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Like the ‘West of old,’ Stamps look to keep pace in competitive division

Like the ‘West of old,’ Stamps look to keep pace in competitive division

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EDMONTON — There’s no room for error for the Calgary Stampeders.

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They’re 3-0, which is right where they want to be, but based on points differential, the Stamps are actually in third place in the CFL’s West Division heading into Thursday’s matchup with the Edmonton Elks (7 p.m., TSN, 770 CHQR).

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers look good. The B.C. Lions are the CFL’s surprise of the season. The Saskatchewan Roughriders are right in the mix, and even the last-place Elks would only be two points back of the Stamps if they protect their home turf at Commonwealth Stadium on Thursday night.

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So no, the Stamps can’t afford to rest on their laurels. A 3-0 start has earned them absolutely nothing.

“It reminds me of the West of old,” said Stamps QB Bo Levi Mitchell. “We used to battle all the way to Game 18 to figure out who was going to be the winner of the division. There’s some great teams, not only in the West but in the East as well. The East hasn’t fared as well this season, so far, but you watch the games and you actually watch the film, and they’re good.”

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Between Thursday and the end of July, we should have a much better idea of where the Stampeders stand in the West Division.

While the Elks might be in last place, they’re coming off a good win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last weekend and played the Stamps tough for the first half of their first head-to-head matchup two weeks ago in Calgary.

The Stamps pulled away in the back half of the game to win 30-23, but nothing about that game suggests Thursday is going to be an easy victory for the Calgary crew.

“I think we’re a little loose,” said Stamps head coach Dave Dickenson. “We’ve got to tighten up. I just don’t feel like we’re playing well enough to be a loose team right now. We need to be a team that’s focused on details and getting better.”

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Win or lose, there are bigger challenges ahead for the Stampeders before the calendar flips to August. They’ve got a back-to-back with the Bombers — with a bye week in between — on deck. The Bombers play the Lions this week, so all these upcoming faceoffs mean that the West Division’s three undefeated teams may very well start picking up losses.

That makes a game like Thursday’s against the Elks even more important.

“You can always mess up a good situation,” said Stamps defensive tackle Mike Rose. “We’re in a good spot and we’ve just got to continue doing what we’re doing. We’ve just got to keep our heads straight, really.

“Winnipeg and B.C. are about to play each other, so one of them is going to have a one in their (loss) column. It depends how games go, but I feel like when you look ahead it can lead you down the wrong path sometimes.”

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For now, the Stamps like the path they’re on. They’re getting better each week and are doing it while still picking up vital wins. Thursday’s just another opportunity to take another step on that path.

The Stamps are the favourites for a reason and they should be well-rested coming off a bye week, but they’ll be facing a very different Elks team compared to the one they beat two weeks ago.

Tre Ford has replaced Nick Arbuckle at quarterback, for one thing, and the Elks are also coming off a confidence-boosting road win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

And, well, their head coach is notorious for changing things up on a dime.

“With Chris Jones, you never know what he’s going to do, who he’s going to play or wha they’re going to be,” Mitchell said.

Whatever the Elks look like, the Stamps will need to figure it out in a hurry. There’s no room for error.

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