Riders vs. Stampeders: Western Supremacy

For the second week in a row the Riders find themselves in a marquee matchup against one of the top teams in the CFL. The team and the fans are hoping for a similar anti-climatic outcome as last week. Pretty much everyone else is hoping this one lives up to the hype. The Riders will be looking to avenge the lone blemish on their 2025 season. The Stamps will be looking to show that they are the top team in the West.

Calgary has had a weird year. They have just 3 losses but they came against Ottawa twice and a Bethel-Thompson-led Alouettes. Though to be fair, they have just one loss in games that VA finishes. So I guess our best chance at winning is injuring VA. I’m kidding. I mean I do want us to hit him but I don’t wish injury upon him. 

Last game we got utterly embarrassed. And I say that as a man qualified to speak on embarrassing yourself because I have done it many times. That was an utterly embarrassing performance. So what went wrong last game, other than smoke messing up the scheduling? Well, the biggest issue was we got dominated on both sides of the lines. Our offense was also nowhere to be seen in the first half. Popping up only occasionally to gain a few yards and fumble. But you know what? For that being a pathetic performance… we were not that far off from a chance to win. We played like hot garbage and the supposed best team in the CFL only put 24 on us and won by 2 scores. If Lauther makes his kicks that's a one score game. I realize that is the equivalent of saying if I had psychic powers I would win the lottery but my point remains. Any kind of effort in that first game and its close. 

So the key Saturday becomes show up and put in effort.

Let’s start on offense. Outside of this province I don’t think people are giving Trevor Harris enough credit. The Riders have the #1 scoring offense, he has 16 TDs to just 5 INTs. What has changed this year is his deep ball. He is a league best 67.7% on passes over 20 yards. There are QBs that aren’t that accurate overall let along on deep shots. Helps having a guy like Myers at your disposal. This one will be strength on strength though. No one has more big plays than the Riders. The Stamps allow the least big plays of any team. We need to get the run game going. We had no ability whatsoever to do that last time. Stamps have the #6 run D so they can be ran on. Injuries have forced the Stamps into starting Godfrey Oneyka at corner. That seems like a great place to attack. Key will be patience. Stamps have a great D. We need to stay committed to a run game and not turn the ball over. I unfortunately fully expect Harris to struggle through the first quarter as he always does only to figure it out in the second.

If you want the stat that gives me the most hope, its this: in games that Vernon Adams starts the Stamps are averaging 29 points per game. We played our worst game of the season and received zero offensive support and only allowed 24. Also need I remind you of how quickly we made people forget about Bo Levi Mitchell’s lofty offensive stats last week? VA poses a different challenge as he can burn you with his legs. He will have a banged up receiving core. Rhymes is out. Alford (who torched us good) is back. Tevin Jones is out (through that may be a net gain fir the Stamps, Jones remains the laziest WR I know when he’s not getting the ball). We do need to stop the league’s best rushing attack. Mills is probably not a guy we can eliminate but we do need to limit him. I think the biggest key is don’t give up big plays. If we can actually force VA to have to drive the field consistently he will get sacked and he will make mistakes. If we have busts in coverage and gift easy long bombs then we are in trouble. 

Here's another quirky stat for you. The game features the 2 worst kickers in the CFL. Go back in time 3-4 years and try convincing someone that statement would be true. 

Dave Dickenson teams typically play well coming off a bye. Stamps will be rested and playing at home. Though a game in Calgary in the summer is at best a neutral site game because it’ll be half Rider fans there. 

I keep trying to find a reason to bet against the Riders. Not because I want to but because this just seems like the kind of game we could lose. But watching this team I cannot see a reason to doubt them at this point. We shut down Bo twice. We went into BC and shut down Rourke. Only 2 teams have held VA under 25 points this season. We did it in our worst game of the year. We haven’t allowed a TD in 2 full games (by the way we definitely allow an opening drive TD in Calgary to break that streak before our D locks things down).

This will be a knock down drag out fight that comes down to the wire. 

Riders by a Tommy Time TD.