Photo: Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders have lost four straight games and Dave Dickenson, the team’s head coach and general manager, is blaming execution — not effort.
“It is tough (to lose four straight). You get stressful and you start questioning little things here and there. My opinion is: prepare as hard as you can, take to the practice field, make sure your eyes are right, implement what you want, and then it’s not about playing harder, it’s about playing better,” Dickenson told the media in Calgary on Tuesday.
“It’s about doing the things right, trusting the man next to you, and making the plays when they come to you. The effort’s there but it’s not about that — it’s about execution and making sure that each guy is playing just a little bit better and that starts with practice.”
During the team’s 8-3 start to the season, Calgary allowed only 19.5 points per game and 5.9 yards per play, both of which were the best in the league by a considerable margin. The Red and White have allowed 39.8 points per game amid their four-game losing skid — over double their previous average — and has now allowed 6.6 yards per play on the season, which ranks third behind the Montreal Alouettes and Lions.
Calgary’s turnover ratio has also taken a nosedive, going from plus-seven to minus-one over the course of the last four games. Vernon Adams Jr. has played a role in this shift as he’s thrown six interceptions over his last three outings, including three in the team’s loss to his former club this past weekend.
Dickenson came to the defence of his veteran quarterback, who finished the game 21-of-38 for 303 yards, two touchdowns, and three picks against the Lions.
“I thought (Adams Jr.) had a solid game (against B.C.),” said Dickenson. “He did the right things, we were able to get the ball down the field. He moved in and out of the pocket well, we moved him around, had some draws and had some things that I thought were good for Vernon. We did get behind, so we did take more sacks than I wanted. For the most part, he protected the ball.”
Calgary can technically still finish first in the West Division, though they would need to win all three of their remaining games and have the Saskatchewan Roughriders to lose their three remaining games. With the Green and White hosting the beat-up Toronto Argonauts on Friday night, it seems likely the team will clinch first place in the near future.
Following their loss to B.C., which saw the Leos sweep the two-game season series, the Stampeders must win at least two of their last three games to have any chance of hosting a playoff game for the first time since 2019. If they execute better, they just might get there. If not, they could technically still fall short of the postseason.
The Calgary Stampeders (8-7) will visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (10-6) at Hamilton Stadium on Saturday, October 11 with kickoff slated for 3:00 p.m. EDT. The Stampeders are coming off a tough loss to the B.C. Lions, while the Tiger-Cats put up almost 50 points in a win over the Toronto Argonauts.
The weather forecast in Hamilton calls for a high of 17 degrees with a mix of sun and clouds. The game will be broadcast on TSN, RDS2, and CTV in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 770 CHQR in Calgary and the Ticats Audio Network in Hamilton.
