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CFL West: Stamps and Riders to battle for first

Wed 25th, August 2010

Toronto, Canada (Sports Network) - The West Division returns to play this week after a bye, with the two basement dwellers set to host the top teams. The Edmonton Eskimos and BC Lions have a lot of work cut out for them to get back into the swing of things, a task made harder with all the coaching speculation underway. Few would have thought Wally Buono's position as head coach of the Lions would ever be in doubt, but after limping to a 1-6 record to start the season, those questions are now being asked.

BC LIONS

Since Buono took over in 2003, the Lions have never missed the playoffs. Although the team has shown its decline over the last three seasons, this year's dramatic fall for one of the all-time winningest CFL coaches still comes as a surprise.

The Lions' problem on the field this season has been the same since Week 1 - an inexperienced o-line that fails to protect its quarterback and running backs. The Lions just can't find the time to find their offensive rhythm when they are constantly being hurried.

With the league's best defensive team coming up next, it will be even tougher to find their mojo with the ball.

Offensive key to the next game (Calgary Stampeders): Protect the quarterback. There is a possibility Casey Printers will be back from injury to start this game and if that's the case, the Lions are better off for it. But BC will get nowhere if they can't control the field around the line of scrimmage.

Defensive key to the next game: The Stampeders have many offensive weapons, backed up by a healthy balance between their passing and running game. However, the Stamps rely on their quarterback Henry Burris more than anything (he's thrown more touchdowns than any QB out West), so the Lions need to force the Stamps to run the ball to keep it close. Doing that starts with cutting off Burris's favorite target, Nik Lewis.

Look ahead: After Calgary, the Lions play three different eastern teams. While two are against Montreal and Toronto, BC has historically done well against the East. The Lions' most realistic chance of making the playoffs will be crossing over to the East Division, making these three games crucial to its hopes of a postseason berth.

EDMONTON ESKIMOS

As dire as things are on the Pacific Coast, they aren't as bad as across the Rockies. Edmonton has put up a terrible -94 point differential in scoring, which is 50 points worse than the Lions.

What this stat suggests is that nothing has worked for the Eskies all season. Arkee Whitlock remains one of the league's best running backs, but more is needed for this once-proud organization.

Losing 56-15 against Calgary in Week 7 was the latest debacle for Edmonton.

There is good news, however. Ricky Ray, who had only five pass attempts in their last game before leaving with injury, will be back this week. Though Ray has yet to find the magic from earlier in his career, he is a much better option than the backups behind him.

Offensive key to the next game (Saskatchewan Roughriders): Ray must dazzle, and it's possible to do that against Saskatchewan. The Riders have given up (by far) the most passing yards of any team in the West, and so Edmonton's best chance at scoring points will be to get it done through the air.

Defensive key to the next game: Part of the reason for Saskatchewan's lackadaisical pass defense is that they welcome teams to try and outgun Darian Durant and the league's best receiving corps. The Eskimos have to find a way to limit Durant's ability to go big and force him to complete short passes.

Look ahead: The schedule does not get any easier for the Eskimos. After their tilt with the Riders, they have a home-and-home series with the Stampeders, followed by a date in Montreal with the Alouettes.

CALGARY STAMPEDERS

The Stampeders headed into the bye week with the greatest momentum of any team. They became the top team in the league while at the same time making a dynamic statement when they trounced their Albertan rivals, 56-15, in Week 7.

When the Stamps won the Grey Cup in 2008, they had a league-best 13-5 record. Though there are many games still to be played, Burris and company look even deadlier this year, as they're on pace to score more points and allow even fewer.

The Stamps have the record to back up their strong play, but with so many games having come right down to the wire, they have also shown a resiliency that was missing last season.

Another road game in BC will put that to the test once again.

Offensive key to the next game (BC Lions): Burris needs to be mistake-free, as BC has a much better defense than its 1-6 record would indicate. In their meeting before the bye week, Burris threw for just 238 yards and had one interception, a stat line that allowed BC to come within five points of forcing overtime. Burris will need to execute better against a hungrier team.

Defensive key to the next game: The Stamps used some clever ploys to knock Lions QB Travis Lulay off his game in Week 7. If Printers remains on the sidelines, the Stamps need to do the exact same thing this week and keep Lulay uncomfortable. Tactics don't change if Printers is in the game, but the Stamps will have to be more cautious with the more experienced quarterback.

Look ahead: The Stamps have a home-and-home series with Edmonton after their matchup with BC, meaning a 3-0 run is a strong possibility. However, Calgary has shown some weakness on the road - at least in the fact they aren't as dominating as they are at home. A 1-3 record, even against the league's two worst teams, is a possibility if the Stamps don't take their opponents seriously.

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS

Since losing 40-20 to Calgary in Week 4, the Riders have lost a little of the magic they started the season with, when they beat Montreal, 54-51, in their season opener.

Much of that has to do with the sloppy play of quarterback Darian Durant. After throwing seven touchdowns and just one interception over the first three games, Durant has been picked off a whopping eight times over his last four contests, to go along with just four TD's. It's no surprise that during Durant's struggles the Riders have mustered a mediocre 2-2 record over that span.

Offensive key to the next game (Edmonton Eskimos): Playing a road game is never easy, and so the Riders need Durant to find his accuracy, and fast. The Eskimos are not as challenging a team to square up against, but the Riders QB should use this game as a launching point for an improved second half of the season.

Defensive key to the next game: QB Ricky Ray, wide receiver Fred Stamps, and running back Arkee Whitlock. These are the three biggest offensive weapons the Eskimos have. Stopping at least two of three will eliminate any hope of an Edmonton upset.

Look ahead: The Riders have a classic home-and-home series against prairie rival Winnipeg Blue Bombers coming up after this week. Though Saskatchewan has proven to be the superior team this season, there's no guarantee this will translate to two easy wins. With another match against Calgary looming three weeks from now, the Riders need to win in order to prepare themselves for the upcoming western showdown.