BC Lions' Bryan Burnham, right, is tackled by Calgary Stampeders' Jeff Hecht during first half CFL western semifinal football action in Calgary, on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Football is played with a ball, usually made of leather, with an internal bladder of rubber or urethane, and formed in the shape of a prolate spheroid. It can be kicked, thrown or carried – unless of course, you're an offensive guard or tackle, in which case, the task is completely different.
A lineman, according to the Calgary Stampeders' all-star Spencer Wilson, can play football for days, weeks, months, even years sometimes – without ever actually touching the ball.
"In fact, usually, you've done a great job if you never see the ball in the game," Wilson said, "not even just touch it, if you don't even see it, you've done a great job."
But there will be a distinct role reversal for Wilson during Sunday's CFL West Division final against the Edmonton Eskimos.
Because of an injury to all-star centre Pierre Lavertu, Wilson, who usually lines up at right guard for Calgary, was shifted to centre in the first quarter of last weekend's 35-9 victory over the B.C. Lions in the West semi-final.
Unless Lavertu makes a miraculous medical comeback in the final hours before kickoff, Wilson will be handling the snaps against the Eskimos, which means he'll go from never touching the ball to handling it on every offensive down.
Just how well he and his fellow lineman protect quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell and open up holes for running back Jerome Messam will largely determine if the Stampeders can advance to the Grey Cup, with a chance to defend the title they won a year ago.
The matchup of two 14-4 teams is ultra-tight statistically, though the teams go into the game with far different levels of preparation. Because Edmonton's bye week fell in the final week of the regular season – and they then received another bye into the West final – they will have three full weeks off between games.
Calgary meanwhile had to play in the West semi; and though the Stamps won easily, the injuries forced them into another fresh look on the offensive line.
The two provincial rivals will meet for the 23rd time in the playoffs, with each team winning 11 times – the most recent, a 43-18 Calgary win over the Esks in last year's final at McMahon Stadium.
This year's game marks the first time 14-4 teams have met in the playoffs and they really did have mirror image seasons. Calgary held a slight edge offensively in points (478-466); Edmonton held a slight edge defensively in points surrendered (346-341). Both teams were 8-1 at home, 6-3 on the road and 8-2 in the West Division.
Messam, picked up from the Saskatchewan Roughriders at the CFL's trade deadline, has become an integral part of the offence, replacing the injured Jon Cornish. Messam accumulated 147 combined rushing and receiving yards in the win over B.C. On a cold day in Edmonton, having a reliable running back with size is usually a must if you want to win.
According to Messam, joining the Stamps late and having to learn a new offensive scheme on the fly was not that difficult, being a veteran player.
"It's a copy-cat league, so most of the concepts are the same," Messam said. "It's more just picking up terminology and getting a feel for the linemen."
Those linemen have rotated in out ever since Messam arrived.
"It's not the perfect situation," Mitchell said. "We wish we could have Ottawa's situation – same five guys the entire year – that'd be great. But it is what it is. We've got players on the field and on the roster and those guys are going to be ready to play.
Centre is the fourth different position Wilson has played for the Stampeders this season, as injuries to the offensive line have been a constant source of concern for the team all season (left guard Shane Bergman is also questionable).
Wilson did a credible job filling in for Lavertu against the Lions, and had just the one high snap – with Mitchell in the shotgun formation – that sailed over his head. So this week, in preparation for the Eskimo game, Wilson has working diligently on his footwork and snaps.
To Wilson, the injuries have been "the story of the year" and acknowledged that all the line juggling has posed a challenge. Moving to centre is the hardest switch yet.
"Definitely – I'd never played centre before in an actual part of a game," Wilson said. "I've had a fourth quarter here and there, but I had the better part of that [B.C.] game and it was very interesting.
"It's a little more mental. You have to realize what position you're now playing and what your number is on the count – just work on footwork and get your man."
As for Messam, he knows from past experience that Commonwealth will be hopping.
"It was my home stadium for two years," he said. "It's an awesome football atmosphere. They've got the biggest stadium in the league. Their fans are pretty supportive. They come out and support them, but it'll be a full stadium because there'll be a lot of Calgary fans there too. I'm really excited to play."