Ottawa Redblacks Fall to 0-14 After 45-31 Loss to Calgary Stampeders The Ottawa Redblacks dropped to 0-14 with a 45-31 loss to the Calgary Stampeders, who kept their playoff hopes alive behind Vernon Adams Jr.'s 422 passing yards. The Ottawa Redblacks fell to 0-14 on the season after a 45-31 loss to the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday, as Calgary kept its playoff hopes alive. The game, played in Ottawa, saw Stampeders quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. throw for 422 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Calgary improved to 7-8, while Ottawa remained winless under first-year head coach Ryan Dinwiddie. Calgary Stampeders Dominate EarlyCalgary opened the scoring on its first drive, with Adams completing a 45-yard pass to Clark Barnes to reach Ottawa's 12-yard line before finding Deonta McMahon for a touchdown. McMahon added a four-yard rushing score in the second quarter, while Tyreik McAllister scored on a 28-yard rush. Anthony Johnson intercepted Ottawa quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson after McMahon's second touchdown. The Stampeders led throughout and never relinquished control.Adams completed 24 of 30 pass attempts for 422 yards and three touchdowns. Receiver Jalen Philpot surpassed 1,000 receiving yards on the season. Calgary head coach Dave Dickenson praised Philpot, saying he is looking fast and running with the ball, and does a lot of gritty work in the run game, and that the team needs him to continue being a key contributor if they are to succeed.Rene Paredes kicked field goals from 40, 49 and 43 yards and added five convert points. His Ottawa counterpart, Brett Lauther, was successful from 13, 56 and 28 yards and added two converts. The Stampeders' win followed a narrow victory over Ottawa the previous week at McMahon Stadium, where a 62-yard field goal by Paredes sealed the outcome.Redblacks Show Fight but Remain WinlessOttawa mounted a late push, scoring twice in the fourth quarter and adding a two-point convert by Hardy with less than five minutes remaining, but could not overtake Calgary. Bethel-Thompson ended a 75-yard, eight-play drive with a 13-yard catch and run to Ayden Eberhardt for Ottawa's first touchdown just before halftime. Justin Hardy and Eberhardt had touchdown catches, and Mario Anderson Jr. scored a rushing touchdown.Bethel-Thompson, making his second straight start, completed 30 of 47 passes for 418 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He said the team played simple football in the third and fourth quarters and did the simple things well, and that the fight in the locker room is a testament to the players who keep battling each week. Head coach Ryan Dinwiddie added that the team's fight cannot be questioned, but execution must improve.Calgary's Tevin Jones capped the third quarter with a 15-yard scoring catch. The Stampeders' defense held off Ottawa's late surge to secure the win. Dickenson expressed respect for Dinwiddie, noting they worked together in Calgary when Dinwiddie was an assistant, and said he believes Dinwiddie will keep working and find a way despite the tough season.Playoff Implications and League ContextThe Stampeders are tied with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for fourth in the West Division with 14 points each. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats, third in the East, were eliminated from playoff contention after a 37-35 overtime loss to the Edmonton Elks on Saturday, locking in a crossover. Under the crossover rule, the fourth-place team in the West can take a playoff berth from the third-place team in the East if it has more points at the end of the regular season.Ottawa's 0-14 record marks a difficult first season for Dinwiddie, who left his job in Toronto where he won two Grey Cups between 2022 and 2024, hoping to rebuild a Redblacks team that has struggled for years. Despite the winless start, Bethel-Thompson said the team remains close and continues to fight for a full 60 minutes each week. The Redblacks will look to improve execution as they seek their first win, while Calgary aims to secure a playoff spot in the final weeks of the regular season.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2026. David Cummings, The Canadian Press