Last season, the Calgary Stampeders finished dead last in the West Division.
This season, despite being 5-0 against Saskatchewan and Winnipeg, they sit in second place.
The Stamps are one game out of first place, and only one game ahead of third. They are, however, 1st in the CFL Newshub Power Rankings.
But the question remains, can the Stamps go from worst to first in just one year?
There is one big reason why they might.
The Calgary Stampeders’ Remaining Games
Before the season, the Stamps’ 5 games against Winnipeg and Saskatchewan looked like the toughest part of the season. Both teams have played well, sitting in first and third place in the West, respectively. But neither team has managed to win a single game against Calgary.
The rest of the schedule looks much more manageable.
In fact, the Hamilton Tigercats (6-4) are the only team left on the schedule with a winning record.
The combined record of the team left on the Calgary Stampeders‘ schedule is 36-48.
Unfortunately, there is one significant issue that may still prevent the Stamps from taking first place.
Consistency
The Calgary Stampeders have looked great for a large chunk of the season. However, they’ve also looked rough at times.
Despite being the only team in the league to beat Saskatchewan, the Stamps’ three losses come to teams with a combined record of 8-14.
The consistency issues show up most prevalently on the offensive side of the ball.
In last week’s game, the Stamps offense had 6 two and outs as well as two interceptions.
The offense made big plays when it mattered most, but they made it harder than it needed to be. Consistency, especially on the offensive side of the ball, has been an issue all season.
Calgary will need to address this issue if they hopes to win the West.
Where Will the Calgary Stampeders’ Finish?
It’s impossible to say how the Stamps’ season will finish. But they have a lot of things going for them.
- A manageable remaining schedule
- One of the best defenses in the league.
- An offense that, when firing on all cylinders, looks impossible to stop.
If the consistency issues get fixed, we might be looking at a worst-to-first situation in Calgary.
