Calgary club sets up to square off with Roughriders in push for CFL playoff spot
Nobody likes a tie.
Not for Father’s Day. Not usually for Christmas. And certainly never on the football field.
But mostly because of their own doing, the Calgary Stampeders hung their neck in one Saturday and continue to wear one days after a 19-19 debacle with the visiting Montreal Alouettes.
They can say all they want about leaving it behind and moving on from the head-scratching draw, but it’s there in the standings — a ‘1’ in the tie column — that either helped or hindered them — depending on your take — in the push for a CFL playoff place.
“It was disappointing, honestly,” said Stamps all-star linebacker Micah Awe, of the strange Week 15 decision with the defending Grey Cup champions. “I’ve never tied a game as a professional before.
“It feels weird.”
“This is a first for me — this is kind of new for me,” agreed Stampeders quarterback Jake Maier, visibly bewildered by the result, as well.
“I’m sure this is new for a lot of guys in this locker room, too,” continued Maier. “You don’t really have anything, to be honest. There’s no feeling of failure from losing or joy from winning — it’s somewhere in between.”
Really, it should’ve been a win for the home side.
However, the Stamps did everything they could to kibosh that — with dropped balls, costly penalties, scoring issues and straight-up bad luck contributing to what ended in one point for each club.
“We deserved better, probably,” said Maier, himself delivering a 29-of-37, 236-yard, one-touchdown performance that left boss Dave Dickenson “impressed,” especially amid the mayhem of the bizarre evening.
“We have to learn how to put that stuff away as a team,” continued Maier. “I think the whole locker room accepts where we came up short late in the game.
“So you can’t dwell on it too much and you can’t harp on it too much. It just can’t happen.”
Certainly not if Maier & Co. plan on making the post-season, which seems ludicrous given their current run — winless in five games — but isn’t given the follies of the CFL West Division this year.
And the rivals meet twice over the five weeks of the regular schedule, including Friday at McMahon Stadium (7:30 p.m., TSN, QR Calgary).
“They were on a bye — they’re fresh,” said Dickenson, of the Riders. “We know we finish with three of four on the road …
“So we need to get over it and pick our heads up.”
And maybe look at it like it was a point taken from an historically strong 10-2-1 Alouettes team.
After all, Maier answered many questions after being benched the week before, and the defence stepped up to surrender just 19 points and 292 yards, which sets the table for wins on any given Saturday.
It’s just that this Saturday one — because of their own timely shortcomings — ended in a tie for the Stamps.
“Nobody likes ties,” echoed Dickenson. “I’ve been involved in a couple before — usually against Ottawa.
“I get it, though. I mean … how many overtimes are you going to play?” the coach continued. “I would be comfortable with something like the NCAA, where you put the ball on the three-yard line (after two overtimes) and you have kind of like one sudden-death play (to try and score).”
“It is what it is,” added Maier. “We know what we signed up for — that’s part of how our league works.
“As a competitor, you would always like for winner and a loser, but that’s just not what we do here.”
SHORT YARDAGE
OL Bryce Bell (calf) did not practise Tuesday for the Stampeders … The Stamps have signed Canadian DL Anthony Federico, who has played 25 CFL regular-season games with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Montreal Alouettes. A second-round draft-pick by the Ticats in 2022, the 6-foot-3 defensive lineman spent the 2022 and ’23 seasons with the Hamilton squad. The 23-year-old native of Niagara Falls, Ont., signed with the Alouettes on July 9 and played a pair of games for them. Federico also has 10 career special-teams tackles. In U SPORTS football, Federico suited up for 23 games over three seasons with the Queen’s Golden Gaels, making 87 career tackles, including 34.5 for losses, as well as 20.5 sacks. He earned first-team Ontario University Athletics and second-team all-Canadian honours in 2021 after registering 33 tackles including 12.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks in nine games. Prior to enrolling at Queen’s, Federico played in the Canadian Junior Football League for two seasons with the Hamilton Hurricanes … Friday is Fan Appreciation Night presented by Planet Fitness at McMahon. Pre-game activities begin in East Fan Zone starting at 6 p.m., with a live DJ, Stampeder players autographs, games and more. Fans will get chances to win exciting prizes as every section will be included in giveaways throughout the game. Timbits football will take the field for a game at halftime. And post-game, there will be a fireworks presentation.