A loss of confidence can’t just be on the quarterback’s mind these days.
It’s got to be a theme running throughout the entire ranks of the Calgary Stampeders, who have now lost four consecutive contests in Canadian Football League action.
Their latest setback came Saturday night in Vancouver, where the host BC Lions dropped them 38-24 to leap-frog the Stampeders in the CFL’s West Division standings.
In fact, the decision clinched a playoff spot for the now 9-7 Lions, while the 8-7 Stamps still have to earn their way into the post-season despite coming out of the gate strong with a 5-1 start to the campaign.
The good news is the Red and White remain in a strong shape to grab a playoff slot because of the other two Week 18 games on the slate. A 47-29 win by the Hamilton Tiger Cats (10-6) over the Toronto Argonauts (5-11) and a 20-13 loss by the Ottawa Redblacks (4-11) to the Saskatchewan Roughriders (11-4) eliminated both the Argos and the Redblacks from the post-season race, meaning four teams will come out of the West — crossover style — for the first time since 2019. With that, the Stamps — now third in the division — simply have to post the same record as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8-7) or a better record than the Edmonton Elks (6-9) to reach the playoffs.
But the storyline these days for the Red and White is the free-fall in the standings, underscored by two mostly dominant efforts put up by the Lions in games against them in the last three weeks.
And it’s looking like the rivals will meet again in the playoffs, with the Lions now poised to grab home-field advantage. The two wins in their head-to-head meetings give them the tiebreaker in the standings.
Here are five takeaways from the Stamps’ loss at BC Place …
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1) LIONS, OH MY!
Suddenly, it appears as if the road to the West Division title runs through the Lions.
Sure, the Roughriders have all but wrapped up the West with an 11-4 mark and tiebreakers over everybody but the Stampeders in the division.
But is Gang Green truly better than the rising Lions, who are getting hot at the right time?
The decision over the Stamps makes the Leos winners of their last three games, and they look every bit the part of a top contender during the run.
The Lions have played dominant football to push their way into second place in the division, leaving behind what has been a stop-start season that saw them open with a 1-3 record and fall short of finding .500 until just last week.
2) I AM MR. ROURKE, YOUR HOST
If he wasn’t already the new face of the CFL ahead of the 2025 campaign, Nathan Rourke certainly is now.
The Lions QB is rolling with passing numbers that rival veteran Bo Levi Mitchell on the season — and Rourke can run, to boot.
Plus there was that whole speaking out about the upcoming rule and field changes that earned him a lot of love from traditional fans.
The 27-year-old talent finished Saturday with Fantasy Island-type numbers — 414 yards and four touchdowns on 25-of-32 passing — torching the Stamps for a second time in three weeks. And he was oh-so impressive with his accuracy, including his first-half tide-turning TD throws of 40 and 14 yards. respectively, to receivers Justin McInnis and Jevon Cottoy and a pinpoint third-quarter dish of 10 yards to Keon Hatcher. A lot of Rourke’s completions were made despite tight coverage by Stamps secondary players.
Mr. Rourke simply put on a show — again.
BC Lions’ Jevon Cottoy,makes a touchdown reception as Calgary Stampeders’ Jaydon Grant defends on Saturday.
3) OH-NO, O-LINE!
For most of the game, Adams was on the run.
And far too often, the Lions’ defence caught up to him. In fact, the home side recorded six sacks.
Oof.
The lack of protection just wasn’t there for the Red and White quarterback. And for a guy who admitted to having lost confidence in himself heading into the pivotal contest, forever having to watch his back doesn’t help his cause.
The offensive line was simply overwhelmed in trying to protect Adams, even though it managed to open up enough holes for yet another solid performance by workhorse running back Dedrick Mills, who had 85 rushing yards on seven carries for a whopping 12.1-yard average.
For what it’s worth, Adams looked better than recent efforts when he had time, throwing for 303 yards and three touchdowns on 21-of-38 passing. However, another timely interception late with his team within reach late in the fourth quarter will haunt him again in what he hoped would be a happier return to BC Place, which was home for him the last two-plus seasons.
4) DEFENCE, D’OH!
Remember when it was a bend-but-don’t-break defence fuelling the Stamps in the first half-plus of the season?
That’s now fully in the rearview mirror.
It was there in flashes both early and late in Saturday’s tilt.
But a combination of Rourke’s talent and the Stamps’ inability to keep things defensively tight cost them in the middle part of the game, when the Lions put up three TDs and 24 points to — really — decide the night.
All totalled, the Stamps’ defence allowed 498 yards, marking the third straight game its surrendered at least 446 yards to enemy offences.
Ouch.
5) NEVER SURRENDER
Stamps boss Dave Dickenson can take solace in the fight-to-the-final-whistle attitude of his charges.
Call it a moral victory, even though it doesn’t stop the bleeding in the actual loss column of the CFL standings.
But the Stamps did come alive in the fourth quarter, trying to erase a 22-point deficit thanks to a couple of interceptions by the defence that turned into touchdowns put up by the offence.
First, it was cornerback Anthony Johnson with a sensational INT that Adams — three plays later — capped off with a sweet touch-pass of seven yards to receiver Clark Barnes in the back of the end zone.
Then, it was linebacker Micah Teitz johnny-on-the-spot to pick off an errant Rourke pass ahead of a nine-play, 71-yard drive punctuated by Adams’ six-yard strike to receiver Dominique Rhymes again in the back of the end zone.
They had a chance to tie it with a defensive stand reminiscent of the early season efforts, but the magic ran out when Adams was pilfered by defensive back Robert Carter on a hopeful heave downfield.
And the Lions then shoved the dagger in with a quick three-play drive for an insurance TD.
Too little, too late on the comeback trail for the Stamps, whose road ahead doesn’t get any easier with a game next Saturday against the host — and East Division-best — Tiger Cats (1 p.m., TSN, CHQR 770 AM/107.3 FM the Edge)
tsaelhof@postmedia.com