Article content material
Anticipate Jake Maier to be beneath centre when the Calgary Stampeders return to sport motion Saturday.
Dave Dickenson didn’t outright say his most skilled quarterback would return to the starter’s function in opposition to the incoming Montreal Alouettes.
Nevertheless it does sound like he’s leaning in that route after Saturday’s loss to the host Edmonton Elks.
“I went again with Jake to take all of the (beginning) ‘1’ reps (Tuesday in apply) and let all the fellows have reps,” stated the Stamps GM/head coach. “However I do really feel like even when Jake didn’t play final sport, I felt prefer it may very well be finest for Jake to have a look from a special viewpoint and take a deep breath.
Commercial 2
Article content material
“And he had a superb apply (Tuesday).”
After all, it was second-year QB Logan Bonner taking on the beginning duties from Maier in the course of the Labour Day Replay — a 37-16 loss at Commonwealth Stadium.
It was the primary time Maier’s been benched by Dickenson since he took over for QB legend Bo Levi Mitchell again in 2022.
“It allowed me to take a step again, get myself again to floor zero a bit of bit and actually lean into my household and lean into a few of my shut buddies and lean into my teammates,” Maier stated. “It was a bit of bit unusual at first, simply since you put a lot work into it and also you care a lot about your guys.
“However on the finish of the day, the choice was made, and my opinion about it simply doesn’t matter. It actually doesn’t. What issues is that I used to be prepared for no matter got here final week. I did the whole lot I might to attempt to assist the fellows that have been taking part in, and going ahead, that mentality shouldn’t be going to be any totally different.”
He feels he’s prepared for what comes this week.
And it’s a doozy, with the CFL’s prime workforce on the town to tackle his struggling squad Saturday at McMahon Stadium (5 p.m., TSN, QR Calgary).
Midday Information Roundup
Article content material
Commercial 3
Article content material
“Matt (Shiltz) practised (Tuesday), too, which was good,” stated Dickenson, of his different veteran QB, who has battled an ankle damage in 2024. “He’s getting some starter reps, as properly. And I really feel like that room’s acquired to be at its finest to ensure that us to win.”
Certainly, it does if the Stamps — losers of the final 4 tilts and 5 of the final six for an 4-8 document that has them in final place of the West Division — need to flip the yr round and by some means attain the playoffs.
The Alouettes — at 10-2 after an traditionally terrific 10-1 begin to the season — provide no aid in that combat and produce fairly the problem for whoever takes the starter’s snaps Saturday.
“I feel that Dave needs to see one of the best model of me,” stated Maier, who could be stepping again into the highlight after his four-interception sport within the Labour Day loss to the visiting Elks. “And if I’m one of the best model of me, that’ll trickle down via the remainder of our offence and — hopefully — via the remainder of our workforce.
“Quarterback is likely one of the hardest positions on this planet in sports activities, and if you end up not at your finest, it’s very, very tough as a soccer workforce to be at your finest. So I feel Dave is trying to find any person to be one of the best model of themself and provides our workforce a possibility to win. And I feel as a head coach, that’s greater than applicable, and I can respect that.”
Commercial 4
Article content material
Solely three QBs within the league have extra passing yards than Maier — with 2,921 — on the marketing campaign. That’s Mitchell — with 3,383 — the Elks’ McLeod Bethel-Thompson — with 3,098 — and two-time CFL Most Excellent Participant Zach Collaros — with 2,932 for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
However too lots of his 11 interceptions have harm the Stampeders.
And Maier’s incapability to discover a strategy to lead the workforce to greater than a handful of victories every season has been met with criticism.
“I feel you return to the method of it,” stated Maier, when requested the right way to repair the offensive woes, that are underscored by the unit not having scored a landing within the final two video games. “I feel you need to preserve it as elementary as you’ll be able to. I feel there’s been a whole lot of conditions the place offensively, we’ve pressured some issues once we haven’t needed to. And I feel that whenever you play a few of these prime groups … they don’t allow you to get away with that.
“So we’ve to have the ability to perceive that earlier than we go into these video games and plan accordingly, execute accordingly and make selections that permit us the chance to remain within the sport, as a result of the final weeks, we haven’t carried out that.”
Commercial 5
Article content material
That features Bonner on Saturday, when the 26-year-old American threw 5 INTs in a 21-of-36, 284-yard CFL debut as a starter.
“I feel on the finish of day, it’s simply how properly can we play as a workforce, as a result of it has been some time — it’s been just a few video games,” added Maier. “And I perceive the frustration from the media. I perceive the frustration from our followers. I perceive all that. I perceive that what we’re doing shouldn’t be ok.
“So the extra we will deal with the method of the right way to be higher, that’s going to be a very powerful factor going ahead. Every little thing else is fairly irrelevant, for my part.”
SHORT YARDAGE
Stampeders DL Josiah Coatney (knee), DL Elliot Graham (ankle) and DB Malcolm Thompson (hamstring) didn’t take part in Tuesday’s apply … WR Ishmael Hyman (hamstring) was restricted within the session … The Stamps signed Canadian linebacker Dan Basambombo to the apply roster Monday. The Laval Rouge et Or alum was a second-round choice by the Ottawa Redblacks within the 2020 CFL Draft and performed 23 video games with that franchise in 2021 and ’22, recording six special-teams tackles. With Laval, Basambombo performed 14 video games over three U SPORTS’ seasons. Over the course of his profession with the Rouge et Or, he accrued 42 tackles, together with 4 tackles for loss, three sacks, two pressured fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Basambomo was a Québec league all-star for Laval in 2018 after recording 31.5 tackles, together with three tackles for loss, two sacks, one pressured fumble and one fumble restoration in eight video games. Basambombo was born in Congo and moved to Canada together with his household on the age of 9. He attended École Secondaire Catholique Franco-Cité in Ottawa and performed junior soccer with the Cumberland Panthers … Stampeders DL Mike Rose made the CFL’s honour roll for final week’s video games. He was on the sector for 45 snaps on Saturday and caught his first interception of the season (second of his profession) and returned it 83 yards for his first profession landing.
— With information from The Canadian Press
Article content material
![[Kim Seong-kon] ‘Whole Recall’: Three questions we must always ask](https://i0.wp.com/res.heraldm.com/phpwas/restmb_idxmake.php?idx=640&simg=/content/image/2024/09/10/20240910050813_0.jpg&w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1 "[Kim Seong-kon] ‘Whole Recall’: Three questions we must always ask")
