By Mike Hardiman
Stampeders.com

The Pregame

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are next up on the schedule for the Calgary Stampeders in an early-season battle for first place in the West.

The teams are travelling similar paths so far in 2015 with each team opening the season with a narrow win, followed by a disappointing loss and then both teams rebounding with another close win. Calgary (2-1) held on to upend the Argos 25-20 at home while the Bombers (2-1) eked out a 25-23 win over the Alouettes in Winnipeg.

This is Calgary’s first Western opponent this season after three straight games against Eastern teams. Calgary had the best record within the West Division last season at 8-2.

Winnipeg snapped a long drought of 10 straight losses in Calgary with an 18-13 win in the snow at McMahon in Week 19 last season, one of only two losses for the Stamps at home and within the West.

The Bombers are 1-0 on the road and 1-0 against the West (a 30-26 win over the Riders in Regina in Week 1) while Calgary is now 2-0 at home after wins over Hamilton and Toronto. 

The Kickoff

When/Where: Saturday, July 18 at 5 p.m. MDT at McMahon Stadium in Calgary
Television: TSN, ESPN3
Radio: Newstalk 770, SiriusXM Channel 167
Internet: www.newstalk770.com

The Stampeders

The loss to the Bombers last season ended 10 years of Stampeders domination at home. It was a time during which Calgary averaged 36.3 points per game, scored at least 30 points nine times and scored more than 40 points three times. Turnovers were Calgary’s undoing as the Stamps coughed up the ball a season-high six times and the Bombers scored 15 of their 18 points off those turnovers.

Calgary has had turnover issues in 2015, leading the league with 10 in three games, but was plus-1 in the win last week over Toronto. Calgary ran the ball extremely well in the two games against the Bombers last season, piling up 415 yards along the ground, powered by RB Jon Cornish’s 265 rushing yards. The Stamps topped 200 yards rushing in a game three times in 2014, and topped 100 yards in 16 of 18 contests.

This season, the Stamps have yet to crack the 100-yard mark in any of their three games and average only 79.3 yards. QB Bo Levi Mitchell did pass for 303 yards in the win against the Argos. In his previous 17 regular season starts, Mitchell has passed for over 300 yards just twice (both wins) — Week 1 against Montreal in 2014 and his first career CFL start, Week 5 at Winnipeg in 2013.

The Stamps defence held the Bombers to just 204 yards of offence in the home loss last season, compared to their season average of 325.3 total yards game on the year overall and their 2015 average of 307.6 total yards. The Stamps have held both of their opponents at home to less than 270 total yards so far in 2015. Calgary was flagged 18 times in the win last week and is averaging 14 penalties a game so far compared to the team’s league-leading average of only nine in 2014.

Good battles to watch this week will be Calgary’s banged up o-line against a very good Bombers d-line and a Calgary running attack looking to break out against the Bombers’ revamped linebacking crew.

Who to watch:

Eric Rogers – SB, #80
2015 stats – 13 receptions, 205 receiving yards, 15.8 yard average, 2 TDs; leads team in receiving yards
Last game – 6 receptions, 114receiving yards, 19.0 yard average, 1 TD – vs Tor.; led team in receiving
2014 vs Wpg. – did not play; on practice roster

Jon Cornish – RB, #9
2014 stats – 39 carries, 185 rushing yards, 4.7 yard average, 2 rushing TDs; fourth in CFL rushing
Last game – 14 carries, 56 rushing yards, 4.0 yard average, 1 TD vs Toronto; led team in rushing
2014 vs Wpg. – 33 carries, 265 rushing yards, 8.03 yard average, 1 TD in two games

Bo Levi Mitchell – QB, #19
2015 stats – 100 attempts, 66 completions, 66.0% completion rate, 810 passing yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs,  84.2 QB rating; third in CFL passing
Last game – 34 attempts, 25 completions, 73.5% completion rate, 303 passing yards, 2 TDs , 1 INT, 107.8 QB rating – vs Toronto; season high in passing yards and QB rating
2014 vs Wpg. – 50 attempts, 31 completions, 62.0% completion rate, 396 passing yards, 3 TDs , 2 INTs in two games

Deron Mayo, LB, #42
2015 stats – 11 tackles, 1 special teams tackle
Last game – 4 tackles – vs Toronto; tied for team lead in tackles
2014 vs Wpg. – 9 tackles in two games

Brandon Smith – DB, #28
2015 stats – 14 tackles
Last game – 4 tackles, 1 pass knockdown – vs Tor.; tied for team lead in tackles
2014 vs Tor. – 12 tackles in two games

The Blue Bombers                                                       

Winnipeg started out 5-1 in 2014 before ending up 7-11 and out of the playoffs, so their 2-1 record this year has the Bombers cautiously optimistic as the season nears the quarter-pole.

QB Drew Willy (#5) is in his second year as the starter and has a good command of a Bombers offence with some decent weapons. The Bombers rebuilt their o-line in the off-season, adding former Stamps OT Stanley Bryant (#66), former Riders C Dominic Picard (#68) and former Calgary Dino OG Sukh Chungh (#69).

RB Paris Cotton (#34, fifth in the CFL in yards from scrimmage) combines with rookie RB Cam Marshall (#32) for a terrific one-two punch in the backfield while SB Nick Moore (#17) and SB Clarence Denmark (#89) are the team’s two best receivers; Denmark was one of only three receivers in the CFL to top the 1,000-yard mark in 2014.

Winnipeg’s defence was revamped with four starting rookies, CB Johnny Adams (#20), DH Bruce Johnson (#25), LB Khalil Bass (#47) and DE Jamaal Westerman (#55), and the results have been mixed. The Bombers are eighth in points allowed and last in yards allowed, but the rookies have played well.

Former Stampeder Chris Randle (#8) moved to linebacker from DB this season and former Dino Sam Hurl gets the start at middle linebacker after coming over from the Riders. Veterans Greg Peach (#90), Zach Anderson (#44) and Bryant Turner (#92) combine to give the Blue and Gold an excellent defensive line. 

Drew Willy – QB, #5
2015 stats – 60 attempts, 45 completions, 75.0% completion rate, 624 passing yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT,  117.6 QB rating
Last game – 29 attempts, 20 completions, 69.0% completion rate, 251 passing yards, 0 TDs , 0 INTs, 95.6 QB rating – vs Montreal
2014 vs Cgy. – 10 attempts, 4 completions, 40.0% completion rate, 22 passing yards, 0 TDs , 0 INTs, 44.6 QB rating in one game

Paris Cotton – RB, #34
2015 stats – 32 carries, 174 rushing yards, 5.4 yard average, 1 TD; 10 receptions, 114 receiving yards, 11.4 yard average, 1 receiving TD
Last game – 10 receptions, 20 yards, 2.0 yard average, 0 TDs; 3 receptions, 33 receiving yards, 11.0 yard average, 0 TDs – vs Montreal
2014 vs Cgy. – 31 carries, 179 rushing yards, 5.7 yard average, 2 TDs in two games

Johnny Adams – CB, #20
2015 stats – 10 tackles, 2 INTs, 1 pass knockdown, 1 TD; tied for CFL lead in interceptions
Last game – 7 tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD – vs Montreal; led team in tackles
2014 vs Cgy. – did not play; CFL rookie

Stats

Week 4 in the CFL

Thursday, July 16 – Hamilton 13 Montreal 17
Friday, July 17 – Edmonton (1-1) at Ottawa (2-1)
Friday, July 17 – BC (1-1_ at Saskatchewan (0-3)

Bye : Toronto