The Jake Maier Era appears to be over in Calgary.
Dave Dickenson is trending towards turning to a different quarterback for 2024’s third instalment of the Battle of Alberta.
The Calgary Stampeders GM/head coach said Tuesday he’s likely handing the ball off to veteran backup Matt Shiltz.
This after a seventh straight game without a win — one last Friday to the BC Lions which saw long-time starter Maier again commit untimely turnovers in yet another loss.
“I definitely feel like I gave Matt more reps (Tuesday),” said Dickenson, whose team was officially knocked out of the CFL playoff race over the weekend.
“You know, I do think Matt had a good series-and-a-half — basically — in B.C.,” continued Dickenson. “And I do certainly feel like we have options. But … yeah … I’m definitely looking to give Matt more reps this week and see where it goes from there.”
Such a shift at QB would ultimately see Shiltz starting for the Stampeders (4-10-1) in a host of the rival Edmonton Elks (5-11) on Saturday at McMahon Stadium (1 p.m., TSN, QR Calgary) for the team’s final regular-season home game of the campaign.
Maierhas started all but one of the Stamps’ last 42 games dating back to the midway mark of the 2022 CFL campaign.
“It’s still a little bit ways away from the game, but I took some more reps (Tuesday), so we’re just going to see how it all shakes out throughout the week,” echoed Shiltz. “But if I get that opportunity to play, I’m going to be just as excited as any other week and be really ready to go get a win.
“So just looking forward to it.”
The call to arms for The Battle would mark Shiltz’s first start for the Stamps, after signing on with the Red and White in the off-season.
“My first taste of (the Battle of Alberta), so if I do get to play, I’m excited for that,” said the 31-year-old Shiltz, who threw for 4,357 yards and 19 touchdowns over six previous seasons combined with the Montreal Alouettes and then the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
“At the end of the day, it’s for a lot of guys that may not have gotten opportunities throughout the year that get to showcase who they are, what they can do as a player and kind of build on the end of this year, moving into the next season and the off-season to kind of put their best foot forward and put their resumé on film, if you will. So I think it’s not going to be any sort of issue on how hard guys are going to play. That will to win — that will to play — is always going to be there.”
Given the recent winless string of the Stamps, Shiltz might have been a likely candidate to step into the starter’s role earlier.
But the native of St. Charlies, Ill., was sidelined by an ankle injury for seven games, taking him out of the equation.
Instead, Logan Bonner got the starting role for the Labour Day Replay, when Maier — who’s passed for 3,518 yards, 19 TDs and 14 INTs on 336-of-463 efficiency — was benched the first time amid this current skid.
“That’s definitely not how you envision your season going … getting hurt in practice,” Shiltz said. “So it’s been tough mentally, for sure. But you just wake up and every day is a blessing and you’re just thankful to be there, because there’s a lot of people that want to be in this position that aren’t.
“So you still approach every day with that gratitude and that thankfulness that you’re still here. And then when an opportunity comes around, you make the most of it, whether it’s Week 4 or 16, 17 or 18.”
In Week 18’s 32-15 drop to the Lions, starting QB Maier was efficient enough with 19-of-27, passing for 164 yards and one TD. But his two untimely turnovers in the fourth quarter — an interception for a pick-six and a fumble on a knocked-down backwards pass for a scoop-six — spelled the difference in the ‘must-win’ contest.
Maier was then tagged with another fourth-quarter INT — the team’s third turnover on consecutive possessions — on a ball that went through the hands of usually reliable receiver Marken Michel.
Shiltz came in and mopped up the mess, finishing off the final 4:54 of the contest. In those two drives, the former NCAA Butler Bulldogs star went 4-of-5 for 99 yards, with his biggest moment being a bomb — after stepping up to avoid a rush — over top of the Lions’ defence to hit veteran receiver Reggie Begelton in stride for a 53-yard touchdown connection.
“Yeah … a little bit,” said Shiltz, when asked if that strike renewed his own confidence that he can still play the game after sitting on the sideline all season. “You know … you still got to make the throw — you’ve got to put it on him, and he’s still got to catch it and run.
“But what’s so great about football is that it’s the ultimate team game. And once you get back in there and knock the dust off, if you will, it’s pretty fun.”
But the losses — which have mounted under Maier’s guidance — are no fun at all, including Friday’s one that got away at BC Place.
“It was tough as a team,” added Shiltz. “Obviously, you want to come out with a win.
“But being able to get the first reps of the season was good. It was good to get in there with the guys and develop a little bit of chemistry with them, and I’m looking forward to building on it.”
Short yardage
The Stamps brought in former NFL QB P.J. Walker in an interesting move Tuesday after trading with the Toronto Argonauts for his negotiation rights a few weeks back. “He’s just a guy that, for me, I needed to look at,” Dickenson said. “And I’m glad he’s at least giving us that opportunity.” The 30-year-old native of Elizabeth, N.J., was under centre in 21 NFL games from 2020-23, making nine starts combined with the Carolina Panthers and the Cleveland Browns … WR Cam Echols (head) was not at practice Tuesday, with Dickenson saying he’s still showing concussion symptoms after being on the receiving end of a helmet-to-helmet hit when he was returning a kickoff. “I’d like to see him — we all would,” Dickenson said. “Hopefully, he’s here (Wednesday).” Echols was tended to by medical staff for quite awhile during game stoppage … WR Jalen Philpot (illness), WR Ishmael Hyman (calf) and DB Demerio Houston (illness) were also absent from Tuesday’s session … WR Clark Barnes (knee), who missed Friday’s tilt, participated fully in practice.