Stampeders get back on track with 38-17 win over Redblacks, furthering West dominance

It appears a visit from the familiar faces on the Ottawa Redblacks was just what the doctor ordered to fix the Calgary Stampeders' offensive woes. The Stampeders' pass offence in particular had been in the doldrums for weeks, culminating in last week's 25-24 loss to B.C. where quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell threw for just 227 yards, but it looked much better in a 38-17 win over Ottawa Saturday. Mitchell had one of his best games of the season, throwing for three touchdowns and picking up another one on the ground, and he also completed 26 of 36 pass attempts (72.2 per cent) for 289 yards with just one interception. With Mitchell and the passing offence back in form, the 5-1 Stampeders are again looking like one of the league's best teams. Their geographic location alone would suggest that, though; Calgary's win over Ottawa also meant the West Division improved to 23-9 overall, while the East is now 5-19 overall and just 2-16 against the West.

The Western dominance to date has been a little surprising, especially considering the teams at the top of the pack. Calgary's win here tied them with Winnipeg and Edmonton at five wins each. It's not all that remarkable that the Stampeders are good again (although it is remarkable that they're doing this with a new starting quarterback and without reigning league most outstanding player Jon Cornish, still recovering from a concussion), but it's quite interesting that the Bombers and Eskimos (3-15 and 4-14 respectively last year) have been so good so far. Both teams overhauled their coaching staffs in the offseason, and Winnipeg also brought in a new starting quarterback. Some growing pains might have been expected. In the West, though, it seems like everyone is clicking along just fine, perhaps especially now that the B.C. Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders appear to be rounding into form as well.

For Calgary, Mitchell's play was a big part of their own resurgence in this one. Yes, the 289 passing yards were a substantial step up from the 227, 124 and 201 he'd recorded over the last three weeks, but it was the rise in completion percentage that was perhaps even more impressive. The 72.2 per cent mark he put up Saturday is a huge step forward over the 60.4 per cent he had this season to date, and it's much closer to the 69.6 per cent he posted last year (as a backup and occasional starter). He was also effective with his feet against Ottawa, frequently scrambling to avoid pressure and rushing twice for 13 yards and a touchdown. If he can continue to perform at this level, the Stampeders' offence could be quite dangerous.

The Stampeders do have to sort out the ground game, though, as yet another running back went down with injury here. The team was already missing Cornish and Walter thanks to concussions, and they lost Martell Mallett (who ran for 116 yards on just 14 carries last week) partway through the second quarter with a leg injury. If that proves to be serious, Calgary may have to find another replacement. Fullback Rob Cote led the team with six carries for 32 yards Saturday, and Jock Sanders added four for 15, but neither has really been a proven full-time option to this point. We'll see how things develop on that front. The Stampeders' passing attack seems to be back in form, though, and that may be crucial if they're going to survive in the strong West Division.