Stamps edge Argos thanks to big second quarter, but suffer significant losses

The Calgary Stampeders' 25-20 victory over the Toronto Argonauts Monday night was much-needed, but it wasn't necessarily convincing, and it came with major losses. Calgary emerged with the win thanks to a dazzling 22-point second quarter and a game-clinching, clock-eating 13-play, 62-yard drive that led to a late field goal, but there were plenty of questions about the team's play during the rest of the game, and the losses of offensive linemen Dan Federkeil and Edwin Harrison (which forced defensive tackle Quinn Smith to switch lines mid-game, earning the game ball in the process) and receiver Simon Carbonneau-Champeau may hurt the Stampeders in the long run. Still, while this wasn't a throughly-great performance from Calgary, it did produce an important result, it did illustrate some improvement, and it came against an Argonauts' squad that had played very well through the first two weeks of the season. For the moment, that's a good sign.

The win here may be important not just for what it means in the standings, but also for what it means for the state of the Stampeders. They got their Grey Cup title defence off to a reasonable start in Week One, edging Hamilton in a championship rematch (even if that showing came with major problems), but they fell completely flat in Montreal last week, losing 29-11 to the Alouettes. Another loss, especially one at home, might have caused the team to lose faith and start trending downwards. This win was far from perfect, but it illustrated how this Calgary squad is still incredibly talented and dangerous, and how well they can do when everything clicks.

The perfect example of that came in the second quarter Monday night. The Stampeders scored 22 of their 25 points on the night in that frame, and they did so thanks to a variety of players. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell had a much better game overall than he did in his first two outings this year, completing 25 of his 34 passing attempts (73.5 per cent) for 303 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while also rushing three times for 22 yards, and he started the ball rolling in the second frame, hooking up with Eric Rogers for a 43-yard gain. That catch, one of six Rogers recorded for 114 yards and a touchdown on the night, kickstarted a nine-play, 102-yard scoring drive that Mitchell capped with another three-yard pass to Rogers.

After that, though, it was the defence's turn to shine, and they did so in a group effort from the defensive backs; Jeff Hecht forced a Chad Owens fumble near midfield, Josh Bell recovered and ran for eight yards before lateralling to Fred Bennett, who took the ball down to the Argos' four-yard line before running back Jon Cornish punched it in on the next play. Mitchell hit Marquay McDaniel for the two-point conversion and a 14-7 lead, and then the defence stepped up again, forcing a Toronto two-and-out that turned into another Calgary drive, punctuated with a six-yard touchdown strike from Mitchell to Jeff Fuller. That meant the Stampeders had scored 21 points in the quarter (Rene Paredes missed the convert on the first TD, but made it on the third), and they added another point on a 55-yard punt single from Rob Maver. It was the best showing they delivered all night, and it was enough to give them the win in the end (with a little help from that clock-killing fourth-quarter drive, which Mitchell also orchestrated very well). If they play like that more regularly, they'll be extremely tough to beat.

There are still concerns about the Stampeders' performance Monday, though. For one thing, it wasn't consistent, especially on offence. They didn't score at all outside of the second quarter and Paredes' late field goal, and while Mitchell's overall stats were solid, some more red-zone production would be nice. Cornish also looked much more human than normal against the Argos' defence, who held him to just 56 rushing yards and a touchdown on 14 carries (four yards per carry, well below the norm for him, although he did have four catches for 26 yards). The defence was better, holding Toronto QB Trevor Harris (who had been lights-out in the first two weeks) to 20 completions on 34 attempts (58.8 per cent) for 223 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, and containing Argos' RB Brandon Whitaker (who had 34 rushing yards on six carries), but defence alone isn't enough to carry this team.

Perhaps even more concerningly, those losses may loom large going forward. The offensive line losses in particular could be bad if Federkeil and Harrison are gone for any significant time. Smith filled in well Monday and showed impressive versatility, but he's a bigger asset for the Stampeders on the defensive side of the ball, and the two missing linemen are talented guys. Charbonneau-Campeau's loss could also hurt; Calgary's deep at receiver, but not as deep as they were last year thanks to the offseason departures of veterans like Maurice Price and Nik Lewis. This was a victory, but one that came at great cost for Calgary. Still, it's a victory, and it's one that came with optimistic moments. For now, that's enough.