5 Takeaways from Calgary Stampeders' loss to host Montreal Alouettes

“We just never seemed to find our footing" in failing to score third-straight win on CFL season, Stamps GM/head coach Dave Dickenson says.

‘La Belle Province’ it has not been for the Calgary Stampeders. In fact, the last time they’ve won out that way was back in the 2018 Canadian Football League campaign. And the string of losses since now includes Saturday’s 37-30 loss to the host Montreal Alouettes.

“We just never seemed to find our footing,” Stampeders GM/head coach Dave Dickenson told Stamps TV. “I do like our fight, but we kind of lacked details and lacked poise, and we try to be a process-driven team, meaning we wanted to play the right way. “Even though we had a lot of heart and we had a lot of effort, we just weren’t able to get it done.”

On this trip east, blame it on the defence for not getting it done, even though the game was still in doubt until Vernon Adams Jr. threw his last pass of the night right into a lineman in a bid to draw the Stampeders even in the final minute. Indeed, the Alouettes rolled up a whopping 411 yards on the Red and White defence, leading to four touchdowns and three field goals for the hosts, which was enough to keep the Stampeders from scoring a third straight victory and moving above .500 for the first time on the season.

QB Adams was solid again with a 20-of-36, 272-yard performance, tossing two TDs to receiver Dejon Brissett — in the first and third quarters — and one to Clark Barnes — in the late stages to give the visitors hope in the dying minutes. The quarterback continued to keep it clean with no interceptions thrown on the night. Meanwhile, rookie kicker Jude McAtamney was perfect on three field-goal attempts for the Stampeders.

But it wasn’t enough in dropping to 2-3 on the schedule. “You just want to make sure if a team beats you, they earned it — and they did,” Dickenson said. “But I also felt like discipline and our and our details just weren’t there.”

Here are 5 takeaways from Saturday’s game at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium ... Related Calgary Stampeders in CFL's Week 6: Zy

Alexander sudden secondary star 1. WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE DEFENCE? Despite brief periods of success in scoring two consecutive wins ahead of this tilt, the Stampeders’ defence is looking like a shell of its last year’s form.

Remember how dominant it was in 2025? That isn’t the case this year, with stats — such as the 37 points and 411 yards surrendered Saturday — bearing that out. The Stamps had, in fact, allowed 139 points and 1,758 yards of net offence ahead of the loss in Montreal, with only the Toronto Argonauts allowing more in each category — 153 and 1,766.

And the totals at Molson Memorial further inflated those gaudy numbers. “I mean ... they’re a good offence,” Stampeders all-CFL star defensive tackle Jaylon Hutchings told Stamps TV. “But I feel like, ultimately, we knew what they were going to do.

There’s certain mistakes that we made that, ultimately, ended up costing us. So if we correct those, we’ll be in much better position (moving forward).” 2. TOUGH OPPONENT Credit QB Davis Alexander and the Alouettes for making the Stamps defence look bad on the evening.

That offence is, after all, one of the best — if not the best — units in the entire league. Alexander was his usual sharp self, with 22-of-30 passing for 301 yards and no interceptions. And he got help in the backfield from running back Travis Theis, who rushed to 94 yards on 13 carries for a healthy 7.2-yard average and one touchdown, outdoing CFL rushing king Dedrick Mills and his 55 yards on 10 rumbles and two catches for 12 yards.

“I mean ... they’re a good team,” Dickenson told Stamps TV. “They got a lot of weapons. A mobile quarterback, a tough offensive line, they run the ball well, they’re well-coached ... all good things.”

And it isn’t just the offence that makes the Als arguably the best team in the CFL. The defence has its strengths and made the plays it needed to, including a knockdown by defensive end David Perales of Adams’ third-down pass late to end a potential game-tying drive. “That’s a good team over there,” Adams told Stamps TV.

“(Alouettes head coach) Jason Maas, man, he’s got those guys rolling. D.A. is a good quarterback ...

you know. That’s a good defence, as well.” 3.

EARLY STRUGGLES You know who else has a good quarterback — we know — and — we think — a good defence? The Stampeders ... that’s who.

We’ve covered the defence. It just can’t seem to find its form of last year despite returning pretty much the same personnel. And if Hutchings says they know what’s coming, then that’s half the battle to stopping big offences such as the one operated by the Als.

They simply need to execute. Meanwhile, we’ve seen the offence get sharper as the season has gone on, with Adams solid pretty much since the beginning. But last week’s top CFL player of the week had a tough time getting out of the gate Saturday.

And it amounted to just one TD drive, capped by Brissett’s 20-yard catch for his first major of the contest, and two field-goals by McAtamney — from 30 and 54 yards out — in the first half. When they’re chasing games at halftime this season — this one featured a 24-13 deficit — it hasn’t turned out well for the Stamps. “I think I just I need to give my team a better chance early on,” admitted Adams.

“A few too many two-and-out (drives). I think a lot was on me. “It was just early, we just didn’t get enough plays.

The defence was on the field a lot, and we’ve got to give them a rest, too. Hold up our end of the bargain.” 4. TERRIFIC TWINS There’s nothing much that’s ever separated the talented Philpot twins.

They were a balanced pair of threats dating back to their days with the University of Calgary Dinos and were both first-round selections — Jalen by the Stampeders fifth overall and Tyson by the Alouettes ninth overall — in the 2022 CFL Draft. And they were at it again in a battle of brotherly love Saturday. Tyson was especially terrific for the victors, as he racked up 148 yards from scrimmage — 132 on nine receptions and 16 on one run — to become the star of the game.

His catch from fellow receiver Tyler Snead on the trickery of the first TD was a highlight covering seven yards. Not to be outdone, though, the Stamps’ Philpot hauled in three balls for 66 yards, including his longest of the night covering 38 as the key play in a march ending with Brissett’s second TD of the game for 11 yards. Yeah ...

he was clutch again for the Red and White. 5. ANOTHER CRACK AT ALS The good news is the Stampeders didn’t exactly get overmatched in this one, and that bodes well for a response next week on home turf.

The Week 7 game sees them host the Alouettes in a rematch, hoping for a flip of the script from this contest. And they can make that happen, even though the Als are 4-1 and the Stamps are now 2-3. There just wasn’t much separating the two teams both in the bottom line and in the eye test in Montreal.

“We get another chance at them next week,” Dickenson said. “I just want to be better.” That game goes Saturday at McMahon Stadium (2 p.m., TSN5, QR Calgary 770 AM).

“We’ve got some things that we can work on,” added Hutchings. “And we’ll be better for next week.” tsaelhof@postmedia.com http://www.x.com/ToddSaelhofPM