Calgary Stampeders Defense Coming Back to Form

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.