Morris: Meaningful finale a rarity for Stamps

Jim Morris

CFL.ca

@jememorris

It’s been seven years since the Calgary Stampeders played a final regular season game that mattered.

“It’s something we haven’t felt in a long time,” acknowledged Bo Levi Mitchell, who was still a quarterback for the Eastern Washington Eagles back in 2011.

Heading into the final week of that CFL season BC, Calgary and Edmonton were all tied with 10-7 records. Each needed a win to stay in the hunt for first place in the West.

As it turned out all three teams won their games, which resulted in Calgary finishing third. The Stampeders lost 33-19 to Edmonton in the Western Semi-Final and the Lions would go on to beat Winnipeg for the Grey Cup.

Both pride and their spot in the playoffs will be at stake when Calgary (12-5) faces the BC Lions (9-8) Saturday night in Wally Buono’s last game as head coach at BC Place Stadium. A win would snap a three-game losing streak and give the Stampeders first place in the West for the third consecutive year and fifth time in six years.

A loss hands first place to the idle Saskatchewan Roughriders and leaves Calgary to host Winnipeg in the Nov. 11 Western Semi-Final.

The Stampeders haven’t lost four consecutive games since the 2004 season. That span of 256 games is the longest any CFL team has gone without losing four in a row.

So, what’s top of mind for the Stampeders? Finishing first or getting that losing monkey off their backs?

“It’s a little bit of both,” said defensive tackle Micah Johnson, the Stampeders’ nominee as the CFL most outstanding defensive player. “At this point of the season that first-round bye means a lot to teams because of that week of rest. You let some guys heal up, it gives you a chance to be healthy and fully intact for that West Final.

“Also, you don’t want to lose four in a row. We feel like we’ve lost too much already. We know we have to come out and get the win and everything else will sort out.”

Win or lose, head coach Dave Dickenson has his eye on the bigger prize, winning the Grey Cup Nov. 25 in Edmonton.

“You want to win the West, but you want to win a Cup,” he said. “Winning the West is not ultimately your top goal. It is the easiest path to get to where you want to go.”

Just a month ago it seemed almost unimaginable the Stampeders would find themselves in this predicament. Calgary started the season with seven straight wins and didn’t lose its second game until Sept. 8.

The Stampeders seemed to struggle in a 12-6 win over Montreal on Thanksgiving, but then things went south with losses to BC, Saskatchewan and last week to Winnipeg.

“We have to start playing better football,” said Dickenson. “We’re kind of shooting ourselves in the foot. It seems to me we are the ones that are self-inflecting our wounds.

“Right now, we’re doing a lot of things to lose football games, things that aren’t characteristic of Calgary Stampeder teams.”

All three losses have been by eight points or less. But the Stampeders, who once operated with the efficiency of a supercomputer, are now plodding along like an old Commodore 64.

Mitchell has thrown for 225 or fewer yards in three of his last four games. In the three losses, the best Calgary could manage in rushing was 59 yards against Winnipeg. Chris Matthews is the only receiver with over 100 yards in a game. There have been fumbles, dropped balls and bad penalties.

With playoffs getting underway next week, and the question as to whether the Stamps will have a first-round bye or not, Bo Levi Mitchell will be needing to have a solid performance under his belt after struggling the last few weeks in the passing game. (Johany Jutras, CFL.ca)

“You can’t continually make the same mistakes,” said Dickenson. “You can’t just keep doing what you’re doing if you’re taking penalties. We really have to understand where the deficiencies are and fix them.”

Johnson said little mistakes are causing problems.

“In those games, we weren’t as sound in our assignments,” he said. “One person out of his gap here, one person out of his game there. Things like that have been happening.

“We all have been taking our turn. We need to get locked in to get back on the same page.”

Injuries have taken their toll on the Stampeders.

Receivers Kamar Jorden, DaVaris Daniels, Marken Michel and Reggie Begelton are all sidelined. Erick Rogers has returned to the lineup after being out with a knee injury.

Middle linebacker Alex Singleton, the CFL’s top defensive player last year, said confidence inside the dressing room isn’t a problem. It’s not like the Stampeders haven’t seen this movie before.

Calgary lost their final three games last season but still advanced to their second consecutive Grey Cup final.

“A lot of teams break apart at this point,” said Singleton, who needs eight tackles against the Lions to break his Stampeder record of 123 in a season. “We have nothing to break apart for.

“We just have to get back on track and play winning football.”

Knowing what the problems are and fixing them can be two different things.

“We’ve lost three in a row,” said Dickenson. “We understand we can’t keep doing the same things.”

The Stampeders are sailing through stormy seas, but Dickenson said it’s up to the coaching staff and veteran leaders to steer clear of the rocks.

“I’m the leader of that ship,” he said. “I have to make sure . . . the scheme is solid; the players are prepared. Then ultimately, we have to make the right calls and put our players in the best positions. Then they have to make plays.

“I do believe that sometimes we’re trying almost too hard. That means you just have to do your job, trust the man next to you. Do our job and do it right. That means coaches as well.”

Calgary has been the dominant team in the West for over a decade. The Stampeders haven’t lost six games in a season since 2012. Since then, Calgary has played in four Grey Cups but has just one championship.

Johnson knows that window of opportunity can slam shut in a hurry.

“That’s the reality of pro sports,” he said. “Every year there is turnover. That was a point that was brought up this week.

“These are some of the last games we will have with this group. We are aware of that. I think it does make a difference.”

Follow CFL