Breadcrumb Trail LinksSportsFootballCFLPublished Oct 19, 2025 • Last updated 5 minutes ago • 5 minute readToronto Argonauts defensive back Willie Drew shoves the Calgary Stampeders running back Dedrick Mills out of bounds at McMahon Stadium in Calgary on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. Photo by Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian PressArticle contentThe heat was off the Calgary Stampeders heading into Saturday night’s contest against the Toronto Argonauts.Advertisement 2THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsArticle contentBut they still brought it big-time to McMahon Stadium.Article contentArticle contentThe host Stampeders, indeed, celebrated a playoff spot earned a night earlier by charring the Toronto Argonauts 44-13, helping to keep them in the race for second place in the Canadian Football League’s West Division.That position is where they want to be for the post-season in order to have home-field advantage for the CFL’s West semifinal.And while they still need at least another win to potentially grab it, Saturday’s decision to move them to an impressive 10-7 record on the season certainly keeps them hot for that spot.Meanwhile, the Argonauts, who came to Calgary having already been eliminated from the playoff picture, fall to a 5-13 mark on the campaign.Advertisement 3Article contentHere are five takeaways from the Stamps win at McMahon Stadium …Read More Rush to '1,500 yards is in me', says Calgary Stampeders star Dedrick Mills Community-minded Jalen Philpot hauls in Calgary Stampeders' Herm Harrison Memorial Award Week 20 for the Calgary Stampeders: A win clinches CFL playoff spot 1) BACK IN THE GROOVEThe Stampeders looked Saturday like they did early in the CFL season.They were dominant.Certainly, the Argonauts haven’t looked anything like the reigning champs they actually are — forgettable, really — with just five wins on the campaign. But that doesn’t take away from the Stamps showing up and showing out for the contest.They were strong in all facets of the game, with the offence moving the ball at will, the defence turning the ball over and special teams chipping in with their own big plays.Your Midday SunYour noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.Thanks for signing up!A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againArticle contentAdvertisement 4Article contentWith two solid overall outings in eight days, the effectiveness and togetherness bode well for the Red and White at just the right time of the football schedule.After all, we’re 14 days away from the first playoff affair, with the regular season wrapping up next Friday against the host Elks (7:30 p.m., TSN, CHQR 770 AM/107.3 FM the Edge) before the post-season begins.2) CAN’T DOEGE THE DEFENCEBob Slowik needs to find a way to bottle the performance brought by the Red and White defence and release it in the playoffs.Because the chaos the defensive coordinator’s unit conjured up against QB Jarret Doege and the Argonauts offence was simply Grey Cup worthy.Four sacks, four turnovers and plenty of other near misses — including a few tipped Argo passes and fumbles recoveries overturned by replay — made for a dominant night of fun for the Stamps defence.Advertisement 5Article contentAnd the fun was had right from the opening drive, when Adrian Greene opened scoring with a 44-yard pick-six — his second of the year — off Doege to set the tone. In a start at halfback, Godfrey Onyeka also pilfered a pass, while fellow Red and White defenders Jaylon Hutchings, Shaun Peterson Jr., Charles Wiley and Bailey Devine-Scott recorded QB takedowns.All told, Slowik’s charges allowed just 278 yards and one TD — that in garbage time — for a night reminiscent of early season efforts that became the talk of the CFL. Stampeders linebacker Marquel Lee reaches for a fumble as Argonauts receiver Jake Herslow looks on Saturday. Photo by Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press3) OFFENSIVE TOUR DE FORCEAny confidence lost amid a four-game losing skid seems to be behind quarterback Vernon Adams Jr.The Stamps QB was pinpoint in a 12-for-14, 213-yard passing performance.Even better was that most of his efficiency came early — including three touchdown tosses — to help stake the Stamps to strangleholds of 28-7 at halftime and 38-7 through three quarters.Advertisement 6Article contentAdams found Dominique Rhymes for a 55-yard TD play in the first quarter and Tevin Jones and Jalen Philpot for back-to-back respective three- and seven-yard majors in the second stanza and didn’t throw an interception for the second consecutive contest.The positive results allowed for Stampeders GM/head coach Dave Dickenson to turn to backup QB Josh Love for the final quarter. That’s important, because Love — who finished 5-of-8 for 67 yards — needs to get his feet wet ahead of a certain opportunity in next week’s regular-season finale and an in-case-of-emergency appearance in the upcoming playoffs.4) MILLS KEEPS CHURNINGStamps running back Dedrick Mills had arguably his best game of what has been a stellar season for the workhorse.Advertisement 7Article contentAnd that also bodes well for playoff football, with the temperatures falling and the running game likely to play an important role in a Grey Cup run.On Saturday, the ever-consistent Mills rumbled for 115 yards — on 14 carries — to keep him atop the CFL rushing lead with 1,340. No Stamps back has racked up that kind of yardage since Jon Cornish and his 1,813 back in 2013, and Mills now leads the BC Lions’ James Butler — who’s on 1,185 — by 155 yards in a bid to earn the rushing title.Mills also ran for the team’s third-quarter TD to put the game out of reach and grabbed two passes for a whopping 62 yards. Only Philpot had more receiving yards on the day for the hosts, with 98 on six catches. Stampeders quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. and offensive lineman Preston Nichols fend off Argonauts defensive lineman Da’Marcus Johnson on Saturday. Photo by Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press5) STILL PLENTY TO PLAY FORWhere the Stampeders open the playoffs two Sundays from now has yet to be determined, with their position in the West Division still in question.Advertisement 8Article contentA second-place finish would grant them host status for the West semifinal, and Saturday’s win over the Argos keeps them in that chase for home-field advantage to start the post-season and also keeps them finishing no lower than third in the division — thanks to owning the season’s head-to-head tiebreaker with the fourth-place Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who currently hold a 9-8 record.To gain that coveted home-field edge, they’ll need to finish ahead of the Lions, who — like the Stamps — currently own a 10-7 record.The Stamps first have to win Friday in Edmonton to push them on to 11 wins.What they’ll then watch is Saturday evening’s tilt between the Lions and the host — and first-place — Saskatchewan Roughriders (12-5). A Lions’ loss would give the Stamps second place in the division, while a win by the Leos drops the Horsemen into third place and sets up a visit to Vancouver to play the Lions in the West semifinal.tsaelhof@postmedia.comhttp://www.x.com/ToddSaelhofPMArticle contentShare this article in your social networkComments Join the Conversation