The Calgary Stampeders enter Week 20 without a playoff spot and are potentially at risk of playing a win-and-you're-in game next week against Edmonton.
However, almost everything went in the Stampeders' favor as they clinched a playoff berth with a loss to Edmonton before going out and dominating the Toronto Argonauts to stay on track for a home playoff game.
This is what I saw from the stands.
Adams is convenient
Vernon Adams Jr. said a few weeks ago that he didn't feel confident in his game. This game may have been the perfect antidote to the turnaround heading into what the Stampeders hope could be a deep playoff run.
Adams attempted just 14 passes, but completed 12 for a total of 213 yards and a trio of touchdowns with no interceptions. He was taken out of the game midway through the third quarter, and his numbers may have been even higher.
“Vernon played a really solid game,” Stampeders head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson said. “I don't know if there are numbers, but he's just playing well. The last three or four games he's been making big throws, throws down the field, but he hasn't been careless with the ball.”
Great start
Adrian Green made a statement in advance about how the game would be played.
On his second drive of the game, he threw his sixth interception of the season and returned it for a touchdown, his second pick-six since joining the Stampeders this offseason. This mirrored his first match in week two, which was also against the Argos.
Green missed five games due to injury but still leads the league in scoring this season.
Choking Defense
The Argos was a ship without a captain when they attacked McMahon together.
Starter Nick Arbuckle, who was slated to be the backup before the season, was injured a few weeks ago, leaving quarterback duties to the trio of Jarrett Doege, Max Duggan and Tucker Horn.
The three rushed for 246 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions through the air. I was surprised to see that they combined to complete 32 of 43 pass attempts (74.4 per cent), considering how often the Argo QBs were running for their lives against a Calgary defensive line that got them for four sacks and forced two intentional touchdown penalties. The Stamps defense also thought they had a couple of attempts to get the ball back, but both were called back by incomplete passes.
Calgary committed four turnovers on the day and appeared to be returning to the form that saw them burst out of the starting blocks this season.
Mills knocks them down
Last week I said Dedrick Mills should be nominated for Most Outstanding Player for the Stampeders after the ballots were counted in Calgary, and he did the same again against the Argos.
With 115 yards on just 14 carries and an additional 62 yards through the air on just two catches, Mills will also return to tie for the league lead in rushing touchdowns with 11 on the season thus far.
“(Mills) was carrying the mail,” Dickenson said. “I thought that was the best I've seen in his check-ins and releases, and (the Argos) didn't really account for him. He made some huge, huge plays that were off-script in the passing game.”
Mills is closing in on a rushing league title, which would be his first, as he leads BC's James Butler by 155 yards heading into the final week of play.
Not everything was perfect
The Stampeders played a pretty dominant game on both sides of the ball, but not in all three phases.
Dickenson was unhappy with the coverage teams in the game, as both kicker Rene Paredes and punter Mark Vassett had to pitch in on special teams. The Argos had four punt returns for 71 yards and six kickoff returns for 156 yards, putting them in scoring position due to shortened fields.
Paredes also missed another long field goal attempt late in the game. While Paredes is pretty much a glorified practice rep given the game situation, he has still been less than ideal on kicks over 40 yards this year, with all but one of his nine misses coming from long range.
It's a bird! It's a plane! This is a political advertisement…
A few weeks ago, the Stampeders staged a post-game drone show directly over the west side of the stadium, showing football footage and messages of support for the Stampeders. Overall it was well received by the public, especially since it is still a relatively new art form and few have seen it live before.
It was a bit of a shock when, in the third quarter of the game, another drone show began at the same location. Showcasing similar forms of Calgary and football, it suddenly showed a political ad recommending a specific mayoral candidate.
After checking with the team, several people confirmed that the organization was completely unaware that the show was happening and that it was not an endorsement.
The one and only
With the team's tenth win of the season, they are guaranteed a spot in the Western Division playoffs, although their opponent and venue are still up in the air heading into the final week of the season.
Since the playoff crossover rule went into effect in 1996, every other team in the West Division has made at least one crossover point. Calgary remains the only existing CFL team that has never played in the Eastern Division playoffs.
Mathematics
I pulled out my trusty slide rule and started working on the math for next week and the CFL West Division playoff picture, and as far as I can tell, here are the scenarios:
If both Calgary and Winnipeg win and BC loses, Calgary will host Winnipeg and BC will advance to the East Division playoffs.
If Calgary wins and Winnipeg and BC lose, Calgary will host BC and Winnipeg will move on.
If BC wins, they will host Calgary and Winnipeg will move on.
The Stamps will play the first of three games involving these teams in Edmonton on Friday night and need a win to keep their hopes of a home playoff game alive.
The team will then have to root for the Riders to play enough starters to beat a Lions team that will be looking to secure their home field and send a signal before the playoffs begin that they are a true force in the West in 2025.
