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Berg vs. Ferg: Which back would you run with?
Berg vs. Ferg returns for another season on CFL.ca as columnists Pat Steinberg and Marshall Ferguson debate over some of the league’s most contentious storylines. This week they debate over the running backs in Sunday’s Grey Cup.
One reason to tune in to Sunday’s Grey Cup, among many others, is the battle between two of the CFL’s premier running backs.
It’s been said that running backs are a dime a dozen in football, and it’s true, some pretty good ones have come and gone over the years in the three-down game.
But Sunday’s running backs, James Wilder and Jerome Messam, are unlike most we’ve seen on this side of the border: Dominant power backs with a rare blend of speed, finesse and the ability to catch the ball and pass protect.
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James Wilder Jr. helped the Argos’ ground game get back on track in the middle of the season (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Messam has been doing it for years now, twice winning Most Outstanding Canadian while going over the 1,000-yard plateau this season for the third time in his career.
Just named Most Outstanding Rookie, Wilder is new to the Canadian football stage, but it’s taken only one season for him to become a household name.
While all eyes will be on quarterbacks Ricky Ray and Bo Levi Mitchell, the two bell cow backs could go a long way in determining the Grey Cup outcome.
In a one-game, winner-take-all, which back would you rather have? Steinberg and Ferguson debate.
BERG VS. FERG: LAST WEEK’S RESULTS | ||
Ferguson: Edmonton (51%) Steinberg: Calgary (49%) | ||
FERG (11-12): WILDER KEY TO STAMPS’ STRATEGY
Marshall Ferguson, CFL.ca
@TSN_Marsh
James Wilder Jr. is the perfect back for CFL football. He has the body type that would make any recruiter on both sides of the border drool but his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, contribute on special teams and rip off a huge run make him the right choice.
It actually pains me to not pick Jerome Messam after the great season he’s had and the fact that I love a throwback, downhill running back, but Wilder’s open-field explosion makes him the easy choice.
Wilder might not end up with more rushing yards than Messam in Sunday’s Grey Cup, but his impact on the game will be felt. In a second half which saw the Argos’ young running back change the Double Blue offensive dynamic, he will be the key to Calgary’s defensive strategy.
I talked to a couple Calgary defensive lineman at the Shaw CFL awards Thursday night who told me that, “if the Argos can’t play off Wilder as a dual-threat rusher and pass-catcher, they become much easier to defend”.
I don’t see that happening. Wilder is too motivated and talented to let this moment pass by and the CFL’s rookie of the year looks poised to embrace the CFL’s biggest stage with the same bravado he’s approached every step towards the Grey Cup thus far.
If the question were which running back do you want on third and goal from the one yard line the answer has to be Messam with his bruising style but in a one game situation and the way the CFL game is played Wilder is the more dangerous back.
BERG (12-11): MESSAM IS A CONSISTENT THREAT
Pat Steinberg, CFL.ca
@Fan960Steinberg
In recent Monday Morning Quarterback installments, I’ve called James Wilder Jr. the CFL ‘s most devastating player right now. All the guy has done is rack up yards, both on the ground and through the air, in the seven games since taking over as Toronto’s starting tailback. But Calgary’s Jerome Messam possesses one thing Wilder does not: a proven CFL track record.
That’s why it’s tough to write Messam off in Sunday’s Grey Cup running back showdown. We’re talking about one of the league’s most consistent offensive players over the last three seasons, let alone at his own position. That consistency is what leads me to believe Messam can have just as big an impact as Wilder on Sunday, if not larger.
Additionally, Messam won the rushing title in 2016 and finished 20 yards shy of repeating this season, which speaks volumes about Messam’s consistency.
Looking at Messam’s touchdown totals is just as impressive. 2017 saw him lead all CFL running backs in rushing majors for a second straight year; Messam’s 20 touchdowns over the last two seasons is four more than his closest contemporary in BC’s Jeremiah Johnson. Not only has Messam racked up the yards, but he’s done so in scoring territory when it’s most crucial.
Messam gets the job done in the playoffs, too. Last weekend’s Western Final saw Messam post 115 total offensive yards and a touchdown to help the Stampeders advance to their second straight Grey Cup. Messam was at 96 yards in the 2016 Western Final and, despite losing in last year’s title game, he still racked up 94 total yards and a touchdown against the victorious Ottawa REDBLACKS.
If this conversation was based solely on who’s playing better right now, the answer is Wilder, hands down. Instead, we’re talking about what running back we feel more comfortable with in a winner-take-all showdown. Because of Messam’s longevity, consistency, and ability to answer the bell in big games, I’ll take him in this conversation.
DON’T SIT ON THE FENCE!
While both sides are pretty convincing, someone’s got to take it. Whose argument convinced you the most?
You can vote for this week’s winner both on CFL.ca and Twitter. Meanwhile, continue the conversation by tweeting @Fan960Steinberg and @TSN_Marsh.
The winner will be revealed in the following week’s Berg vs. Ferg.
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Berg vs. Ferg: Which RB would you rather have for one game?
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