Stamps win a wild one over Redblacks at home opener

All things considered, the Calgary Stampeders probably won’t be looking to play many games this season the way they played on Thursday night.

Facing off against the Ottawa Redblacks, the Stamps won a weird-and-wacky game that featured missed converts, defensive touchdowns and just about everything in between.

But a win is a win, and after beating the Redblacks 43-39 at McMahon Stadium, the Stampeders have emerged from a home-and-home set against the Grey Cup champions with a 1-0-1 record.

They’ll take that every day of the week.

But to be clear, Thursday’s game went way off script.

The usually lights-out Rene Paredes missed three converts. Jerome Messam ran for only 51 yards on 14 carries, and Bo Levi Mitchell had thrown for less than 200 yards until midway through the fourth quarter, although he’d finish with 295 and three touchdowns after turning it on late.

Taken together, it all added up to the sort of game you’d assume the Stampeders would lose.

Except the Stamps didn’t lose, because the Redblacks made just as many mistakes.

Redblacks kicker Brett Maher also missed a convert. QB Trevor Harris got sacked four times — three times by the Stamps’ Micah Johnson — and the team allowed Stamps linebacker Maleki Harris to score his first career touchdown after turning the ball over and then could only watch as 21-year-old Stamps rookie Tunde Adeleke danced his way through their special teams unit for a punt-return TD.

It was early-season CFL football, in other words, and while it might have been sloppy at times, the game was endlessly entertaining.

The Stamps also got hugely encouraging performances from a couple young players who were being called upon to fill in big shoes.

Terry Williams filled in admirably for the suspended Roy Finch at kick returner, finishing with 155 yards on six returns, while Marken Michel, filling in for the injured DaVaris Daniels, scored his first career TD and ended the game with two receptions for 37 yards.

He wasn’t the only receiver to make an impression though, not by a longshot.

Kamar Jorden made up for a tough Week 1 by finishing with three receptions for 71 yards and two touchdowns and was immense in the fourth quarter, while Canadian Lemar Durant had a monster game and finished with 126 yards on six catches.

The team wants Daniels back, but the injury he suffered in Week 1 isn’t expected to keep him out for long, and the receivers who are still in the lineup showed Thursday that the Stamps have the weapons to survive without him.

daustin@postmedia.com

twitter: @dannyAustin_9