The hard-luck Calgary Stampeders will try to snap the host Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ three-game winning streak on Friday night.
Calgary (2-4) has the CFL’s highest-scoring offense at 37.7 points per game yet is two games behind West division rival Winnipeg (4-2), which is averaging nearly two touchdowns per game fewer at 25.8 points.
All four of the Stampeders’ losses have been by seven or fewer points, including a season-opening 30-28 setback at home against the Blue Bombers. Sergio Castillo won that one for Winnipeg with a 38-yard field goal on the final play.
Calgary is coming off another narrow defeat last weekend against the Montreal Alouettes, falling 38-32 after digging out of an early 22-0 hole. Vernon Adams Jr. threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to briefly tie the game 32-32, but a final drive ended 15 yards short of the end zone.
“Good fight at the end, but it’s just getting old from me,” Adams said, per the Calgary Herald. “Not being able to put points up early to help the defense out. Just too many two-and-outs. Everybody’s gonna look in the mirror, but I’m my biggest critic.”
Adams, who threw for 271 yards against Montreal, passed for 239 yards with one touchdown and rushed for 48 yards and another score in the Week 1 loss to Winnipeg.
Counterpart Zach Collaros threw for 233 yards and a TD in that game for the Blue Bombers, but he is sidelined for the rematch with a neck injury. Dru Brown is expected to make his third straight start after throwing for a combined 656 yards and three scores with one interception in wins against Toronto on July 10 and Ottawa last Sunday.
While the Stampeders have been losing tight games, the Blue Bombers have been surviving them. Three of their four victories have been decided by one or two points.
On Sunday, Winnipeg trailed 26-9 entering the fourth quarter before rallying for a 36-34 overtime victory against the Redblacks.
Facing the team that traded him away less than a month earlier, Brown threw two TDs in the final eight minutes of regulation to force OT.
“I tried not to let the feels affect me during the week and I don’t think it did, but I kind of allowed myself to feel that a little bit here,” Brown admitted.
–Field Level Media
