Week Five Picks

Season record: 7-9
Last week: 3-1

Calgary (3-1) at Ottawa (2-2)

The opening game of week five features two teams trending in different directions. The Redblacks are starting to look more and more like the 2014 expansion team while the Stampeders just keep finding ways to win. Calgary finally got running back Jon Cornish going against Winnipeg and after seeing Ottawa give up 140 yards on the ground to Eskimos' rookie Shakir Bell in week four, the Stamps will undoubtedly feed the ball to the league's top Canadian early and often. They'll need Cornish to make the most out of his increased touches as Ottawa likely has the league's best secondary, in my opinion, and quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell simply hasn't been all that impressive through four games. Calgary will likely take over this game on defence, where they'll look to force turnovers from Henry Burris and shut-down his supposedly dynamic group of receivers, which in the last two games has looked anything but. If Ottawa loses the turnover battle due to multiple Burris interceptions, they'll stand no chance against the overpowered Stampeders.

Pick: Calgary

Toronto (2-1) at BC (2-1)

Part two of Friday night's doubleheader is likely the toughest game of the week to predict. Both of these teams are exceeding expectations to start the season thanks to two quarterbacks doing just the same. BC's Travis Lulay is re-gaining his 2011 M.O.P. form as shown by his six touchdowns to one interception ratio, while Toronto's Trevor Harris has done a remarkable job filling in for the injured Ricky Ray and has had an extra week to prepare for the Lions' defence. This game could come down to which signal-caller has the better game and, fortunately for them, they'll be going up against two questionable defences with BC's being ranked last in total defence and Toronto's inexperienced group struggling against the pass. With a new system in place being run by two offensive masterminds in George Cortez and Jeff Tedford, the Lions are improving every week and I think we've only started to see what this offence is capable of. They'll take the next step against the Argonauts.

Pick: BC

Winnipeg (2-2) at Edmonton (2-1)

The Bombers are coming off a heartbreaking loss against Calgary and haven't had any success against Edmonton recently, losing handily to the Green and Gold in both games last year. Winnipeg outplayed Calgary on both offence and defence but learned that against Calgary, that is not enough. Numerous errors on special-teams cost the Bombers the win and they'll have to clean those up against Edmonton. Winnipeg's much-improved offensive line will be tested against the Eskimos' ferocious pass-rush and should they bend but not break, they'll have done enough for quarterback Drew Willy, who's quietly had a fantastic season, to get the job done. The Eskimos should lean on running back Shakir Bell against Winnipeg's awful run defence after seeing the rookie and the offensive line surprisingly dominate Ottawa on the ground last week. Quarterback Matt Nichols has been unimpressive in his two starts and he'll have to protect the ball against Winnipeg, where another performance with multiple interceptions will cost his team against the Blue Bombers.

Pick: Winnipeg

Hamilton (1-2) at Saskatchewan (0-4)

While mathematically it might not be, this game in many regards is a must-win for Saskatchewan. Their schedule gets much more difficult after this and a loss to the Tiger-Cats will give them an 0-5 record despite starting the season with four of five games at home. Unfortunately for the Roughriders, Hamilton's defence is too good for Saskatchewan to simply win by putting 40 points on the board. They'll need to put together their first solid defensive effort of the season and will have to do so while missing several key contributors to injury. For that reason, I think Ti-Cats' pivot Zach Collaros will rebound from his poor showing last week with a stellar performance against a depleted Saskatchewan secondary. He also should have running back CJ Gable in the lineup to provide some sort of rushing attack against the Riders' seventh-ranked run defence.

Pick: Hamilton

CFL Best: Chad Owens vs Brandon Banks

The first installment of "Best in the League" on CFL.ca is all about the playmakers; a duel that features Brandon Banks and Chad Owens.


The CFL wants to know who the league's best playmaker is. 

Argos' slot-back Chad Owens and Ti-Cats' returner Brandon Banks are the nominees, and for good reason. The entertainment these two superstars provide on their own is enough to put fans in the seats on a weekly basis.  

Offensively, an elite playmaker is someone who has a knack for simply making big plays. Every time they touch the football, there's a chance they can go to the house. 

And that's why Brandon Banks gets my vote. 

Every time Banks gets the ball, people are on the edge of their seat. They hold their breath and watch the magic unfold. More times than not, Banks will make something happen. 

He had a remarkable year in 2014, proving his dominance on special-teams by returning four kicks for touchdowns. The former Washington Redskins' returner also contributed on offence, where he was on the receiving end for five scores while recording his first 500 receiving yard season in spot-duty. So far in 2015, Banks has continued right where he left off in the playoffs, running back two punts to the end-zone in only three games. He even had an electrifying kickoff return touchdown in week three, but it was nullified by a picky blocking-in-the-back foul on Bakari Grant. 

Sure, Chad Owens is the better player for the impact he makes on offence. Despite being limited to only 11 games in 2014, he managed to account for 86 catches, 979 yards and seven touchdowns. Had he stayed healthy, the former Most Outstanding Player award winner was on pace for over 1,600 yards receiving with eleven touchdowns. But as phenomenal of a player as Owens is, he doesn't strike fear into opposing coaches' eyes like a certain 5'7", 153 lbs speedster does. 

To put it all into perspective, Banks has 5 return touchdowns (six total) in his last seven games going back to week nineteen last year. And that doesn't include the three scores he's had called back since then. Chad Owens, meanwhile, has 5 return touchdowns in his career. 

I think that best sums it up. 

Taman Won't Fire Coach Chamblin

Roughriders' head coach Corey Chamblin is on the hot-seat. (Photo: Jeff Gross, Getty Images)

According to CFL on TSN insider Gary Lawless, Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Corey Chamblin won't be getting fired, at least not by general manager Brendan Taman.
 
Chamblin has taken a lot of heat from the fans and media of Rider Nation for his team's 0-4 start, but unless team president Craig Reynolds gives in to the pressure of the fans, Chamblin will play out the rest of the season.
 
And that's probably a good thing. Firing a head coach midseason rarely works anyway, and there's also so many possible negative effects that can snowball if a general manager or team president does indeed pull the trigger. For one, the fans might see it as a midseason sign of surrender and then stop showing up for games. There's also a chance the players won't respond well to a new voice, leaving some veterans discontent. And if one of the trusted coordinators is indeed promoted, the team will have to lift the interim tag off him in the off-season, otherwise he'll take another job elsewhere. There's usually no going back.
 
With that being said, the Riders probably should find another head coach if Corey Chamblin doesn't right the ship. From questionable coaching decisions to an inability to close out football games, Chamblin has underperformed as a head-coach. He's also in charge of the defence, which ranks last in nearly every statistical category. Bad injury luck hasn't helped matters, but it can't be used as an excuse as even with them, the Riders have still found ways to lose games as a result of poor coaching.
 
Chamblin has an even 29-29 record as the head-coach in Saskatchewan, and he'll be well below .500 by the end of the season at this rate. He still has the 2013 Grey Cup to show for, but that doesn't cover up what he's done recently.
 
Brendan Taman's job shouldn't be secure either. He committed to using the win-now-at-all-costs approach and will have created quite the ugly mess in the long-term should this team not find success this year. Taman has assembled the oldest team in the CFL and stated himself that he can't afford to look into the future.

"My long-term plan is to win right now. Everyone keeps talking about the new stadium in two, three years from now and I've gotta keep that in the back of my mind. There's no doubt about that. But if we can't go make a field goal next week you ain't going to be talking to me to get to the new stadium. Somebody else will be here so my goal is to win right now."

This has to be concerning considering Taman's jeopardizing the future of the team to win a Grey Cup this year. That's not always a bad idea if it actually works. Taman's tunnel-vision towards the short-term success of the Riders has seen him cut many up-and-comers in favour of other teams' scraps, most recently guys like Jamel Richardson, Geoff Tisdale and Alex Suber. He's left his potential successor in a difficult situation next winter.

If Chamblin and Taman are indeed joined at the hip, Reynolds will simply have to fire them both once the season passes if the team doesn't turn it around. Taman makes a good case to be fired anyway, while Chamblin's decision-making and defence should make it easier to deliver the pink slip. It would be the right move to make, but it should only happen when the dust has settled and the season is in the rear-view mirror.

Short-Term Pain Leads to Long-Term Gain (Just Ask the NHL)

 

Cory Chamblin's Saskatchewan Roughriders have had one of the roughest times adjusting to the CFL's new rules.

After seeing scoring and offensive production take a hit in recent years, the Canadian Football League's Board of Governors knew it was no coincidence that both TV ratings and attendance were down as well. 

In an attempt to enhance the on-field product and, ultimately, the appeal of the game to fans, the league announced several new rule changes in April that were designed to spark scoring and, as a result, the entertainment level of CFL games as well. 

Through four games of the 2015 CFL season, scoring numbers have indeed increased. Teams are averaging a combined 47.6 points per game compared to last year’s average of 45.5. In fact, the average after week three was actually 53.5 points per game, however a couple rainy affairs this week in Ottawa and Regina brought the overall number down. 

There's also a whopping 12 receivers on pace for 1,000 yard seasons, an incredibly high amount considering last season only saw 3 pass-catchers eclipse the millennium plateau. 

But despite all this, the fans are still upset with the rule changes. Rather, they're terribly upset with what the on-field product has become. Some can't handle the increase in penalties, while others feel like the league is taking away the integrity of the game by penalizing any sort of defence. 

It sounds all too familiar, doesn't it? 

Remember when the NHL introduced a plethora of rule changes skewed toward offence following the 2004-2005 lockout season? It was their own attempt to enhance the appeal of the game to fans by emphasizing entertainment, skill and competition on the ice. 

Similarly to the 2015 CFL season, the 2005-2006 NHL season featured significant increases in the amount of goals scored and penalties called per contest. Their increases were much more dramatic, however, as the average amount of goals scored per game jumped 19.84% from 5.14 to 6.16, while penalties sky-rocketed from 9.9 minor penalties per game in 2003-2004 to 12.76 in 2005-2006, a 28.75% increase. 

I can recall so many hockey fans being disgusted with the so-called "New NHL".

They felt the rule changes diminished what once was a terrific game, mostly a result of the changes supposedly encouraging offence, flashy-plays and individual-efforts over defensive hockey and team play. And to some degree, they were right. The rule changes absolutely favoured offence, much like those of the CFL's do. 

The NHL introduced a zero tolerance policy to "obstruction", which includes hooking, holding, slashing and any other infraction that a defensive player might use to slow down an opponent. It was believed during the 2005-2006 season that there was nothing a defender could do to defend anymore without being penalized. Players on the attack seemed to often embellish, knowing that diving will likely result in a penalty for the opponent more times than not with how hard officials were pressing to enforce the new rule changes. 

Hockey was supposedly ruined. The integrity of the game was lost.

Now that has to sound a little familiar, no? 

The CFL's new interpretation of illegal contact is very much relatable to the NHL's enforcement of obstruction infractions. Gone are the days of defensive backs clutching and grabbing to impede a receivers' route. There's a zero tolerance policy to this rule too, as it seems an official will throw an orange flag should a defender even breathe on a potential pass-catcher past the five-yard contact zone. 

The NHL implemented several other rules in favour of offence, such as prohibiting goaltenders from playing the puck outside the new trapezoid, permitting two-line passes and decreasing the maximum size of goaltenders' equipment. Many thought every game would be played like an All-Star game, becoming a contact-free, wide open, high-scoring and overall boring game. 

But that was not the case, and after a season of adjustments in 2005-2006, the NHL's rule changes began to really pay off. The average amount of penalties per game has steadily decreased to this day, while as of the 2013-2014 season, the average amount of goals scored per game nearly came back down to what it originally was 10 years prior. However as the NHL had originally hoped, the game is still more open than before and the product is much more entertaining. The upset fans came back long ago and since that, the NHL's reaped from the financial success that ensued. 

It's the perfect example how short-term pain will lead to long-term gain, something the CFL has stressed since announcing the new rule changes a few months back.

That's been their moniker, and with penalties drastically increasing since last season, the short-term pain is definitely there. 

But as the NHL has shown us, we have to trust that it'll all sort itself out in the future and penalties will then return to the norm. The NHL hardly has a "zero tolerance policy" towards obstruction infractions anymore, as officials now give the players a longer leash and, sometimes, the benefit-of-the-doubt when deciding on whether to call a penalty or not. 

NHL players adjusted to the new rules and we should trust that those of the CFL will do the same. As coaches move farther away from the physical defensive backs that formerly excelled in impeding a receivers' route to the now-desired speedy cover-guys, we'll see more good defence and the return of man-coverage. 

The officials will improve too, and they'll give defenders more rights once they finish drilling the new rules into their heads first.

Also to be noted, a very large majority of the penalties called such as offside, illegal procedure and holding have nothing to do with the rule-changes, but rather the players themselves making bad mistakes and paying the price. Penalties are typically higher at the start of the season anyway, so you can certainly expect to see a decrease in the amount of preventable penalties as the weeks go on.

So keep the faith, football fans. The CFL is simply in an adjustment period, and it's a period the NHL experienced in 2005-2006 following their own rule changes. 

Soon enough, the steady decline in the amount of orange nylon flung per game will noticeably become a drastic decrease, while it at the same time, defensive coordinators will return to calling games closer to the way they did before. They'll no longer be limited to almost exclusively running zone coverage in fear of the poor results that ensue in calling man-coverage.

A new wave of defensive backs will arrive and the officials will grant them a little more freedom. Offences will still have more space and open-field like the league desires, but the mentality of "defence wins championships" will return as well. 

The CFL expected penalties to increase when they decided to alter the rule book. They knew it would frustrate fans and possibly drive some away from the game. But they also knew that in the end, it would be worth it.

Ask the NHL and they'll reiterate the same thing: short-term pain leads to long-term gain. 

The future's bright, people.

Week Four CFL Picks



Returner Brandon Banks and the Hamilton Tiger Cats will head to Montreal to take on the Alouettes, highlighting week four action. 

Season record: 4-12

Last week: 1-3 

Hamilton (2-1) at Montreal (1-2)

The Tiger-Cats are two weeks removed from their utter beat down of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Investors Group Field. They entered their bye week on a high note, however despite the time off, didn't get much more positive news on the injury-front.

No matter how sensational Rakeem Cato might be, giving Ti-Cats' Defensive Coordinator Orlando Steinauer two weeks to prepare for a rookie quarterback is almost unfair. He'll make Cato's first experience against Hamilton hell, sending all kinds of blitz packages and different looks. I expect Hamilton's defence to create turnovers and get the ball back to Zach Collaros and the offence. 

If Montreal can protect the football, they'll have a chance to win this game. But their main priority should be special teams, where their lacklustre unit is facing the most dangerous returner in the CFL: Brandon Banks. Banks is scorching hot and had two punt return touchdowns the last time the Alouettes and Tiger-Cats clashed in the Eastern Final. If punter Boris Bede out-kicks his coverage, it's game over for Montreal. 

For the second straight week, I think the Alouettes will fall short due to their opponent being better on defence and special teams; ultimately winning the game with those units. Banks will have a monster game while Hamilton's defence will create havoc against rookie quarterback Rakeem Cato. 

Pick: Hamilton 

Edmonton (1-1) at Ottawa (2-1) 

Edmonton was far and away the better team when these two teams squared off last week in Commonwealth Stadium, but keep in mind they had the benefit of a week off to prepare for Ottawa, who by contrary was on a short week and also had to travel. For that reason, I don't think this game will be a blow-out. Not even close. 

Dumb penalties, missed tackles and other small mental mistakes cost Ottawa in last week's game. They'll be better prepared on offence and will know what to expect on defence in round two of this go-around. If head coach Rick Campbell can get this team to be fundamentally sound in all three phases, the Redblacks have a chance to win at home. 

Eskimos quarterback Matt Nichols was rather underwhelming in his first start of the season, only completing twelve passes in a 43 point effort. But he took advantage of Ottawa's mistakes and ultimately put the ball in the end zone, throwing three touchdown passes. His best decision was to get the ball to Adarius Bowman, a well known Redblacks-killer, who had 5 catches for 120 yards and a touchdown. 

While I still believe both teams match up really well, I think it'll once again be Edmonton's defence who'll prove to be the difference in this game. Ottawa quarterback Henry Burris can't afford to start slow for a fourth straight week or turn the ball over, which I think he'll do given the pressure Edmonton's defensive line generates. The Redblacks will put together an excellent defensive effort of their own, but it won't match Edmonton's. Eskimos win a low scoring affair. 

Pick: Edmonton

BC (1-1) at Saskatchewan (0-3)

Despite having the league's best offence, the Riders are winless due to a terrible defence and numerous awful coaching decisions by Cory Chamblin. Saskatchewan can't stop the pass at any cost, and that's largely due to a scheme that doesn't allow their defensive line to reach their maximum potential and a group of porous defensive backs. That group of defensive backs will be without their only reliable cover option, Weldon Brown, who's done for the season with a torn pectoral muscle.

To be completely fair, the Lions probably should be 0-2 right now. But they're not, and now have an opportunity to separate themselves in the standings from Saskatchewan with a win at Mosaic Stadium. You may disagree here, but despite quarterback Travis Lulay's exceptional stat line (34/44 passing, 404 yards, 3 TDs), he didn't seem to play as good as those numbers would indicate. But he was much better than he was the week prior against Ottawa, and as long as the 2011 M.O.P. continues to improve as the weeks go on after hardly playing since late 2013, Lions fans can rest-assured. 

With how their defence has played, the Riders might need Kevin Glenn and co. to put up 40+ points each week for their team to win. However, I expect BC's tandem of Soloman Elimimian and Adam Bighill to take exception and be the first team to slow down Saskatchewan's offence. BC's offence, meanwhile, is improving each week and should carve up this Saskatchewan defence minus Weldon Brown. The Manny Arceneaux show will be in town.

Pick: BC 

Winnipeg (2-1) at Calgary (2-1) 

Despite this game featuring a battle for sole possession of first place in the West Division, the Stampeders are heavily favoured, and for good reason. But don't expect them to walk all over these Blue Bombers. Not at all. 

The Stamps seem to be finding their stride after two questionable outings to open the season. Their defence stepped up big time in Monday's win against Toronto, while their offence did enough in the first half to win the game prior to losing both of their starting offensive tackles.

The Bombers, meanwhile, finally found a way to win without needing quarterback Drew Willy to pass for 300+ yards. Their defence showed up against Montreal, lead by nickel linebacker Chris Randle, who looked much better after his slow start to the season since switching positions from boundary corner, while the defensive line ahead of him finally displayed some signs of life. 

That same Winnipeg defensive line will be a major factor in this game as well. They're going up against a depleted Calgary offensive line and have no excuse to not bring the heat on Bo Levi Mitchell. They also have the task of stopping Jon Cornish, which doesn't seem to be as difficult right now considering how invisible the league's reigning leading rusher has been to start the season. And as I just eluded to, Cornish won't have Dan Federkeil or Edwin Harrison blocking for him either. I fully expect Winnipeg's defence to hold their own at McMahon Stadium, leaving their offence under the microscope. 

The Bombers moved the ball against Montreal but ultimately didn't put it in the endzone. They can't settle for field goals against Calgary and have to establish a run game. Calgary's defence played great against Toronto and are sound at defending everything an offence can offer them. If Winnipeg wants to win this game, they'll need to match the Stamps on defence, be effective on offence in the red-zone and, ideally, need some big plays to go in their favour.

It should be close, but that's a tough task for any team. 

Pick: Calgary

The Next Wave of Shutdown Cornerbacks

 

Winnipeg Blue Bombers' rookie cornerback Johnny Adams (far left) celebrates with teammates after his pick-six against Montreal in week three action.

Meet Johnny Adams, cornerback for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and fellow rookie corner AJ Jefferson, a member of the Toronto Argonauts. These two first-year players have burst onto the scene in the opening weeks of the 2015 CFL season, slowly leading a changing of the guard as to who are the league's top cover-men. You can expect to hear their name's quite a bit over the next few seasons. 

And you should probably know them by now anyway. Adams already has two interceptions for the Blue Bombers in only three career games while, not to be outdone in the same amount of starts, Jefferson has an interception of his own; one he returned 100 yards the other way for a touchdown in Toronto's 42-40 win over Saskatchewan in week two. They've both come in as rookies and earned starting jobs at short-side cornerback, a position typically occupied by a team's best cover-man.

Adams, signed by Winnipeg in early February, is a former Michigan State Spartan who bounced around the NFL from 2013-2014, suiting up for four games with the Buffalo Bills. In college, he was a three-time All-Big 10 selection (2010-2012) and earned first-team honours in his senior season after racking up 35 tackles with three interceptions and 10 pass knockdowns. His best season, though, came in 2011 as a Junior when he also earned first-team honours after collecting 51 tackles, 3 interceptions, 9 pass-defences and three sacks. 

Jefferson, meanwhile, has more of an NFL pedigree to his name. He's recorded 109 career tackles with three interceptions in four seasons split between Arizona and Minnesota, typically slotting in as the third or fourth corner for the Vikings in 2012 and 2013. The former Fresno State standout spent the 2014 season on the Seattle Seahawks' injured-reserve and following his stint with the NFC Champions, Jefferson was out of work until the Argonauts inked him to a contract on the eve of rookie camp this past May. 

 

Toronto Argonauts defensive back #24 AJ Jefferson

Adams and Jefferson been everything their respective clubs could've asked for from two rookies. And while it's still early, you could even very well say that, overall, they've been the league's top two cornerbacks this season. They certainly still have much to prove, however Adams and Jefferson are well on their way to All-Star selections in their rookie campaigns if they can continue to play at such a high level. 

Adams, who stood out at the Blue Bombers' mini-camp in Florida, already has 10 tackles and two interceptions for Winnipeg. His exceptional play in both mini-camp and training camp allowed the Bombers to move Chris Randle to nickel linebacker, a move that is starting to pay dividends after a slow start for the converted cornerback.

Jefferson was fantastic in the pre-season and had a terrific outing against Edmonton in week one, however struggled against Saskatchewan's Ryan Smith the following week. His interception return touchdown against those same Riders covered up some of his mistakes that game, however the 6'1", 190lbs rookie returned to form against his toughest opponent to date in Calgary's Jeff Fuller. Jefferson has nine tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery in three games with the Double Blue. 

They've been the best-of-the-best after three weeks of CFL action and are doing so as raw rookies to the Canadian game. And while it's likely too early to proclaim them as the top cornerbacks in their respective divisions, don't be surprised if they earn that title by the end of the season. With the league's latest rule changes and departure of some great defensive backs like Delvin Breaux to the NFL, the CFL is looking for the next wave of shutdown players.

Johnny Adams and AJ Jefferson might just be the next two up. 

Argos' GM Barker Finds More Diamonds in the Rough

 

Toronto Argonauts' defensive backs Devin Smith (#19) and Akwasi Owuso-Ansah (#9) are just two of the nine rookie starters that general manager Jim Barker found in the off-season.

There are actually three certainties in life: death, taxes and that Jim Barker will find great talent south of the border every off-season.

It's what the Toronto Argonauts' general manager has been known for ever since he joined the Double Blue in 2011. He doesn't sign international players in free agency and never has, instead opting to trust his scouts and find his own players south of the border. 

From receivers Chad Owens and Dontrelle Inman to defenders Marcus Ball and Jalil Carter, Jim Barker has a long list of star players he and his scouts found themselves and brought into the CFL. That list is getting a whole lot longer after the group of American rookies Barker brought to Toronto this year. And as a result of him finding all these diamond-in-the-rough players, the Argos are finding success while also building a tremendously bright future.

Barkers' Argonauts went through more turnover than any other team this off-season. They lost two key players (WR John Chiles and DB Jalil Cater) to the NFL and let the majority of their international free agents walk away, most notably left tackle SirVincent Rogers and receivers Darvin Adams and Jason Barnes. It's yet another example of Barker trusting he and his team's ability to find talent down south. And find talent they did. 

The boatmen have a whopping nine CFL rookies (if you include DT Euclid Cummings) starting in 2015 and despite this, have a 2-1 record and sit tied for first place in the CFL. Toronto's 'Big Three' of first year players at the receiver position- Vidal Hazelton (12-161-1), Kevin Elliott (9-124-2) and Tori Gurley (10-128-3)- have been crucial in Toronto having a top-four passing attack. They boast even more youngsters in their secondary, where potentially one of the league's top cornerbacks in AJ Jefferson is having a great rookie season along with Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, Travis Hawkins and Devin Smith, who's quietly been fantastic while collecting 14 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery in three games. And what can I say about defensive tackle Euclid Cummings, who's racked up two sacks in his first season on the active roster after merely spending the final month of the 2014 season on the Argos' practice roster. 

Toronto's also received a major contribution from rookie international centre Greg Van Roten, who's done a formidable job so far filling in for the injured Jeff Keeping. Other depth rookies such as running back Henry Josey have impressed as well.

Give credit to head coach Scott Milanovich for making it work on the field, but be sure to acknowledge his boss, Mr. Jim Barker, for once again saving money by doing a terrific job recruiting his own talent from the 'States. He continually shows why he's one of the best GM's in the country, and every win his young team strings together this year further supports that. 

From starting the season without quarterback Ricky Ray to playing their first five games on the road, the Argos have overcome a lot of adversity after three weeks of play. And did I mention they've done so with fourteen (yes, fourteen! And that doesn't include the injured Ray or Keeping!) new starters, while nine (yes, nine!) are rookies? 

So let's give credit to the often-cranky, often-salty, sideline-headache general manager who's fresh off a three-year contract-extension for the team he's assembled and exceptional rookie class he brought in. The Argos will only get better with experience, and that's why I think the 2015 Boatmen are indeed legitimate.

The Argonauts are starting hot, and Jim Barker and his scouts are one of the biggest reasons why.