Heading onto the field against the Hamilton Ticats, officially eliminated from postseason play for the first time in nearly two decades, the Stampeders had every reason to fold the tent.
So, they did.
Hamilton’s Bo Levi Mitchell came onto the field and stomped all over the defence, throwing for four touchdowns in the first 20 minutes, while the offence started cold and stayed that way for much of the game.
Even the special teams saw a pair of miscues: a rare shank off Cody Grace’s foot and a conversion attempt that went off the upright for Rene Paredes.
While the Stamps managed to claw within a pair of scores in the third quarter, the final score of 42-20 perfectly encapsulated the effort put forth by the road team, who remain winless away from Calgary this season.
Shiltz sloppy in search for starting slinger
Matt Shiltz has had two games to throw his hat in the ring to be the starting quarterback of the future. However, a 12-of-24 day for just 124 yards and an interception is unlikely to do him any favours in his quest.
On several occasions, Shiltz overthrew or underthrew his receivers, and the offence never truly looked threatening. The dual-threat QB did try to get his team back into the game, including scoring a 16-yard rushing touchdown near the end of the third quarter.
Shiltz would also be tackled awkwardly while trying to get a first down with his feet, necessitating a switch to Jake Maier who went two-of-five for 30 yards before Shiltz returned to the huddle.
Not an inspiring effort, to say the least.
It seems clear the Stamps have moved on from Jake Maier, the quarterback who supplanted Bo Levi Mitchell a few seasons ago and whose contract expires at the end of the season.
Maier was replaced earlier in the year by Logan Bonner, who made a single start while Shiltz was on the six-game list. He wasn’t the answer and neither is Shiltz.
The Stampeders signed PJ Walker to the practice roster a few weeks ago, and they hope they can convince him to play next week, as it would help the team maintain his rights. Practice roster players become free agents at the end of the season.
Meanwhile, on the other sideline
Bo Levi Mitchell has a Michael Jordan-like spite streak.
After the game, Mitchell said that he “wanted to beat the brakes off” of his former team. He did exactly that, throwing for 450 yards on 24-of-37 attempts with five touchdowns and an interception — ironically, that was also a touchdown.
There is a conversation to be had about whether Mitchell should be an M.O.P. candidate considering his team missed the playoffs but as the only CFL QB to go over 5,000 yards passing since 2018, he belongs in this conversation.
For context, Zach Collaros is the only other QB over 4,000 yards this season and heading into this weekend, he has only just surpassed that milestone.
Mitchell leads the league in touchdowns, putting up the second-highest total of his career to date at 31. With one game to play, he is likely to set a career-high in completions as well.
DBs were not alone
It wasn’t just in the passing game that the Stampeders’ defence took a beating.
The run defence was also true to its recent form, allowing 156 total yards on the ground to go with the 450 through the air that came with little pressure on most plays.
Considering both Micah Awe and Cameron Judge were dominant last season, with Awe setting a franchise record for tackles, the fall-off has been very noticeable indeed.
Auditions generate few callbacks
Far from using it as an opportunity to impress for the future, the team as a whole looked as though it was well aware that the game had no meaning.
A lacklustre performance doomed for the dustbins of history, it featured little of the “they are playing for jobs next year” or “pride on the line” commentary that typically accompanies these snore-fests late in the year.
This isn’t something people are accustomed to seeing in late October in Calgary. The team and organization don’t seem to be adjusting well to the lack of immediate pressure.
Nearly done
Next week will be the final game of the season for this team — mercifully.
They have one final chance to avoid making negative history. No Stampeders team has ever gone winless on the road during a season and so the team will have to be victorious against the Roughriders to avoid setting a new record for futility.
Nothing they have shown lately would indicate that will happen, but Stranger Things isn’t just a Netflix phenomenon.