One of the 2024 Calgary Stampeders’ many failings was a complete and utter lack of ability to win on the road. The team went 1-8 away from McMahon Stadium in the first campaign in 20 years to not feature a playoff game.
Needless to say, 2025 needs to be a better year on the road for the club if they hope to return to the postseason. The team got off to a good start on that front with a 29-19 win over the defending Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts on Saturday.
While the Stampeders got the win on the scoreboard, they did suffer a substantial loss as Reggie Begelton had to leave the game with a lower-body injury that occurred on the first offensive series of the game. The team also lost centre Bryce Bell and linebacker Marquel Lee, neither of whom returned.
As of this writing, it is not clear the extent of the injuries; however, all three have been contributing to this early-season success.
Here’s what else I saw from the comfort of my living room.
Adams manages
For the second straight week, Vernon Adams Jr. did enough to pick up a victory.
The long-time CFL veteran completed 17-of-25 passes for 301 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He added 54 rushing yards on seven carries, including a touchdown run that came from what seemed like a late-in-the-play-clock snap and creativity alone.
Adams hasn’t been asked to fire the ball all that often so far through two games, with just 53 attempts through the air, compared to the 50 attempts last week alone for Bo Levi Mitchell. Still, he ended the game leading the league with an average of 11 yards per attempt.
Adams spread the credit for the victory around, mentioning the defence and those who stepped up to fill the spots of injured players. He reserved the criticism for himself after being sacked three times.
“I feel, at times, I’m a little jittery in the pocket and I need to help my O-line out. Help them out by getting the ball out. We are going to watch the film when we get on the plane and fix it. We are going to be better, each and every week we are going to get better.”
Greene with envy
For a second straight week, the Stampeders’ defence stood tall, allowing no touchdowns through three quarters.
In fact, of the three touchdowns scored against the Stampeders so far this season all have happened when the team had at least a two-score lead.
The bend-don’t-break philosophy of new defensive coordinator Bob Slowik has been incredibly effective. He has employed a “keep them in front of you” approach to pass defence while relying on the two behemoths they brought in to start in the defensive interior to stop the run.
Argos QB Nick Arbuckle completed 31-of-42 passes against his old club. However, he amassed just 309 yards through the air, much of it in garbage time with his team trailing badly. Arbuckle was also sacked twice and threw two interceptions.
National defensive back Adrian Greene had both picks and took one back for the only touchdown of the first half. The pair of thefts equalled a career-high from Greene, who came over in the offseason from the B.C. Lions.
Philpot goes off
Another player having a career-best day was receiver Jalen Philpot.
Philpot managed six catches on eight targets for 117 yards, which far exceeded his previous career high of 78 yards set last season. The six receptions tied a career-high as well, a mark he has reached on two other occasions.
He followed in the footsteps of Clark Barnes, who went over 100 yards last week and set a career-high for himself in that game.
Stampeders fans have been waiting for Philpot to match the potential and output of his twin brother, Tyson, who plays for the Alouettes. It seems like he finally did and had many highlights in the game, including adjusting to a catch for a 40-yard gain late in the game to put it away and a truck-stick steamroll of an Argo defender for a large gain after a catch.
In the absence of Begelton, a confident Philpot could be needed for the Stampeders.
Paredes off the mark
In some markets, it is notable to talk about a kicker when they are perfect on the day. With Rene Paredes, it’s noteworthy when he isn’t.
A swirling wind at BMO Field may have been to blame for Paredes, who missed a pair of field goals and made a trio of others. The broadcast team both showed and commented that the flags on the top of the goalposts were still, but the championship banners just above them were flailing in multiple directions.
Neither miss was converted into a rouge for the Stampeders, but it did help keep the score closer than it deserved to be.
On the other side, Liram Hajrullahu also missed a kick. The miss was conceded for a single and did give the Argos a 1-0 lead at the time, a lead they ultimately couldn’t protect.
Next up
The Stampeders will finish their run of three East division opponents to start the season when they host the Ottawa Redblacks next Saturday, kicking off at 2:00 p.m. local time.
Calgary will be looking to remain undefeated, while Ottawa will be looking for their first win after dropping games to Saskatchewan and Montreal to open the 2025 season.
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