The Calgary Stampeders are always looking to get better. No matter how good their 2016 campaign was, it didn’t end with them hoisting a Grey Cup in their hands.
For Stampeders quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, as soon as last season ended, it was about finding ways to improve and reinventing themselves both as a player and team.
“We’ve got to look at the weaknesses,” Mitchell said. “This is kind of that time that you find that identity again.”
Mitchell said there are a lot of things the team wants to carry over into this year, but it’s about finding new things you can do better.
“New nuances if you will, about how you can go out there and change up and create a new identity for yourself,” Mitchell said. “Last year was awesome. I think every single one of us had to look in the mirror. When I say that, you got to go look at your stat line, your film and see where your weaknesses are. Every single one of us had to go out there and improve on those, if we don’t – we won’t get better.”
The number one thing as a team Mitchell would like to see improve, comes down to the Stampeders’ level of play in the second and third quarter.
“It’s finishing the second quarter strong, coming out in the third quarter strong and improving as a team that way,” Mitchell said.
As for a personal goal, Mitchell is trying to knock down his time count and trust his O-line to do their job.
“I think in the beginning of the year I almost try and coach too much on the field, so make sure guys are lined up instead of just trusting and letting those guys go and talking it out on the sidelines. So that’s something that I’m looking to improve on – knocking those time counts out early because it’s negative penalty yards and it kills you as an offense,” Mitchell said.
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It might just be preseason but it’s business as usual in terms of the battle of Alberta. It almost always ends up being exciting and down to the wire between these two teams.
Last year, the Stamps and Eskimos met three times, with Edmonton winning a pre-season encounter and Calgary sweeping the two-game regular-season series.
Exactly a year before this year’s pre-season meeting between the Alberta rivals, the Eskimos won 23-13 at McMahon Stadium.
In regular-season action, Calgary won the Labour Day Classic 45-24 at home and then claimed a 34-28 overtime victory in the Labour Day rematch five days later in Edmonton.
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Stamps fans will get to see their favourite veterans getting some work in, but it will most likely be for half of the game at most.
Mitchell is expected to be under centre for the majority of the first half and Jerome Messam, Charleston Hughes, Marquay McDaniel and Alex Singleton will also be making their debuts this year.
Defensive lineman Randy Colling, the team’s top draft selection in May, is also expected to see his first action.
“Give them their work, let them feel like their conditioning is there, they do need to get their timing. They do need to understand how they make decisions when they’re tired, then you just kind of cross your fingers that everyone makes it out OK and you don’t have major injuries,” Stamps head coach Dave Dickenson said.
It’s also one of the last chances left for players hoping to break into the roster to show head coach Dave Dickenson their progress, with little time left on their side due to preseason scheduling.
“The younger guys I feel have got as many or more reps in practice that I use to give to the vets because I knew they had to do it now to make this team. So I think it’s been the toughest on the younger guys because usually the first preseason doesn’t happen for another three or four days from ours and then you had the week to get another shot at it. Well now they’re back to back,” Dickenson said. “I’ve done what I could to make the schedule the best I could. I think the double preseason is tough but I do think there will be a positive once we get through this game that we can refocus and have a little bit of extra time…really focus on what’s most import and that’s the regular season.”
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There will also be a high-intensity scrimmage Thursday for Stampeders coaching staff to evaluate players again and make some decisions more clear.
CFL teams have to finalize their 46-man rosters by Saturday, June 17.
The Stamps kickoff their regular season against the Redblacks in the nation’s capital on Friday, June 23.
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