Toronto @ Calgary preview
McMahon Stadium
Last Meeting ( Sep 28, 2018 ) Toronto 16, Calgary 38
The Calgary Stampeders look to climb back above .500 when they host the winless Toronto Argonauts on Thursday. The Stampeders find themselves in unfamiliar territory after dropping two of their first four games for the first time since 2012 following a 30-23 setback to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 5, and the defending Grey Cup champions hope to overcome their sluggish start by taking down the Argonauts for the 11th straight time in the regular season.
"We're just not playing good winning football," Calgary coach Dave Dickenson told reporters. "We have to do better." Toronto is left to go back to the drawing board following a 48-21 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Argonauts dug themselves a 28-point hole en route to their fourth straight setback of 2019 and have dropped 13 of their last 14 games dating back to last year, as they set their sights on salvaging a season that is quickly spinning out of control by knocking off the Stampeders for the first time since Sept. 21, 2013. "We're in a tough situation and some of these guys are going to grow through this," Toronto coach Corey Chamblin told reporters. "Hopefully there are more men who are going to fight than will fold because that's how we'll get it turned around."
TV: 9 p.m. ET, TSN ESPN2
ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS (0-4): McLeod Bethel-Thompson completed 22-of-39 passes for a career-high 388 yards and three touchdowns against Winnipeg, but it wasn't enough as he fell to his eighth straight loss as a starter. Derel Walker, who is the highest-paid wide receiver in the CFL, racked up nine receptions for 188 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Blue Bombers after being limited to seven catches in his previous three games. Running back James Wilder Jr. gained 53 yards from scrimmage in Week 5 and needs 59 more to reach 3,000 for his career.
ABOUT THE STAMPEDERS (2-2): Nick Arbuckle went 24-of-40 through the air for 368 yards in his second CFL start with star quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell on the six-game injured list with a shoulder injury. Reggie Begelton has picked it up after a slow start as he caught eight passes for 119 yards to go along with a rushing touchdown to give him 221 receiving yards over his past two games. Ka'Deem Carey added a pair of touchdowns, including a special teams score after returning a blocked punt into the end zone, to give him three TDs in two games since deputizing for an injured Don Jackson (concussion).
EXTRA POINTS
1. Calgary has won the last six regular-season meetings with Toronto by an average margin of 22.5 points.
2. Toronto has dropped 11 consecutive road games.
3. Stampeders DE Cordarro Law has recorded four sacks in his last two games.
PREDICTION: Stampeders 33, Argonauts 20