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'If we look ahead, then we're going to forget about Toronto,' says veteran in bid to focus on today
Published Oct 14, 2025 • 5 minute read
Derrick Moncrief
B.C. Lions' James Butler (20) runs the ball past Calgary Stampeders' Derrick Moncrief (6) during the first half of a CFL game, in Vancouver, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025.
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Forget keeping their eyes on the prize.
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The focus that the Calgary Stampeders are all about these days is today’s practice and on winning that — and then on winning tomorrow’s.
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It’s not on celebrating a Grey Cup.
It’s not on stretching out to secure home-field edge for the post-season.
And it’s not even clinching a playoff spot in the Canadian Football League, which they can do with just one more victory.
“Today is Tuesday,” said Stampeders star defender Derrick Moncrief, after the first practice of all-important Week 20 which culminates with Saturday’s game between the host Stamps (9-7) and the Toronto Argonauts (5-12) at McMahon Stadium (5 p.m., TSN, CHQR 770 AM/107.3 FM the Edge).
“So we’re just making today about Tuesday — just trying to take this day-by-day and really just honing in. We can’t look ahead, because if we look ahead, then we’re going to forget about Toronto.
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“So we just got to lock in what’s going on today.”
Saturday will come soon enough, anyway.
And when it does, the Stampeders had better be prepared. Because they don’t want to lose their final regular-season home tilt to a non-playoff team and leave the possibility open for both the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Edmonton Elks to leap-frog them for the final two CFL playoff positions.
They’ve come too far this year to allow that to happen.
“This time of the year, man, you just want to be able to play your best ball in all three phases,” said Moncrief, wanting his Stamps to build off just that effort from Saturday’s 37-20 win over the host Hamilton Tiger-Cats (10-7). “Everybody just got to click in — it’s a bunch of ups and downs within a football season. But as long as we just stay even-keeled and execute when the time matters, that’s what it’s all about.”
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[Calgary Stampeders' running back Dedrick Mills (26) runs the ball forward during second half CFL action against the Montreal Alouettes, in Montreal on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
A win ... finally ... for Calgary Stampeders to snap four-game CFL skid](https://calgaryherald.com/sports/a-win-finally-for-calgary-stampeders-to-snap-four-game-cfl-skid?itm_source=calgary-stampeders&utm_source=read-more)
2. [Godfrey Onyeka contributes to CGY Champs and has also given his time to coach youth flag football at Learn to Play camps.
Versatile, selfless Godfrey Onyeka earns Stampeders' nomination for CFL's Jake Gaudaur Veterans’ Award](https://calgaryherald.com/sports/versatile-selfless-godfrey-onyeka-earns-stampeders-nomination-for-cfls-jake-gaudaur-veterans-award?utm_source=read-more)
What is the playoff picture?
It is, indeed, a three-team race — between the Stamps, the Blue Bombers (8-8) and the Elks (7-9) for the final two post-season slots.
The third-place Stamps continue to hold the advantage with a two-game lead — really — on the Bombers, thanks to owning a one-win upper hand and the season’s head-to-head tiebreaker.
They also have the edge on the Elks because of a two-win lead in the standings, but that could quickly disappear with losses in their final two games and Elks wins their final two contests, including in next Friday’s regular-season wrap-up with the Stamps in Edmonton.
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The Red and White simply don’t want to leave fate up to such a winner-take-all scenario.
“Definitely, we don’t want to go into the last week still trying to figure out, still wondering what’s gonna happen and what’s the next move,” said Stamps running back Dedrick Mills. “So we gotta come out here and handle business this week, starting today.
“We have to come out here and handle business the rest of the week. So by the time Saturday gets here, we’re ready to prepare and just go ahead and just be the more physical team and do what we do.”
Calgary Stampeders' running back Dedrick Mills runs the ball forward during second half CFL action
Calgary Stampeders’ running back Dedrick Mills (26) runs the ball forward during second-half CFL action against the Montreal Alouettes, in Montreal on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025. Photo by Christopher Katsarov /The Canadian Press
The simple answer to all of this for Mills and the Stamps is to earn the win Saturday over the Argos at McMahon.
That would clinch them a playoff spot, and then — if it’s still on the table, only after a weekend loss suffered by the BC Lions (9-7) to the top-spot Saskatchewan Roughriders (12-4) — the Stamps can still pursue second place in the West Division to earn home-field advantage for the West semifinal.
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Remember they rode that second spot for weeks before the recent four-game losing skid put them in this rather tight spot.
But Moncrief says they still believe.
“We never lost our confidence,” Moncrief said. “We never lost it and never wavered. Me? I’ve been in the CFL eight years, and I’ve seen everything, right? Start off 0-7, and then you go end up in a Grey Cup. So it’s just all about staying even-keeled and trying to lead the guys with you every day.
“Only want to say we took some steps forward,” added Moncrief. “All the losses that we have, besides that one (52-23) at home with BC, we were trending up. It just didn’t show up on the scoreboard — just a couple little mental lapses here and there.
“But overall, man, that the focus and the effort was there — it’s just we just didn’t execute the details. So I’m looking forward to this next game.”
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What about the Argos?
Along with the Ottawa Redblacks, the Argos were eliminated from playoff contention two weekends back, ensuring the third post-season team for the East Division would come from the West Division in the first crossover to happen in the CFL since 2019.
The Boatmen are on a four-game losing skid, not having won since a 31-30 edge of the Elks — an important decision for the Stamps — back on Sept. 13. That result was the last of a three-game win string for the Argos, who have been streaky in the last few months of football.
Last Friday, they were dumped 27-19 by the host Roughriders, with Jarret Doege getting the call to start at quarterback. The young QB was solid with a 20-of-31, 221-yard, one-touchdown, one-interception passing day. Doege was also pretty strong a week earlier, going 34-of-49 for 323 yards with two TDs against four INTs in a 47-29 loss to the visiting Tiger-Cats.
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“They played extremely hard, and I thought they gave Sask everything they could handle,” added Stamps GM/head coach Dave Dickenson. “A call here or a call there or a situation change, and they might have won that game. So they’ve definitely got a team that plays extremely hard. They’re prideful. They’re going to come in here and give it everything they got.
“And also, just like us, they’ve got a lot of new players are out there. So every game you’re out there, you’re going to try to make the best of it and show people for the next year that you’re the guy.
“So we expect a great game, and they’ll come in ready to go.”
Short yardage
Both the Stamps secondary and offensive line are beat up after Saturday’s victory. Starting safety Damon Webb (pectoral) continues to be out, as is starting defensive back Sheldon Arnold (hand), and starting boundary-side corner Anthony Johnson (shoulder) left partway through practice Tuesday to undergo tests done for an undisclosed injury. On the o-line, tackle Josh Coker (knee) went down during the win — with Dickenson concerned it could be a major injury — while fellow lineman Tomas Jack-Kurdyla (calf) played through pain in Hamilton. The good news for that unit was left tackle D’Antne Demery (shoulder) was back on the field and practising Tuesday … Other players missing Tuesday’s practice for the Stamps were WR Jalen Philpot (head), with tests also pending on his status, WR Erik Brooks (hip), DL Justin Sambu (illness), DB Jackson Sombach (ankle), DB Morice Blackwell (ankle) and DB Lance Robinson (shoulder) … It was a short stay for RB Antario Brown with the Stamps. The American was released Monday after originally joining the Red and White’s practice roster Oct. 7.
tsaelhof@postmedia.com
X: @ToddSaelhofPM
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