The Calgary Stampeders did their part in the late-season going to try and earn a home date in the 2011 Canadian Football League playoffs.

Calgary won its final three games of the regular-season schedule, including a 30-24 decision over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at McMahon Stadium on Saturday, but the Edmonton Eskimos and BC Lions also won their Week 19 contests, which left the Stamps third in the West Divison.

The Lions, Eskimos and Stampeders all finished the season with 11-7 records but Calgary’s disadvantage in head-to-head play during the regular season relegated the Red and White to the lowest seed. That means the Stamps will have to hit the road in an attempt to get to the 99th Grey Cup, which will be played at Vancouver’s BC Place on Nov. 27. That trek begins on Sunday, Nov. 13 with a visit to Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium

The good news on that front is that the Stamps led the CFL in 2011 with a 6-3 road record. As a matter of fact, that’s as good a mark as any team in the league had on home field. Also, Calgary is a combined 22-14 away from McMahon Stadium since John Hufnagel took over as head coach and general manager in 2008.

Still . . .

“You’d rather not be on the road,” Hufnagel admitted during Sunday morning’s meeting with local media. “We’d rather be playing at McMahon Stadium, but this is the path that we deserve and it’s the path we have to take.”

Calgary’s solid road play in recent years includes fruitful visits to Commonwealth. The Stamps have four times in their five most recent visits to the Alberta capital including a 30-20 victory in this season’s Labour Day rematch. The Eskimos won both meetings at McMahon Stadium.

“I think we match up well. They have some big-time receivers in (Fred) Stamps and (Adarius) Bowman, but we have some good (defensive backs),” said linebacker Juwan Simpson. “The Eskimos had the (advantage) on us this year but I think it will be a great game. I feel like we always play well up there.

“This is playoffs now. No excuses. We’ve just got to out there and lay it all on the line.”

“It’s fun,” said quarterback Drew Tate, who is 3-0 as Calgary’s starter. “We’re in the playoffs now. This is definitely a different season. It’s not that we’re playing BC now and Saskatchewan next week and then Montreal. No. We’ve got Edmonton. Period. All of our focus and attention is on them.”

The Alberta rivals squared off three times in the season’s first 10 games, with the most recent meeting being that Sept. 9 Stamps win at Commonwealth.

“There have been little nuances that have changed,” said Hufnagel of the Eskimos, “but it’s basically the same team and the same style of defence — very athletic and fast and they’re physical up front. We’ll have our hands full.”

“I’ve got a lot of respect for them,” added Tate. “They’ve done a tremendous job against us in the three games. They’ve got workers up front on their D-line who have made it extremely hard for us to run and their linebackers are really good in space and they can run. And their (secondary) is really good. (Edmonton defensive co-ordinator Rich) Stubler has a great scheme and he uses all of those guys effectively.”

Both teams finished the season strongly. Edmonton was 4-1 in its last five games while the Stamps wound up the schedule by putting together their first three-game winning streak since August.

“The main thing we’ve got going for us right now is that we’ve got confidence,” said Tate. “This is the right time to have it.”

“I feel good,” said Hufnagel. “I think the players, with what they’ve accomplished over the last month, feel good about themselves and they know we have to get better. We’ll work to continue to get better and hopefully do some damage in the playoffs.”