The Stampeders were riding a high after declawing the B.C. Lions and holding MOP frontrunner Vernon Adams Jr. to under 200 yards on Wally Buono night last week.
Sadly for fans of the team, they forgot to pack anything resembling momentum for their trip to the nation’s capital and were embarrassed by a 33-6 score that somehow still flattered the visiting team.
Here is what I saw from my couch.
Maier on the run
When Jake Maier gets protection, he is able to distribute the ball to a bevy of targets and move his team down the field methodically. It’s never flashy but it is effective and was part of the reason the team came in with an even record of 3-3.
On this night though, Maier and the whole Stampeders offence were under a constant and relentless attack from the Redblacks, who managed four sacks and three other tackles for a loss.
Maier ended up completing 20-of-27 passes — numbers of that were deflated by several drops — but only collected 136 yards through the air before being replaced by Logan Bonner in garbage time.
Bonner would throw for almost half as much in his two series, going four-of-eight for 61 yards in relief.
Maier’s entire game script seemed to be check-downs and screens. There was zero success as a result.
The best drive the Stampeders put together in the game was a third-quarter push that offered some hope before a pass was knocked down on third-and-short to turn the ball over inside the Ottawa 10-yard line. It was the only time the Stampeders would get into the red-zone during the game, essentially ending any thoughts of a Calgary comeback.
Defence bends and eventually breaks
Dru Brown threw the ball at will in the first half, collecting 250 yards and a touchdown. He would add another 75 yards in the second half to finish with 325 on 30-of-37 attempts.
For the first half, the Stampeders’ defence was able to largely keep the team in the game, making Ottawa settle for a trio of Lewis Ward field goals after a touchdown in the first quarter. They got to Brown, sacking the QB three times and added another three tackles for a loss — half as many as they had all season to that point.
However, with only five days between games, limited practice in Calgary due to air quality concerns, and long travel, it was too much to ask that Brent Monson’s squad also cover for an offence that punted the ball on five straight possessions and managed only 29 plays in the first half on seven drives.
The players and coaches will tell you that it is no excuse, but that doesn’t make it untrue.
Special teams weren’t much better
Calgary has been middle of the pack from a special teams perspective all season, although that is likely to change after this week.
Already last in net punt average after a brutal outing last week, Calgary allowed a 99-yard punt return touchdown to emerging star Kalil Pimpleton, who scampered down the sidelines for the major to put the game officially out of reach.
Pimpleton would take nine returns for a combined 209 yards, with his only kickoff return almost breaking free for a score but settling for 47 yards. Add another 80 yards receiving and it seems as though he has officially arrived.
It should be said that Rene Paredes remains perfect on the year and Cody Grace did average nearly 45 yards per punt from a distance metric, but the cover teams were gashed and Peyton Logan was just average as a returner.
The most exciting play of the game for the Stamps was Grace coming within a hair’s length of recovering his own punt when Pimpleton inexplicably left the ball just laying on the three-yard line.
Home cooking on the horizon
After a hectic travel week, the Stamps will go home to Calgary and prepare for the Toronto Argonauts next Sunday at McMahon Stadium, where the team is undefeated so far this season.
They will need to win on the road to have any thought of playoff success but if they continue winning at home, games like this one are slightly easier to swallow.
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