Inside the CFL: Is it open season on quarterbacks?

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on July 21, 2022.

With a third of the 2022 season soon to be in the books, you have to admit there is parity of sorts in the CFL.

Four of five Western teams are solid, competitve franchises playing winning, entertaining football. All four Eastern teams stink. If the Elks moved to the East, they’d be in first place.

East Division teams have only won two of 15 games so far, both against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Not-So-Jolly Green Giants lost 29-25 in Montreal after playing their second game in five days with only one practice session.

They lost 30-24 Saturday in Nova Scotia to the Argos. Saskatchewan went into the game without two starters on the defensive line and lost a third when all-Canadian A.C. Leonard came up lame just before kickoff. Because of bad officiating, and a review panel in Toronto comprised of the Three Blind Mice, the Argos attacked quarterback Cody Fajardo’s left knee with impunity.

When Roughrider Garrett Marino hit Ottawa pivot Jeremiah Masoli below the knees, he was rightly ejected and suspended. Fajordo was flagrantly hit on his brace-protected knee by Shawn Oakman. No penalty called so coach Craig Dickenson challenged the play to no avail. Fajardo may sit out Saturday’s rematch at Mosaic Stadium.

Is it now open season on quarterbacks?

The huge problem is this: the players have no idea what will be called from one week to the next. The referees helped determine the outcome last weekend with bad calls or no calls in both the Winnipeg/Calgary and Argo/Rider contests.

Because the games last week were close, the TV announcers proclaim they were CFL football at its best. Three of four were full of mistakes, the Atlantic Bowl out-of-control before it started with two players getting into a fight during the warm-up. Although, the Stampeders were plagued with dropped passes, their game against the still undefeated Blue Bombers was the CFL at its best. The teams illustrate the difference between the two divisions.

Since 2008, Calgary has had two head coaches, John Hufnagel and Dave Dickenson. The Stamps have had one general manager, the aforesaid Hufnagel. Their defensive coordinator, Brent Monson, has been with the club 13 years, four in his present position. Mark Kilam has handled special teams for 13 years, Pat DelMonaco has been the offensive line coach for nine years and assistant offensive coordinator for three. Brendan Mahoney, director of player personnel, has been in Calgary for 13 seasons. The head coaches in B.C., Edmonton, Saskatchewan and Toronto all cut their teeth with Hufnagel.

Winnipeg is similar. In 2014, Wade Miller became president, hiring Kyle Walters as GM who then brought in Michael O’Shea as head coach. He hired the veteran Richie Hall as his defensive coordinator. They won the Cup in 2019 and 2021. There have been long serving veteran football men in Saskatchewan, Edmonton and B.C. There has been stability brought on by continuity in administration and coaching.

That’s what’s been lacking down east. After winning it all under GM Jim Popp and coach Marc Tresman in 2009 and 2010 with Anthony Calvillo at quarterback, Montreal has gone through six head coaches, including Tom Higgins who got the axe mid-season just as he was turning things around. This year Khari Jones was cashiered after four games. They haven’t found the quarterback to replace Calvillo.(Just like Edmonton hasn’t replaced Mike Reilly).

The Ottawa Redblacks were the most successful expansion team in CFL history, born in 2014, making it to the Grey Cup three of the next four years, winning it all in 2016. Then, inaugural head coach Rick Campbell left (he wasn’t fired), QB Henry Burris retired. Two three-win seasons ensued.

With the great Ricky Ray at quarterback, Toronto won two Cups last decade but people kept getting fired or quitting. Hamilton has been well-managed and successful until now.

They were predicted to be the beast of the East likely to make its third straight Grey Cup appearance. So expectations were high. Orlondo Steinauer could be gone. A couple of days ago they brought in Khari Jones to help with the offence. Still, with a single win they are but two points out of first.

With the exceptions of Winnipeg and Saskatchewan, attendance is a serious problem in the CFL. Poor gate receipts plus losing records equals fired coaches.