Inside the CFL: Whistling by the graveyard

By Medicine Hat News on August 17, 2023.

“And the wheels of the bus go round, round, round…”

At the halfway mark of the season, Edmonton ranks dead last in points scored, Hamilton seventh. In net offence, the Ti-Cats are seventh, the Elks last. Recently, the teams responded to these dismal results by firing their offensive co-ordinators, even though both were akin to a man going into a fist fight with one arm tied behind his back.

Neither team has a good quarterback. The 0-9 Elks have started Taylor Cornelius most of the time, with Jarrett Doege making an occasional appearance. The latest sacrificial lamb is Canadian Tre Ford who has been injured most of the year. His stats are the best with a 75% completion rate. He led his team to a 22-0 lead over the Blue Bombers before the defence collapsed and gave it all away.

The greatest offensive co-ordinator in football history couldn’t make silk purses out of these sows’ ears. Unfairly, Stephen McAdoo was made the scapegoat and was thrown under the bus. Fairly, president and CEO Victor Ciu has also been fired.

Down East, the 3-5 Cats, before their just completed bye week, relieved Tommy Condell of his OC duties. In February it looked like their quarterback problem had been solved when Bo Levi Mitchell signed. But, as has been is wont in recent year, Bo got hurt, missed several games, came back and got hurt again. In between injuries, Matthew Shiltz started but went down. Enter third-string Taylor Powell. Condell has been replaced by assistant head coach Scott Milanovich. Head coach Orlondo Steinhauer threw his pal Condell under the bus. Another loss or two and Steinhauer will be gone.

Last year while Saskatchewan was losing their last seven games and missing the playoffs, there were howls for the heads of GM Jeremy O’Day, head coach Craig Dickenson and especially offensive co-ordinator Jason Maas. I thought the right decision was made when Maas was fired, but make no mistake, just like McAdoo and Condell, Maas was thrown under the bus because of public pressure. Something had to be done, the OCs were easy targets. Unlike the other two, Maas had a good quarterback, Cody Fajardo.

What about the 3-6 Stampeders? Despite Calgary being down there with Edmonton and Hamilton, head coach Dave Dickenson has no plans to sack his co-ordinator.

“If you make a change, you should do it to make your team better. I don’t feel you make a change just to appease media or the fan base. I have never had to deal with that and hopefully won’t have to deal with that.”

The assistant coaches put together the game plan under Dickenson’s direction.

“It’s a collaborative effort. We meet together and decide what will go in. (Offensive co-ordinator) Pat DelMonaco is a big part of designing our first down offence. He mostly does the run game, run-pass options, screens and play options. The pass game is more developed between myself and Mark Mueller (QB coach, grandson of the late Ron Lancaster). The other coaches all suggest ideas. Huff (president John Hufnagel) tried to always be there as well. Now I’ve kind of taken the Huff role in overseeing everything, maybe not as much of the grassroots design.”

Although a Hall of Fame quarterback, Dickenson does not call the plays during a game.

“No. Mark Mueller does. Pat has input in what he likes in certain situations. We come up with a call sheet that we think will work. We all talk it out before the game. I don’t have executive privilege meaning Mark will call the plays. Trick plays, 3rd down gambles, go for two point converts, punts, that stuff is all on me.”

Dickenson hasn’t had to cope with injured quarterbacks. Bo Levi Mitchell was healthy when he was replaced by Jake Maier last Aug. 20. Since taking the helm, Maier has a record of 10-9 but he doesn’t seem to be improving and his team is losing to the point they might miss the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

Maier has the worst percentage completion rate (63%) of the league’s current starters and has thrown the most interceptions (11). He has eight touchdowns in nine games. His coach continues to express confidence in him but how much longer? I think he’s whistling by the graveyard.