Calgary Stampeders' Eric Fraser, right, hits B.C. Lions' Arland Bruce III causing him to drop a pass during the first half of a CFL football game in Vancouver, B.C., on Saturday October 8, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl DyckDarryl Dyck/The Canadian Press
Things came almost too easily for the Calgary Stampeders in 2010 and the sudden ending to their season was not to their liking.
The Stamps displayed early on that they were the class of the CFL in 2010, winning eight of their first nine games before clinching first place in the West with two weeks left in the regular season.
That earned the heavily-favoured Stamps a ticket to the West Division final on their home field but the Saskatchewan Roughriders shocked them 20-16.
"Last year we kind of ran off with this thing," Calgary quarterback Henry Burris said Thursday. "We were in cruise control and where'd it get us? Just an early exit in the playoffs in our first game."
There will be no easy road to travel this season for the Stampeders, who are in Toronto to play the hapless Argonauts Friday night at Rogers Centre.
And for Burris that suits him just fine.
"For us to kind of go through a different situation, a different scenario, this year is quite refreshing," the veteran pivot said from the lobby of a downtown Toronto hotel after the Stampeders flew in from Calgary.
"It allows us to stay into the game at this time of the year where last year we were pretty much relaxing. We were real confident that we were going to step out there and do whatever and end up winning some way, some how."
While the playoff hopes of the 3-11 Argos officially evaporated with a loss Monday in Montreal to the Alouettes, the 8-6 Stampeders have already clinched their postseason berth.
Even still, it is not a happy Stampeders household. Calgary has squandered its hold on first place in the West by dropping three of its past four games and four of its past six.
A 33-31 last-second loss to the B.C. Lions last Saturday has helped to create a logjam in the West standings with the Stampeders, Lions and Edmonton Eskimos sharing top spot in the standings with identical 8-6 records.
John Hufnagel, Calgary general manager and coach, has not been happy with the recent turn of events.
In recent weeks, Hufnagel has openly questioned the mental strength of his squad. And earlier this week the coach expressed his distaste at the lack of execution the offence was displaying at practice.
After that, Burris called a meeting with the members of the offence to try to clear the air.
"We have four games remaining, not really a lot of football to go," Burris said, relating his message to the offence. "I made sure I presented that just to let guys know that if there's any time you want to sacrifice things it's definitely right now."
Injuries have not helped Calgary's cause and Friday night the Stampeders will be without all-star rush end Charleston Hughes, who is out with an apparent leg injury.
Robert McCune, who is returning after a four-game absence, will fill his spot.
Slotback and leading receiver Nik Lewis has missed practice all week battling the flu but he travelled to Toronto.
Although he said on Thursday he still feels "terrible," Lewis expects he'll play against the Argos.
Of the Argos' three wins this season, one of them came against the Stampeders, 23-21, in their first game of the season.
Toronto running back Cory Boyd has been grousing publicly of late – at least on Twitter – about his lack of carries.
The Argos might be wise to consistently call his number on Friday as he rushed for more than 100 yards in that game against Calgary.