Dave Dickenson called his team’s performance Saturday night “hard to watch.”
No doubt he’d be hard pressed to get an argument from anyone.
In what seemed like a flashback to the last few years, the head coach watched his Calgary Stampeders struggle from front to back in a 52-23 colossal loss to the visiting BC Lions at McMahon Stadium.
Yeah … it was ugly — and it wasn’t this year’s version of the Stampeders.
“Hard to watch, because it doesn’t look like us,” GM/head coach told reporters post-game.
“But give BC credit,” continued Dickenson. “First off, they were more prepared and they beat us up. And they did. They kicked our (butt). So … you know … that’s just the way it is. It’s one game that was very ugly.
“Can’t really say that anyone played well or coached well.”
He’ll get no argument on that point, either.
And the sub-par performance added up to a second consecutive defeat for the Stampeders.
With that, here are 5 takeaways from Saturday’s loss to the Lions …
1) ASLEEP EARLY
It’s true any team can beat any other in the CFL on any given day.
But when you come out of the gates cold, it gives that ‘other’ team a big lift to victory.
And that was how the Lions took control and never let up, playing hard from the opening whistle, while the Stamps were listless from the first play.
“It went wrong pretty much everywhere,” Stamps receiver Tevin Jones told reporters. “Honestly, we got beat on offence, defence … all three phases, really.”
First, it was the defence, uncharacteristically allowing a TD on the first drive.
Then, it was the offence, with Adams tossing a pair of ugly INTs — the second to former teammate Micah Awe to send the Lions to another major two plays later.
A sack of Adams on the next Stamps series was part of a quick two-and-out to give the Lions the ball back, which they turned into a third TD by the end of the first quarter — and it was 21-0 for the visitors after only 15 minutes.
Ouch.
After losing the previous game to the Edmonton Elks, that start is a head-scratcher. Coming out cold just wasn’t on the bingo card.
“The key for me and as a team is you gotta learn from it, ’though there’s gotta be a reason,” Dickenson said. “There’s gotta be some things that we’re taking for granted. You didn’t put the time in or I didn’t have them prepared — that’s the bottom line.
“We gotta be better now.”
2) QB CONCERNS
Suddenly, there are questions at the quarterback position following the game.
Vernon Adams Jr. was knocked out of the game when a spotter determined he’d suffered a hit to the head — the second time that’s happened for the Stamps starting QB on the season.
And up until that point on the first drive of the third quarter, Adams struggled for a third straight contest, going 11-of-16 for 125 yards and two interceptions.
Then, after cranking it up for 64 yards and a touchdown strike — to Jones in the back of the endzone — on 8-of-9 efficiency, Stamps back-up QB P.J. Walker appeared to seriously hurt his shoulder on a passing play.
“It makes us mad,” Jones told reporters. “The refs have a hard job, as it is, so we’ve got to protect our quarterback. When our quarterbacks go down, that hits us on the inside. It’s like, ‘Dang — that’s our guy.’ I mean … like that’s our family. They’re the most important people on the team. All we can do now is rally around them and try to get them back healthy.”
Stay tuned for injury updates there.
The only upside from those losses was it gave young third-stringer Quincy Vaughn a little bit of time under centre.
On the other side of the ball, there were no concerns about Lions QB Nathan Rourke, who was kept by the Lions over Adams through the winter which allowed the trade of the latter to Calgary. Rourke finished 20-of-24 for 331 yards and two touchdowns and added 43 rushing yards and three more TDs.
Calgary Stampeders Dedrick Mills fends off BC Lions Deontal Williams in CFL action at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Ab., on Friday September 19, 2025. Mike Drew/Postmedia
3) OFFENSIVE ISSUES
Perhaps the only player getting a pass on a rough day is running back Dedrick Mills, who was again rumbling for the Red and White.
He had 72 rushing yards on 15 carries for a solid 4.8-yard average and 51 yards on eight catches.
Jones, too, was strong on four catches for 57 yards and that fourth-quarter major.
But the offence, as a whole, just didn’t catch on until it was too late — and even then, the fire didn’t last long.
Adams couldn’t lead a TD drive before getting knocked out with what Dickenson called a rib injury in the third quarter.
Really, there was no spark until Eric Rogers returned the opening kickoff of the second half for 41 yards that led to a Vaughn major on his usual QB dive.
However, the Lions just kept turning them away from there, allowing just 324 yards — and the injuries and struggles at the pivot position certainly didn’t help Calgary’s cause.
“We didn’t have good eyes at the quarterback position finding people, and we turned ball over trying to make too much situations that aren’t there,” Dickenson said. “You know … BC didn’t hardly play any man (defence). They just played some zone, and they handled us by tackling better than we did.”
4) NO FLO? THAT’S A BLOW
He may not be leading the team in sacks or tackles, but defensive tackle Folarin ‘Flo’ Orimolade is a mega beast for the Stampeders.
Or was until his season ended with an Achilles injury in the Labour Day Rematch.
And it looked Saturday like the Stamps did, indeed, miss Flo’s presence as a rush end who really sets the table for the defence with his pressure and leadership.
“I felt like we just weren’t on the same page,” Dickenson said. “And I know we had some different calls and were going to try some different things. I mean … usually after a bye-week, you feel like you’ve got a chance to actually find some things that are you can prove and give a little wrinkles.
“Maybe the guys just weren’t comfortable with it, because we didn’t execute it all.”
Maybe, but that doesn’t explain the ugly first 15 minutes that amounted to four TDs against — a shocker for a Stamps defence that had been virtually unbreakable since Day 1 of the season.
And it doesn’t explain the whopping 527 yards against.
Ouch again.
“Poor tackling,” lamented Dickenson. “And a lot of times, that’s just effort.”
BC Lions’ Levi Bell, right, chases Calgary Stampeders quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. during first half CFL football action in Calgary, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
5) WEST IS WEIRD
After doing all the right things through Labour Day against West Division competition, all of a sudden, the Stamps have stumbled against lesser rivals.
Losing to the Elks and the Lions in consecutive contests tightens things up in the race for the final playoff spots in the West.
The 8-5 record now held by the Red and White puts them just two points up on the surging Lions (7-7) on 14 points. Then it’s the free-falling Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6-7) two points further back on 12 and the Elks on 10.
And the Stamps have fallen off the pace in the race for first in the division, with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (10-3) now four points up on 20 and having already clinched a playoff spot.
Another loss next Friday (7:30 p.m., TSN, CHQR 770 AM/107.3 FM the Edge) to the host Montreal Alouettes (7-7) would mean a real hit to the Stampeders in the post-season chase.
“It’s concerning,” added Jones. “But all we can do is take one play at a time and don’t worry about it, pray about it and just go over the film — just so we can do better.
“It’s a learning process. You know … everything’s happened for a reason. (Saturday), they were the better team. But I guarantee you, next week, we’re going to be a whole new Stamps. Same Stamps but whole new Stamps.”
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