Stampeders roll into playoffs with win over Lions, leaving Riders' destiny in their own hands

Friday night's game against the B.C. Lions didn't mean anything for the Calgary Stampeders, but they still came out firing in a 33-16 win, heading into the postseason in style. The terrific performances they received from their passing attack and their defence bode well for their playoff chances. Meanwhile, the Lions passed up an opportunity to lock up third place in the West. Whether they stay in the division and face Edmonton or head to the East via the crossover is now in the hands of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

For Calgary, it was the passing game that really worked well Friday, and it seemed to do so regardless of who was at the controls. Drew Tate started and completed 14 of 20 passes (70 per cent) for 206 yards with one touchdown and an interception, while Bo Levi Mitchell was effective in relief, completing 13 of his 18 pass attempts (72.2 per cent) for 208 yards and a touchdown. Marquay McDaniel shone in the receiving corps, hauling in 12 catches for 165 yards, while Joe West added five for 87 and Eric Rogers had four catches for 77 yards and a touchdown. The ground game was weak in the absence of league rushing leader Jon Cornish, who missed this one with a concussion, as Martell Mallett was held to just 31 yards on 10 carries. Still, having the aerial attack click this effectively is a great sign for the Stampeders, and one that may prove vital if Cornish can't recover fully ahead of the West Final.

The defence's performance wasn't as dominant overall, as they gave up 117 rushing yards to Stefan Logan and 312 passing yards to Kevin Glenn. Still, they were able to force two interceptions and two fumbles, and that was a big part of why they kept the Lions to just 16 points on the night. Keon Raymond particularly shone, collecting a team-high seven tackles (plus one on special teams) with an interception and a forced fumble (and proving effective as a kick returner too once Jock Sanders got hurt), but the pass rush was also great, with Quinn Smith collecting three sacks and Shawn Lemon adding two and a forced fumble. Calgary's defence has been an underrated part of their success this year, and it may be key for their hopes of doing well in the postseason and changing the recent trend there.

Meanwhile, for B.C., there's a lot to work on still. A 33-16 home loss to a team that didn't have much to play for isn't the greatest way to enter the playoffs, and their turnovers and poor defensive play against the pass are particularly concerning. Moreover, the Lions let a chance to clinch up third in the West slip away, and they now have to wait for Saskatchewan's game Saturday to find if they'll be playing in the West or the East. Finishing fourth and crossing over might appear somewhat easier given the poorer records of the Eastern teams, but those teams have been rounding into form lately, and playing across the country is never particularly simple. We'll see how things play out for the Lions, but their destiny is now out of their hands.

(Correction: this post initially had Mitchell starting. Tate started the game.)