They say defence wins championships.
The Calgary Stampeders simply want their defence to help win them games these days …
Like the good ol’ days of last year or even earlier this CFL season.
They’d certainly take that.
But it hasn’t happened in a while for the Red and White defence, particularly in the last four games — all losses.
“I don’t think anything’s changed,” said Stampeders veteran defensive back Branden Dozier. “It’s just the game of football is just rhythm and flows. And right now, we’re out of sync. Coach has had us attacking the ball (in practice), so we’re just trying to get that rhythm back.
“It’s about us as a defence trying to get back in our flow.”
They’ll need that in big waves on Saturday, when the Stamps (4-8) host the big-fish Montreal Alouettes (10-2) — the top team in the CFL — at McMahon Stadium (5 p.m., TSN, QR Calgary).
The Horsemen not only need their defence to help them stop the sinking ship that is a four-loss skid, but they need it to stay in the swim for a playoff spot. They sit three points back of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who are holders of the third and final post-season position in the CFL’s West Division and are idle this week.
“Nobody’s down right now,” Dozier said. “In football, you can’t be down. Everybody comes back to work every single day ready to work. As long as we do that, all we can do is go up.”
Easier said than done with the Stamps seemingly down across the board after losing both ends of their Labour Day set with the arch-rival Edmonton Elks.
While the offence sputtered in both, failing to score a touchdown in either game, the defence didn’t amount to much either, surrendering 72 combined points and a whopping 1,011 combined yards.
Ugly, for sure.
“Tough times create tough people,” Stamps all-star defensive lineman Mike Rose told Stamps TV. “So hopefully these tough times will make people stronger and want to be better players and want to come out here and win.
“Sometimes you’ve got to change the standard,” continued Rose. “And I think we’ve got to change the standard of what it means to play Calgary defence.
“You’ve gotta challenge guys to do things that they’re uncomfortable with and put themselves in situations to do things for teammates and not just for themselves.”
Rose, himself, is doing what he can.
In fact, the unit captain helped the Stamps break away from being the only team in the league this season without a major from its defence in last Saturday’s loss to the host Elks.
He picked off quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson and ran it back for six points in the fourth quarter at Commonwealth Stadium.
“I don’t know — he just threw the ball right to me, so … I caught it,” a surprised Rose told Stamps TV, of his first-ever CFL pick-six. “I’m glad I caught it, because I don’t know if I’ve got hands like that (usually).
“I just saw him throw it, and I just caught it. There was nothing exciting about it — I just caught it.”
And then he rumbled 83 yards for the remarkable touchdown and the only highlight of the 37-16 loss for the Stampeders.
“When I got past the 50,” said Rose, when asked at what point on the field did he feel like he was home-free for the TD. “Then I was like, ‘I’m pretty far ahead — you’d have to really be working hard to get me.’
“Not until the last five, 10 yards (did I feel somebody close to me), but I had slowed down by then.”
The big play — with assists from teammates Dozier and Micah Awe to hurry the Elks QB — did help the score look a touch more respectable for the Stamps, although it was the team’s only visit to paydirt during the contest.
All in all, the result took away from Rose ranking it high among his list of football highlights.
“Well … if it was a win, it would be (number) one,” said last year’s sack leader for the Stamps. “But I’ll say (number) nine, because we lost.”
The hope is he — or any of his defensive teammates — can score another this Saturday …
And get a victory to go with it.
“It’s about going back to the basics,” said Dozier, remaining upbeat in the face of criticism. “It’s paying attention to detail and everybody doing their 1/12th (of the team work) and focusing on their job every single play.”
“Sometimes I feel like we’re trying almost too hard, which is just kind of weird to say,” added Stamps GM/head coach Dave Dickenson, applying that to his entire team and not simply the defence. “But it’s like the old adage in hockey that a guy hasn’t scored goals in a while and he’s squeezing his stick too hard. Just be yourself, but bring that extra energy and look in the mirror, too.
“Everybody’s got to look in the mirror and make sure they are doing a little more and doing a little better.”
SHORT YARDAGE
Despite the loss, a humbled Dozier talked highly this week about his 100th CFL game last Saturday. “It means a lot. I’m not somebody that’s big into accolades and all that. But that one actually meant something to me. Just to show the longevity to make it to that mark was actually pretty cool.” … After being sidelined by injury, QB Matt Shiltz (ankle), OL D’Antne Demery (hand), DL Elliot Graham (ankle) and starting CB Tre Roberson (quad) have all been cleared for Saturday’s game … Teammates who are questionable for the affair are WR Ishmael Hyman (hamstring), DL Josiah Coatney (knee) and starting safety Bentlee Sanders (hamstring) … DB Malcolm Thompson has been ruled out to play against the Alouettes.
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