What the Stampeders are missing and how they can turn things around

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In 2021, the Calgary Stampeders started their season with a record of 2-5.

The coaching staff then holed up in a week off and got to work figuring out what needed to be changed.

The team came back with a bang, winning five of their last six games to secure a spot in the CFL playoffs.

With the Stamps now 4-6 after ten games in 2024 and not playing until Labor Day – that’s 18 days between games – the hope is something similar will happen now.

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Here are a few things we think the Stamps need to do if they want to turn their season around and finish strong in the second half of the year:

1. STOP THE DROUGHT

This has been a constant theme in my coverage of the Stampeders both this season and last year.

There are moments when you can understand why people believe the team can win, and you can understand why there is so much frustration that the team is not putting the pieces of the puzzle together to make that happen.

Every team has periods in games where things just don’t work out. You make adjustments and try to get out of those periods as quickly as possible.

But the Stampeders just seem to hang on longer than they should. That’s a big reason why the Stamps were second to last in the CFL in offense before their 31-29 loss to the Ottawa Redblacks on Thursday. There are moments when it feels like the ball just isn’t moving.

Think about the first half against the Toronto Argonauts a few weeks ago. The Stamps were booed off the field at halftime, but then they came out on top in the fourth quarter and won 27-23.

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The second and third quarters against the Redblacks on Thursday were similar.

When something doesn’t work anymore, the offense apparently resorts to short passes to the sideline – something that frustrates many fans.

How do you fix the Stamps’ tendency to get stuck for long stretches where they can’t seem to move the ball? It’s a question that many people have been asking for a long time.

2. STOP THE RUN

Before Thursday’s game, the Stamps allowed the second-most rushing yards per game (104.7) in the CFL.

After allowing the Redblacks to rush for 147 yards, they will likely be near the bottom of the league in that category at the end of this week’s game.

The defense has a lot of good things going for it, but it’s odd that they’ve been so bad on the ground. Last season they were second to last in rushing yards against them, so it’s not a new problem, but the defensive line is talented and they have two very good tacklers at linebacker in Micah Awe and Cameron Judge.

The team did a pretty good job in air defense, but even though the CFL is more about passing, you also have to be able to stop your opponents on the ground.

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3. FEED REGGIE

The Stamps offense is at its best when Reggie Begelton sees a lot of the ball.

There are other good players in the Stamps’ receiver core, although Malik Henry missed the entire season with an Achilles tendon injury.

But Begelton can do amazing things when he has the ball in his hands. He is the Stamps’ leader in receiving yards and was seventh in the CFL with 569 yards entering Friday afternoon.

However, there are moments when you would like to see him in the crosshairs much more often – the first three quarters on Thursday are a good example of this.

That’s 100% easier said than done and it’s worth noting that Begelton leads the team in targets (71) and catches (50), so it’s not like he isn’t an important part of their offense.

Opponents double-cover Begelton and try to force quarterback Jake Maier to look elsewhere as often as possible. It’s not like you want your quarterback to throw into double coverage.

But the more Begelton sees of the ball, the better.

4. GET HEALTHY

Injuries-wise, the Stamps are probably in a better place now than they were earlier in the year, but there’s no denying that they’ve been missing some key players in recent games.

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On the offensive line alone, Zach Williams is on the six-game injury list and Sean McEwen missed the game against the Redblacks. That hurts.

Obviously they’re not going to get Henry back, but I really liked what I saw from Erik Brooks as a receiver earlier this year, and there are a few other guys on the six-game injured list that they’d like to have as players.

And it’s not an injury, but if Dedrick Mills returns to the team, that would definitely be an asset.

In this regard, 18 days between games should be helpful. That way the boys have a long break.

Injuries have been far from the only problem this year, but getting healthy again can only help.

5. GET BETTER AT FIRST DOWNS

That’s essentially Maier’s argument. When I asked him after the game on Thursday where he needed the most improvement, he pointed to first downs.

The Stamps seem to be pretty good in second down situations when they’ve gained some ground in the previous game, and when they’re in that situation, it’s easier for any team to move the sticks.

Maier knows better than I do what is needed, so I really wanted to point that out.

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