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Stamps beat down beleaguered Bombers

John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Calgary Stampeders won their 14th consecutive game after a bye week, letting the Winnipeg Blue Bombers get close briefly, before cruising to a comfortable 33-18 victory on Thursday.

Calgary (2-1-1) scored 19 points off turnovers, including an 33-yard interception-return touchdown by Joe Burnett with 9:31 left in the fourth quarter. Following the pick-six, the Blue Bombers (1-4) replaced starting QB Drew Willy with backup Matt Nichols, who got Winnipeg into the end zone for the first time all night with a touchdown pass to Weston Dressler and a successful two-point convert, paring the deficit to eight points.

Bo Levi Mitchell and the Stampeders coolly closed out their eighth consecutive win in Winnipeg with a clock-chewing 77-yard touchdown drive, which included a diving 33-yard reception from Bakari Grant. Simon Charbonneau-Campeau made a five-yard TD grab with 2:26 left to seal Winnipeg's third consecutive home defeat.

Mitchell was 29-for-41 for 310 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, with national receiver Anthony Parker making seven receptions for 81 yards and one TD. Rookie middle linebacker Alex Singleton, making his first CFL start in place of Taylor Reed (ankle), helped Calgary keep Winnipeg out of the red zone until midway through the final quarter.

Winnipeg did not cross Calgary's 30-yard line until their first possession of the fourth quarter.

Willy was 23-for-33 for 234 yards, but had only one completion of more than 20 yards. That was a 45-yard deep out to Darvin Adams early in the fourth quarter. However, Winnipeg stalled at Calgary's 29-yard line.

Coach Michael O'Shea unsuccessfully challenged for defensive pass interference after an incompletion, then opted to have Justin Medlock kick a field goal instead of trying a third-and-three gamble.

On top of falling farther behind in the West Division race, Winnipeg lost safety Macho Harris and cornerback Chris Randle to injuries in the first half. Right tackle Patrick Neufeld and left guard Jermarcus Hardrick also went down during the course of a frustrating loss.

Marquay McDaniel made seven receptions for 80 yards and a TD for Calgary. Rene Paredes was 2-for-2 on field goals, but was just 2-for-4 on converts, while punter Rob Maver added a 60-yard single.

Nichols was 9-for-15 for 88 yards in his relief stint for Winnipeg.

Weston Dressler made a game-high 12 receptions for 118 yards and a TD. Justin Medlock was 3-for-3 on field goals for Winnipeg and added a 59-yard single on a punt. Rookie defensive back Kevin Fogg provided a bright spot with his first CFL interception.

In the first quarter, Fred Bennett separated Dressler from the ball after a first-down reception and came up with the recovery, cancelling out a Calgary red-zone fumble. That takeaway sparked a 57-yard touchdown drive that was capped by McDaniel's 10-yard scoring catch.

That gave Mitchell 19 consecutive games with a touchdown pass, the sixth-longest streak in CFL history.

In the first minute of the second quarter, the Stampeders appeared to get away with being offside when Willy was stopped on a third-and-one try at Winnipeg's 44-yard line. Three plays later, Parker turned a hitch pass into a 29-yard touchdown.

Winnipeg visits the Edmonton Eskimos on July 28, while Calgary resumes its stretch of divisional games against the B.C. Lions on July 29.

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