Vernon Adams Jr. out, P.J. Walker in: What's it mean at QB for Calgary Stampeders?

National Post

4 days ago

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'Take full advantage of it and step in and lead this team — lead this team to a win,' declared Walker, whose summoning his rookie NFL start in 2020 for experience heading into his first CFL start.
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'Look back at just the way I operated, how I went into it, the way I approached the game that week …' continued Walker. 'For me, I'm gonna take that same approach this week. So for me, it's just to be ready and also go back and watch a little bit of that tape from when I had my first (NFL) start and things like that and just see what mistakes I made and see what mistakes I corrected.
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'That might lead to some positive things out on the football field.'
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That's the hope of the Stamps, who can't even turn to Adams if things don't go well for Walker in Ottawa.
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The veteran QB has been shifted to the one-game injured list, leaving three rookies on the depth chart — including Josh Love and draftee Quincy Vaughn — for the contest against the league's bottom-feeder in the standings.
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'As a backup quarterback — I've been there — you're chomping at the bit to get in there and you want to be prepared and you want to feel like you have a chance that you've at least done some things or you feel comfortable calling plays,' Dickenson said. 'We're pretty late in the season, so he's done that.
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'Him and Josh have certainly taken advantage of some extra reps (this week).'
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So, Dickenson hopes, has a couple of receivers stepping in off the practice roster.
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Both Daylen Baldwin and Vyshonne Janusas make their debut starts at slotback, with hamstring injuries to clutch receivers Jalen Philpot and Damien Alford sidelining them. Of course, that makes it all that much more challenging for a backup — and CFL rookie — stepping in at quarterback.
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Throw in the fact that it's the Stampeders' fourth game in just 20 days, and it makes for an interesting lead-up to the rematch of that loss to the struggling Redblacks played in monsoon-like conditions at McMahon Stadium in Week 3.
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'The CFL in general this year, a lot of the games still come down to the last possession or two, and that's what happened to us last week, as well,' Dickenson said. 'So it's take advantage of your opportunities. I mean … we were down short inside the five(-yard line) twice and didn't come away with any points the last time against Ottawa. Missed on an aggressive play and also on short yardage — third and one. You won't win many games if you can't score touchdowns. We've been doing a good job of scoring touchdowns.
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'Can we continue? We'll see.'
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We'll see, indeed, with rookie QBs under centre, a handful of key personnel sidelined and fatigue having become another obstacle to overcome.
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'We've worked hard,' added Dickenson. 'I don't think it's been super sharp this week, but we've worked hard. If you get a seven-day week, most of the time, people can heal in seven days and get back to playing.
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DB Adrian Greene (lower leg) is a game-time decision for the Stampeders after being knocked out of last week's loss … OL Josh Coker steps back into the Stamps' starting lineup, after missing last week's game at right tackle … P Fraser Masin also returns to the roster after missing a few affairs, sending P Mark Vassett back to the practice roster … Others back on the roster are OL Tomas Jack-Kurdyla, DL George Idoko and LB Justin Herdman-Reed (neck) … Stamps dropped from last week's lineup are and OL Preston Nichols, LB Maurice Blackwell Jr. and DB Ben Labrosse (hamstring).
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