After all the talk, Calgary bests Saskatchewan, but still has questions to answer before the playoffs

Saturday night's Saskatchewan Roughriders-Calgary Stampeders clash was highly anticipated thanks to both its playoff implications and the trash talk flying between the sides in advance, and it didn't disappoint. The game went back and forth throughout with plenty of lead changes before the Stampeders were eventually able to pull out a 29-25 victory. That's huge for them, as it clinches first place in the West Division, gives them a first-round bye and means they'll host the West Final on Nov. 17. However, this was far from an all-around dominant showing by Calgary, and it's one that leaves plenty for them to work on them ahead of the playoffs.

The biggest question revolves around the Stampeders' quarterbacks. Kevin Glenn has been the starter for most of this season, but he only got that job thanks to a persistent arm injury opening-day starter Drew Tate suffered early on. Tate has been healthy for the last few weeks, but Calgary head coach and general manager John Hufnagel has elected not to mess with a good thing, keeping Glenn as the starter despite a string of performances that were more solid than spectacular. Glenn really struggled Saturday, though, completing 11 of 17 passes (64.7 per cent) for 120 yards with a touchdown, an interception and two fumbles, and the Stampeders' offence didn't get rolling until Tate replaced him after halftime. Tate looked much better, completing 11 of 16 passes (68.8 per cent) for 181 yards with one fumble, but we'll see if that's enough for him to regain the starting job, or if Hufnagel will elect to go back to Glenn.

Another huge question for Calgary is about ball security. Aside from the aforementioned fumbles from Tate and Glenn, running back Jon Cornish also had two (one of which was lost), giving the Stampeders four lost fumbles on the night. That was one of the biggest reasons the Riders were able to stay in this. The Calgary offence did a lot right, particularly with Cornish collecting 109 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 carries (an average of 5.5 yards per carry) and with receivers like Jeff Fuller (six catches, 113 yards) and Marquay McDaniel (five catches, 82 yards) having great days, and the Stampeders' defence was strong too, holding Darian Durant to 202 passing yards and Kory Sheets to 42 rushing yards, but the turnovers frequently gave Saskatchewan excellent field position. That allowed the Riders to keep this one close and have a chance to win, and it's something Calgary will have to improve ahead of the playoffs.

Still, on the whole, this was an excellent night for the Stampeders. They answered the bell and lived up to the hype after all the trash talk, and they showed why they have the CFL's best record (they're now 14-3 after this win). Their passing offence was okay once Tate came in, and their rushing offence and overall defence had impressive nights. Their special teams also shone, with punter Rob Maver averaging 49.4 yards on five punts and kicker Rene Paredes nailing all three of his field goal attempts. Calgary will have to do some work ahead of the playoffs, especially on ball security, and they'll have to decide who they want under centre, but they're in a pretty good position thanks to this victory. There's more to do, of course, but there's a lot of pride they can take from this one.