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Features July 16, 2025

New-Look D-Line Putting In Work

Despite a reconstructed defensive line for the Stampeders entering the 2025 campaign, the men in the trenches have come to play so far this season.

Not only are all the starters new, so is defensive line coach John Bowman, who joined Dave Dickenson’s staff last December.

Through five games, the unit has helped make up a defence that leads the league in points allowed per game with 16.6 and touchdowns allowed with 5.

Although there is still lots of season left to play, Bowman likes what he’s seen from this promising group.

“It’s a long way to go but I like that we’re relentless,” he said. “This is still early, we have fresh bodies, when September hits and the mornings are shorter, we are going to see who continues to bring it. Right now, we are starting good, we’ve just got to keep it up.”

Following potentially their best game of the season against the Roughriders last weekend, the Stamps new and improved d-line only gave up 16 yards on the ground, including limiting the -at the time- leading rusher A.J. Ouellette to just nine yards.

The former CFL legend says the performance is just the tip of the iceberg for his group.

“It was just a little bit of what we can be,” he explained. “I like this group because it’s not about stars. (Folarin Orimolade) was well known but he’s a hard worker. The other guys are hard workers, and they run to the ball and that’s the way we’ve got to be.

“We don’t care what anyone says, we’ve just got to work.”

Sacks haven’t come to the line as easily so far with just six total through five games, and three of them coming from their last outing in Regina, but that doesn’t mean the Red and White aren’t disrupting plays from the trenches.

“I don’t care about sacks,” claimed Bowman. “I care about quarterback effectiveness. From the first game on minus Ottawa which was a different game, we probably lead the league in pressures and we’re affecting the quarterback. We also rush three a lot of times so once guys get sacks out of their heads, because we can’t control it anyway, I tell the guys your best pass rush the quarterback is probably going to throw the ball away. We just work, affect the QB, get to the pocket and make him uncomfortable.”

Despite the line and the coach being new to the team this year, Bowman says there is some benefit to a fresh slate.

“It didn’t hurt,” he said. “It was guys wanting to earn spots and being hungry coming into camp. Here the guys are buying into what I’m saying, I’m not too far removed from the game. The guys can look at my film and be like, ‘Okay, he knows what he is talking about.’

“Everyone came in humble, you’ve got a guy like Flo who is the star of the group and he’s a humble, hard worker, everyone else just falls in line.”

The Stampeders have yet another clash at the top of the West standings this week as they take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for a second time in three weeks, with this contest set in Manitoba. The last time these two teams squared off it was a 37-16 drubbing by the Stampeders at home. Bowman says they just have to remain consistent.

“We’ve got to stick to the game plan,” said Bowman. “No one tries to be a hero; everyone does their 1/12th and does their thing and we will be good from there. This is game six, we’re not going to make this into the Western Final. The winner isn’t going to the Grey Cup, and the loser isn’t eliminated from the playoffs.

“We just take it for what it is and we’re going to go out there and fight hard.”

Kickoff between the Stamps (4-1) and Bombers (3-1) on Friday night goes at 6:30 p.m. MT.