Inside the CFL: Alberta teams floundering at CFL halfway point

By Graham Kelly on September 30, 2021.

e’ve reached the halfway mark of the 14 game 2021 CFL season. Last month I predicted Winnipeg and Saskatchewan would be first and second, Calgary third with Edmonton and B.C. bringing up the rear. Instead, the Elks are last, the Lions third, the Stampeders fourth. How they end up depends on several factors.

The Bombers and B.C. have been healthy. That could change in a play or two. The schedule is absolutely weird and COVID-19 could rear its ugly head again if the federal government follows through on banning the unvaccinated from flying next month. As far as the walking wounded are concerned, B.C. has four players on the Six-Game Injury List, all starters. The Elks have eleven, although QB Trevor Harris came off the list before Tuesday’ game in Ottawa but did not dress. Winnipeg has six men on injured reserved. Calgary ten and Saskatchewan fourteen, all of them players the team was counting on when the regular season began. The Roughies have done the best job overcoming their injuries because they did the best job recruiting. TSN Analyst Jim Barker said the Riders were developing depth but anyone who has ever been a head coach in the league(including Jim) will tell you there is no such thing as depth in the CFL. That will remain the case along as there is an Import/ Canadian ratio. I think the number of Americans should be reduced and the Canadian content increased. As it now stands, a team only has to start seven Canadians.

Unless the injury string continues in Saskatchewan the Riders should only get better down the stretch. Despite all the adversity they’ve faced, their record is 5-2, only two points behind the Bombers who have enjoyed flak free skies, for the most part, while the Lions total of four can’t possibly last.

The schedule benefits the Leos with four of their remaining seven at B.C. Place. They host Winnipeg tomorrow night, Calgary twice and Edmonton. They play Toronto, Hamilton and the Bombers on the road. As the teams look now, the West Coast Jungle Kings could go 5-2 and finish with 18 points. The Bombers will entertain Edmonton B.C. and Montreal while after tomorrow’s trip to the Lions’ den, will go to Edmonton, Montreal and Calgary. Given their present form they should win all of them but probably someone will rise up and strike them down, leaving them in first place with a mark of 12-2 and 24 points.

Because they have only two games at Mosaic Stadium left on Oct. 9th and Nov. 13th, the Roughriders would appear to have the toughest crop to harvest. They play the Stampeders three times next month, twice in Calgary, the first game on Saturday. Their other home game is against the Elks in November. They play in Edmonton, Montreal and Hamilton. Given the present form chart, they could win six of seven and finish 11-3 with 22 points.

Like just about everything else in this province, whatever can go wrong with Alberta’s CFL teams has gone wrong. I mean, how do you lose to Ottawa? Twice? The Edmonton Elks managed to do it. When Trevor Harris returns they will be better but with four games against Winnipeg and Saskatchewan, he likely won’t make much of a difference. Rookie Elk head coach Jaimie Elizondo took Harris off the injury list but didn’t use him in their disastrous loss to the Redblacks. Elk fans want him fired. They should get their way.

Calgary’s record is the same as Edmonton’s but no one is calling for coach Dave Dickenson’s head. The Horsemen have three games against the Riders, two at home, two trips to B.C., then at Ottawa before concluding the schedule at McMahon against Winnipeg.

The Stampeders are the real wild card. Their defensive stats are abysmal but at times they play like champions. Their Labour Day loss and their last game in Hamilton they looked like they were asleep. Are Dickenson’s players doing the best they can?

Certainly quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell is not. Despite being out performed by second stringer Jake Maier, Dickenson has made it clear Mitchell will start Saturday. To be fair, Bo doesn’t have much of a receiving corps. Still, if he struggles Saturday, Dickenson must replace him or kiss the play-offs goodbye.