Don’t jinx it: Calgary Stampeders staying quiet on Vernon Adams Jr.’s interception-less start

Photo courtesy: Calgary Stampeders.

You don’t talk about a pitcher’s perfect game before it’s over, but what about a quarterback’s perfect season?

Discussing that is almost as verboten, at least according to the currently unblemished Vernon Adams Jr.

“Oh my,” the 33-year-old mock-gasped when asked about his current interception-less run this week, shaking his head. “That is one of those things.”

Through five games this season, Adams has completed 96-of-145 passes (66.2 percent) for 1,399 yards. More importantly, the Calgary Stampeders’ star pivot has thrown 14 touchdowns without a single interception. According to CFL Stats, that is just three majors short of the league’s all-time longest unbroken touchdown streak to start a season, set at 17 by Ricky Ray in 2013.

“Probably best not to talk about it,” head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson chuckled when speaking to the media. “Some years, you throw a perfect pass and the receiver, it goes right off their hands, and you give up an interception. In other years or other games, you probably have some turnover-worthy throws, and the DBs don’t make the catches.”

Adams agrees that luck has something to do with his unlikely streak, though he also insists his teammates have played a role. He believes there have been multiple plays this season that should have resulted in a pick, but where he’s been bailed out by his receivers.

“I can’t take a lot of credit for that. After every game, your coach gives you an evaluation, and there have been games where I had turnover-worthy plays. It could have been an interception, but my receiver probably knocked it out of his hand or something like that,” he explained. “I give a lot of credit to those guys, too. I think I am doing a better job not throwing it into too many people — we would call it a team meeting back there, one versus two or three guys. But, like I said, my receivers are helping me out as well.”

The advanced stats seem to bear that out. While Adams’ lack of interceptions has him starting to gain buzz in the early Most Outstanding Player race, analytics firm ProFootballFocus has him with a passing grade of 70.4 — eighth among quarterbacks who have started a game in 2026. The company credits him with the second-most big-time throws in the CFL, but also the second-most turnover-worthy plays.

With 11 plays in each category, Adams trails only Toronto’s Chad Kelly in terms of the volatility of his performance. The difference is, the bounces have not gone Kelly’s way, and he leads the CFL with eight interceptions.

However, trying to dismiss Big Play VA’s hot start as purely a statistical anomaly is equally foolish. As he has proven with performances like the one he posted against Kelly’s Argonauts, Adams needs no additional help to rip apart a defence.

“I think one of the best things he’s done this year is he continually competes and battles and uses his legs and gets better as the game goes on. Those are all important,” Dickenson said.

This week, Adams has a chance to prove his prowess against an elite opponent, one which got the better of him last week. Calgary fell 37-30 to the Montreal Alouettes, as VA threw for 272 yards and three touchdowns.

They host the rematch on Saturday, and Dickenson knows that his QB’s unlikely streak will be tested. Still, he believes that first inevitable blemish won’t prove fatal.

“Montreal does cause a lot of confusion on defence, and we want to have good vision, and we want to make sure we’re making good decisions,” he said. “If they do force a turnover and you take an interception, you’ve just got to learn from it and try to limit it, and not dwell on it. He’s done a nice job of that.”

The Calgary Stampeders (2-3) will host the Montreal Alouettes (4-1) at McMahon Stadium on Saturday, July 18, with kickoff scheduled for 4:00 p.m. EDT. The two teams met at Percival Molson Stadium this past week, where the Alouettes won 37-30.

The weather forecast in Calgary calls for a high of 27 degrees and a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on TSN 690 (English) or 99.5 Montreal (French) in Montreal or 770 CHQR in Calgary.

J.C. Abbott is a University of British Columbia graduate and high school football coach. He covers the CFL, B.C. Lions, CFL Draft and the three-down league’s Global initiative.