Nov 27, 2017
Stamps' Jorden: 'I cost this team the game'
Kamar Jorden's fumble in the waning minutes of the Sunday's 105th Grey Cup will be a major talking point of the Calgary Stampeders' off-season after the team suffered their second straight upset in the championship game.
TSN.ca Staff
Kamar Jorden's fumble in the waning minutes of the Sunday's 105th Grey Cup will be a major talking point of the Calgary Stampeders' off-season after the team suffered their second straight upset in the championship game.
Jordan fumbled the ball on the Argos' four-yard line with the Stampeder up by eight with less than five minutes to play. Argonauts defender Cassius Vaughn scooped up the loose ball and returned it 109 yards for a touchdown. Toronto would tie the game on a successful two-point conversion and win the game with a field goal four minutes later.
“The fumble was a big-time fumble. I cost this team the game,” Jorden said. “Whatever good I did in that game doesn’t really count when you make a play like that. That’s the biggest moment. I let my team down, and I’ll deal with the consequences.”
Jorden, 28, was the Stampeders' leading receiver on Sunday, posting 117 yards and a touchdown on six receptions. He took responsibility for the mistake, admitting he tried to do much while the Stampeders were already leading.
“In a play like that in that position of the field, I just have to be smart with the ball,” said Jorden. “I should have had two hands on it, and I let it get away from me, and you guys saw what happened. In weather like that and conditions like that, you have to keep the ball to keep your team in a position to win the game. I didn’t do that, it’s simple - just like that. It hurts man. It sucks.”
Fellow receiver Marquay McDaniel, who posted eight catches for 46 yards against the Argonauts, did not appear ready to forgive Jorden.
“It’s a stupid play,” McDaniel said. “You can talk all you want about doing this, doing that, but it’s a dumb play.
"Stupid football lost this game and offensively, we left our defence out to dry."
After his comments drew criticism, McDaniel took to Twitter to argue he was talking in general and not just about Jorden's play.
"Y'all too sensitive on twitter lol. I never blamed anyone for the loss," McDaniel posted. "Didn't throw anyone under the bus. If I fumbled I would've said it was stupid football."
Stampeders quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell offered his support for Jorden, pointing to the Stampeders having the ball in the game's final minute, their drive ending when Mitchell was intercepted in the endzone.
“I think (Jorden) had a hell of a game. I think he balled out all game and was locked in,” Mitchell said, per the Calgary Sun. “It was one bad play. I know he’ll kick himself for it, but we love him and it’s not on that one play. We had a chance to win the game at the end of the game.”