The Toronto Argonauts celebrated their 2024 Grey Cup win, but it was the Calgary Stampeders that took home the win.Â
Despite the win bringing them to 2–0, the Stampeders still have room for improvement. But the fans should feel good seeing the improvements from last week.Â
After Week 1, I pointed out several areas with room for improvement. Thankfully, the Stampeders improved in almost every area.Â
Turnovers
In week one, turnovers were the biggest negative from the game. Vernon Adams Jr. threw two interceptions, and P.J. Walker fell short on a 3rd down run.Â
This week, the Calgary Stampeders had no such problems.Â
Adams took care of the ball, and Walker was successful on his one 3rd down attempt.Â
The Stampeders have a lot of dangerous offensive weapons when they take care of the ball.
- Vernon Adams Jr.: 17/25, 301 yards, 7 rushes, 54 yards, 1 td
- Jalen Philpot: 6 receptions, 117 yards
- Dominique Rhymes: 4 receptions, 98 yards
Calgary Stampeders’ Kickoff Coverage
There are few things more frustrating than watching the defense play well only to give up a touchdown on special teams. That’s exactly what happened to Calgary last week.Â
This week, there were no such problems. Not only did they keep Toronto out of the end zone, but they also eliminated big returns altogether.Â
- Week 1: 7 returns, 233 yards, 33.3 average, 1 td
- Week 2: 5 returns, 104 yards, 20.8 average
Penalties
Penalties are a problem for most teams early in the season. But, it’s worth noting that the teams that solve this issue fastest tend to be the most successful.
Week 1: 8 penalties for 85 yards
Week 2: 4 penalties for 53 yards.Â
While the Calgary Stampeders did improve, there is still a long way to go. Three of the four penalties were costly.Â
- Unnecessary pass interference before the half resulted in 3 points for Toronto.Â
- Offsides took away a sack.Â
- Holding took away Alford’s second career catch.Â
Speaking
of Alford, the first overall draft pick in this year’s draft made his first career reception.ÂDamien Alford’s first catch was exactly what fans hope this big body receiver will bring to the table consistently. It was a beautiful jump ball for 31 yards.Â
His second reception (a 12-yard first down ) was nullified by a penalty.Â
The Calgary Stampeders’ defense has played well through two games. They’ve given up some yards, but gotten stops when it counted.Â
They have also done a good job causing turnovers. Adrian Greene came up big against Toronto with two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown).
One problem in week one was the Stampede’s lack of sacks. After failing to record a sack in game one, the Stampeders came up with two against Toronto.Â
The two sacks
don’t tell the whole story. The Stampeders’ defensive line consistently pressured the opposition quarterback. Hopefully, they will continue to develop and get home even more often.ÂContinue the CFL Football discussions on our offical CFL Discord Channel
