Stamps are still looking for answers

A week ago, Bo Levi Mitchell said it was more important that the Calgary Stampeders show improvement than it was for them to clinch first place in the West Division.

If it was progress that the Stamps quarterback was looking for, then he mostly got what he wanted in the first half on Friday night.

In the third quarter, though, the wheels came off. A suddenly suspect defence gave up two big touchdowns, and while the offence managed to score a touchdown a Don Jackson fumble in Stampeders territory also setup a third TD for the Bombers.

It was a nightmare quarter. The Stamps had left the locker-room after halftime with a 12-6 lead, but by the end of the third quarter they were down 26-18.

Just like against the Saskatchewan Roughriders a week earlier, it was a little hard to pinpoint exactly what went wrong. Lapses in the defensive backfield allowed the Bombers’ Darvin Adams to put a 50-yard pass in the end zone and for Drew Wolitarsky to do the same a couple minutes later.

Immediately prior to Jackson’s fumble, Eric Rogers was flagged for offside on two-straight plays. Jackson’s fumble was what it was.

It can be argued that special teams weren’t a problem, at least, but the rest of the team simply wasn’t good enough. There’s progress being made, but stretches like the third quarter need to stop happening if the Stamps are going to have any chance of advancing once the playoffs get started.

DON’T DO THAT

Chris Matthews is going to want this one back.

Late in the first quarter, the Stampeders were marching downfield in a way they haven’t done in weeks when Matthews caught a pass from Bo Levi Mitchell inside the Bombers’ 10-yard line.

Despite three Winnipeg defenders essentially having their hands on him, Matthews tried to fight for an extra yard with only one hand on the ball. The ball popped out and the Bombers recovered, with Jovan Santos-Knox getting the credit for the forced fumble.

The Bombers drove all the way down the field for a field goal that tied the game — a costly mistake.

NOTES

The Bombers o-line is going to cause problems for whoever they face in the playoffs this year. The one area that hasn’t been a concern for the Stamps recently is the defensive line, but they struggled to get anywhere near Bombers QB Matt Nichols.