary Stampeders are 3-1 after overhauling a defense that was last in almost every possible stat last season.

And the Saskatchewan Roughriders are 4-0 for the first time since 1970, and are winning well with a brand new quarterback who was the third stringer at the beginning of the season.

All of these things have made for an interesting beginning to the season.

Most people who know football would say that Calgary and Saskatchewan are the elite teams in the CFL this season. They have the best records, they have the two top rushers, and they are doing what it takes to win. There is only one loss between the two teams, and that belongs to Calgary.

With their perfect record, the Saskatchewan Roughriders would be the perfect choice as the team to beat. They have played very well as a team, finding ways to win when most people would have thought they'd lose.

Last year the BC Lions were a team that wasn't as good as their record. I thought this might be what was happening to the Riders—until Damian Durant beat the Montreal Alouettes.

To start the year, I wasn't sure how well the Riders would do. Marcus Crandell is not the player to lead a team to the Grey Cup. The team is strong enough to lead a quarterback to a winning record, but do they have a quarterback that can lead them to the Grey Cup?

Kerry Joseph may not be the perfect quarterback when it comes to stats, but he could pull out a win when it mattered if he had the team. He showed that just yesterday with a win over Edmonton.

The Riders were lacking that quarterback at the start of the season. Then Marcus Crandell went down with an injury and Damian Durant stepped in. Durant won against Hamilton and played well. He even showed can throw a couple interceptions, and still bring the team from behind to win.

Now the Riders have a quarterback that can lead them to the Grey Cup. They are a better team now with Durant at the helm. But are they good enough to beat the Stampeders?

Riders fans know how good Henry Burris is. They wouldn't have been as angry as they were when he left to Calgary.

He has now gained 15 pounds of muscle, and his passes look extremely crisp. There is an accuracy to his passes that wasn't there before. He has five solid receivers to throw to, has the top running back in the league to hand off to, and can take off running on his own to get the job done.

This isn't new to anyone. So let's take a lot at the defense. It's the biggest question mark.

There are a bunch of new players on the Stampeders team, and there is a new defense with coordinator Chris Jones. Whatever the questions, the Stampeders' defense has been up to the task.

The secondary held BC to 250 yards in week one, but was exploited for 450 yards passing in week two against the Eskimos. They did, however, fix what needed to be fixed for the next week and were able to beat the pass happy Alouettes. A win over Hamilton without Jesse Lumsden can't be looked at as a huge victory, but a 27-point win over any team is convincing.

So what is going to happen between the Stampeders and the Roughriders? There is still one week before the first game between Calgary and Saskatchewan, and things could totally change before then.

The Stampeders play a distraught Winnipeg team that is missing some key players, but could pull out victory. I don't think so, but it could happen.

The Roughriders play the Toronto Argonauts, who have now rallied behind Kerry Joseph to bring them back to a place where they think they can win. There is a distinct possibility the Riders could suffer their first loss of the season, especially since they decided to go back to Marcus Crandell. I don't think it will happen, but don't be surprised.

If both teams win this week, it sets up a battle for the ages in Calgary next weekend. Both teams have the ability to run, both teams have the ability to shut down the run, both teams have the ability to spread the ball in passing, and both teams can be susceptible to the pass on defense.

That being said, I think the Stampeders are going to beat the Roughriders on August 2.

The game is in Calgary, and in both cases the home team has the advantage. It will be much harder the next week for the Stamps to walk into Taylor Field and pull out a victory. Especially when the Stamps win in Calgary.

Quarterbacks will also be a factor in the game. Riders fans hate Burris, but look at him through anything but your green glasses on, and you have to admit that Burris right now is one of the best, if not THE best quarterback in the league and is doing a great job at running his offense.

Darian Durant has been stellar at running his offense as well, but unless Marcus Crandell gets injured again, Crandell will be the starter. Rider fans must be hoping Crandell gets injured or plays horribly so Durant starts against Calgary.

The Riders have faced some solid offenses so far, and have done a great job. The only problem is they haven't played a team yet that has thrown a balanced attack them. Edmonton can only pass, BC was asleep, Hamilton can only run, and Montreal can only pass.

So bring in a Joffrey Reynolds and the best receiving core in the CFL, and you are going to be tested. The Riders normally do have one of the best receiving cores, but are missing a big piece in DJ Flick. Even backup Weston Dressler, who did a great job, is still injured.

I could go on all day, and at the end of the day I am biased. If I'm a Rider fan, don't underestimate the Stampeders. As a Stamps fan, prepare for one heck of a game!