In one of those quirks of early-season statistics, the Calgary Stampeders find themselves with a 1-2 record despite leading the Canadian Football League in scoring with 106 points scored.
The Stamps have also allowed fewer points than four of the league’s other seven teams.
The quirky situation is a by-product of the Stamps’ blowout win against the Montreal Alouettes in the season-opener and the subsequent road losses to Toronto and Montreal by a combined four points. An examination of some key statistics help explain why the close games haven’t gone the Stamps’ way.
While Calgary fares well in many of the league statistical categories, they struggle in turnover differential at minus-4 after three games. The only teams doing as badly or worse in that department are the 1-2 Hamilton Tiger-Cats (minus-7) and the 0-3 Winnipeg Blue Bombers (minus-4).
Conversely, the Saskatchewan Roughriders — the Stamps’ opponent on Thursday night at McMahon Stadium — are a robust plus-8 in turnover differential and not coincidentally are the only remaining unbeaten CFL team.
Besides doing a better job of hanging on to the football, the Stamps would like to build on some of the positive developments from the first three weeks.
For example, the Stamps’ defence has scored two touchdowns this season and share the league lead with four interceptions. Calgary has also allowed a league-low 54 rushing yards per game and just 3.4 yards per carry.
On special teams, the dynamic Larry Taylor leads the league with 758 combined return yards, Rene Paredes has connected on 83.3 per cent of his field goals and leads the league in kickoffs while Rob Maver is second in the CFL in net punting.
The work of those two units as well as flashes of excellence by the offence — Calgary is tops in the CFL with 70 first downs and a 74.7-per cent pass completion rate — has allowed the Stamps to hit the 30-point mark in each of the first three games this season.
Calgary hasn’t had three straight 30-point offensive performances to start a season since 2000.