CALGARY - The Calgary Stampeders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers have different motivating factors heading into their showdown Saturday at McMahon Stadium.
While the Stampeders (5-3) are looking to bounce back from two straight setbacks, the Blue Bombers (4-3) will be looking to avenge a pair of losses they suffered to their CFL West Division rivals earlier this season.
"We鈥檙e very motivated," said Calgary quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. "Shoot, we鈥檙e two losses in a row, so we know we want to get back on track and get back in the W column. It starts (Saturday), so hopefully we can do that.
"We lost our last game. They won their last game, so they have the momentum right now and we need to get back on track and not worry about what they鈥檙e doing."
Adams will return to the Stamps鈥 lineup after sitting out his team鈥檚 31-11 road loss to the Ottawa Redblacks on July 31 after suffering a head injury during Calgary鈥檚 23-21 setback at home to the Montreal Alouettes on July 24.
Calgary coach and general manager Dave Dickenson has confidence that Adams won鈥檛 miss a beat after his one-game absence.
"We know things will change slightly, but a lot of times it鈥檚 just about execution and making plays, one-on-one football," Dickenson said. "Vernon鈥檚 had a good season. I鈥檓 sure the first time he gets hit, that鈥檚 always a little bit of trepidation, a little bit of uneasiness. Hopefully, he feels just fine."
Clark Barnes will also be back to help boost Calgary鈥檚 offence following a four-game absence due to an ankle injury, while fellow receiver Jalen Philpot will be a game-time decision.
"Clark鈥檚 back. Jalen鈥檚 back, so it鈥檚 good to have those guys back," said Adams optimistically. "Just excited to get those guys back and I鈥檓 excited for the opportunity (on Saturday)."
After being held to just 11 yards on seven carries against Ottawa, running back Dedrick Mills has extra motivation to return to the form that has seen him run for a league-leading seven touchdowns while amassing 555 rushing yards, third best in the CFL.
"It's going to be a very physical battle out there," Mills said. "I just can鈥檛 wait to get out there and get started. We beat them twice, so you know they鈥檙e coming.聽
"They鈥檝e got a chip on their shoulder and we just know they鈥檙e coming hard, so we鈥檝e got to go out there and play extra aggressive offensive-wise."
Meanwhile, the Bombers ended a three-game losing streak 鈥 which included a 37-16 loss in Calgary on July 3 followed by a 41-20 setback at home two weeks later 鈥 when they beat the Toronto Argonauts 41-30 in Winnipeg on Aug. 1.
"If they hit losing streaks, they find ways to get right back and win,鈥 Dickenson said of the Bombers. "For us, it鈥檚 more about us. What type of team are we? What鈥檚 our attitude? What鈥檚 our mentality?
"The main thing for us, we鈥檝e got to take care of the football and we鈥檝e got to stop taking dumb penalties. That鈥檚 the winning formula we鈥檝e stressed from Week 1 of training camp and it鈥檚 worked. When we do that, we win games, so it鈥檚 up to us to be knowing that the bullets are flying, but we have to make sure we keep our poise, don鈥檛 take selfish penalties and the ball is at a premium."
After missing last week鈥檚 game against the Argos with a neck injury, quarterback Zach Collaros is listed atop the depth chart ahead of Chris Streveler heading into Saturday鈥檚 game against the Stamps.
Although Streveler threw three interceptions against the Argos, he ran for a nine-yard touchdown in the first quarter to put the Bombers up 14-7, which was a lead they didn鈥檛 relinquish.
"I鈥檓 excited to be back on (the roster) obviously to get back out there with the guys,鈥 Collaros said. 鈥淚 feel good to go and excited about the opportunity tomorrow.
"Every week is a new challenge. Calgary just happens to be on the schedule this week. We鈥檝e played them twice, so we know them pretty well, they know us well."聽
Winnipeg coach Mike O鈥橲hea doesn鈥檛 put too much stock into the pair of lopsided losses his team suffered to the Stamps in July.
"First and foremost, I don鈥檛 think the guys can look at those games and try and draw anything from them except this is a new game,鈥 O鈥橲hea said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e got to work hard for each other. They鈥檝e got to be physical, they鈥檝e got to be clean.聽
"Those two games were not very good, but I don鈥檛 know that you鈥檙e going to spend a lot of time thinking about those two games trying to prepare for this one."
This report by 好色tvwas first published Aug. 8, 2025.
