Winnipeg Blue Bombers get 1st loss of season after falling 37-16 to Calgary Stampeders

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jul 04, 2025 9:20 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. and the Stampeders had a consciousness of juncture successful Calgary's archetypal "Stampede Bowl" with a 37-16 triumph implicit the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers connected Thursday.

The hosts were ascendant successful the archetypal CFL crippled named successful honour of the Calgary Stampede that starts Friday and has been a metropolis fixture for implicit a century.

After 3 consecutive games without a touchdown walk for the archetypal clip successful his career, Adams threw his archetypal 2 arsenic a Stampeder portion Damon Webb and Derrick Moncrief returned interceptions for a brace of touchdowns.

"It was a large squad win, complementary football, defence 2 prime sixes. Finally got a passing touchdown, truthful that felt bully arsenic well," said Adams.

There were cowboy hats each astir arsenic the Stampeders hoisted a bespoke trophy designed for the crippled attended by an announced 22,485 astatine McMahon Stadium.

"Certain games bring a small other emotion. Tonight the full stadium had emotion," Stampeders caput manager and wide manager Dave Dickenson said. "We had immoderate spark. I knew our guys were acceptable to play."

Clark Barnes and Damien Alford caught Adams' touchdown passes and Dedrick Mills scored a rushing touchdown for Calgary (3-1).

Rene Paredes contributed 5 kicking points and punter Mark Vassett a punt azygous for the hosts, who handed the Blue Bombers (3-1) their archetypal nonaccomplishment of the season.

Winnipeg's Jerreth Sterns caught a touchdown walk precocious successful the 4th fourth and kicker Sergio Castillo was bully from 19, 21 and 29 yards.

Blue Bombers moving backmost Brady Oliveira, the CFL's Most Outstanding Player successful 2024, totalled 61 yards connected 13 carries aft sitting retired 2 games with a enarthrosis injury.

Thursday's crippled was a matchup of the CFL's 2 stingiest defences, but the Stampeders raced to a 29-6 pb by halftime, portion Winnipeg's offence was hampered by miscues, interceptions and a smothering Calgary secondary.

"We got our asses beat," Winnipeg Blue Bombers caput manager Mike O'Shea said. "They came retired and enactment it connected america beauteous good."

'Not a winning recipe': Collaros

Adams, acquired successful a commercialized from the B.C. Lions past November, besides completed 13 of 18 walk attempts for 222 yards and went interception-free.

His Winnipeg counterpart Zach Collaros went 34-for-48 successful passing for 288 yards and 1 touchdown, but was intercepted doubly for Calgary touchdowns.

"I tin talk for the offence and myself, erstwhile you crook implicit the football, particularly erstwhile it goes for touchdowns the different way, that's not a winning recipe," Collaros said.

Collaros and his favourite downfield people Dalton Schoen connected connected conscionable 4 of 10 attempts.

Moncrief picked disconnected Collaros for a 70-yard touchdown aboriginal successful the 4th quarter.

"I watched movie each week. No slumber this week," Moncrief said. "Last night, I was watching movie a agelong clip and conscionable trusting myself and trusting my preparation."

Webb nabbed a Collaros propulsion intended for Nic Demski and ran backmost a 30-yard touchdown to springiness Calgary a 15-3 pb heading into the 2nd quarter.

"We called it aboriginal this week man, maine and Webb, we said we had to marque immoderate large plays for our defence and that's what we did, but we recognition our antiaircraft enactment for putting the unit connected them too," Moncrief said.

After Jalen Philpot's 68-yard drawback and tally enactment the Stampeders connected Winnipeg's doorstep with 2 and a fractional minutes near successful the archetypal half, Mills punched the shot into the extremity zone.

Collaros pushed the Blue Bombers downfield with the timepiece ticking down but Winnipeg settled for a Castillo tract extremity and a 23-point shortage astatine halftime.

Adams threw his archetypal touchdown walk arsenic a Stampeder connected Calgary's opening thrust erstwhile helium aired the shot retired to Barnes for a 43-yard major. His 2nd was an 11-yard gait drawback and tally by Alford for the latter's archetypal CFL touchdown.

The Stampeders sojourn the Saskatchewan Roughriders connected July 11. The Blue Bombers person a bye week earlier a rematch with Calgary astatine location July 18.