What a difference a few games make. Just a few weeks ago, the Calgary Stampeders were being discussed as one of the surprises of the 2025 season. Now, they're looking to regroup after back-to-back losses.
That leads to some interesting questions.
Is this just a rough two-week stretch?
Or, are the Stamps in trouble?
If they're going to turn things around, they'd better do it soon. They're currently hanging on to 2nd place in the West by a thread. They've also fallen to 4th in the CFL News Hub's Power Rankings.
2nd Straight Loss
Last week, Calgary suffered a 31-11 loss to the Redblacks.
They looked like a shell of their early-season selves on both sides of the ball.
The CFL's league-leading defense gave up a surprising 31 points in the loss.
And the explosive offense we've grown accustomed to struggled all day.
P.J. Walker looked good at times filling in for an injured Vernon Adams Jr., but his 3 interceptions were too much for the offense to get anything going.
Are the Calgary Stampeders in Trouble?
The CFL's 18-game season is a marathon, not a sprint. Two weeks isn't a long enough sample size to draw any definitive conclusions. But that doesn't mean we can't speculate.
The Argument for Yes
The West Division is tough. Outside of their one loss to Calgary, Saskatchewan has looked great all season. And, they're in danger of pulling away with first place if Calgary continues to slide.
Winnipeg is only a half-game behind the Calgary Stampeders. That means with a win his week, they can take over 2nd place.
I still think Calgary is for real, but in a tough West Division, their margin of error couldn't be smaller.
The Argument for No
Listen to this impressive list of receivers: Begleton, Barnes, Philpot, and Alford. That's a great receiving core that any team would be lucky to have. Unfortunately, they were all out injured last week.
Thankfully, there's hope on the horizon.
Vernon Adams and Clark Barnes look poised to return this week. And both Alford and Philpot look poised to return soon.
Another player poised to return, in a sense, is Dedrick Mills. Mills is 3rd in the league in rushing yards and 1st in rushing touchdowns. That's even after his worst game of the season (11 yards rushing).
Once the offense gets back on track, they'll likely have a good defense to back them up. Despite giving up 31 points to the Redblacks, the Stamps still boast the best scoring defense in the league.
Looking Forward
This week, the Calgary Stampeders take on Winnipeg for the third time this season.
If they can clean up the penalties and turnovers, they have a chance to make it their third victory over the Bombers of the season.
If not, they'll head into their second bye week of the season on a three-game skid.