There are times when Mike (Shaken, not Stirred) Reilly must close his eyes and fantasize that he’s James Bond visiting Q, the gizmos and gadgets genius of the British Secret Service, to stock up on the absolute latest in cutting-edge spy tech.

Instead of a Walther PPK 7.655, though, Agent Reilly’s issued Brandon Zylstyra.

Instead of the rocket pack from Thunderball, the return of Derel Walker.

Instead of the briefcase outfitted with infrared telescope, tear gas and projectile knives featured prominently in To Russia With Love, he gets Adarius Bowman.

“They do,’’ agrees Calgary Stampeders’ defensive backs coach Kahlil Carter, “possess a lot of weapons that can hurt you.

“What a lot of teams did in the off-season was revamp their receiving corps. They saw the success that Ottawa had with their four 1,000-yard receivers during the season and then against us in the Grey Cup.

“So Saskatchewan re-tooled. Montreal. Edmonton, too. The emergence of Zylstra has given (the Eskimos) a third option and maybe a fourth or fifth if you’re talking about (Vidal) Hazelton and (Bryant) Mitchell, too.

“Hats off to those guys for the personnel work they’ve done, the coaching has been phenomenal and Mike Reilly is playing his best football since I’ve been watching him.

“So we do have our challenges but our core group has stayed together, they know how to win.

“I have total faith in our guys. Complete trust.

“I liken us to Ottawa’s team two years ago. They went to the Grey Cup, lost, then came into last season with a hunger, and won.

“That’s the Calgary Stampeders this year.”

Campbell tips the ball away from Williams during the 2017 Labour Day Classic (Photo by Dale MacMillan)

Edmonton’s deep, explosive receiving corps  vs. the CFL’s flat-out best secondary umbrella – Ciante Evans, Jamar Wall, Joshua Bell, Brandon Smith and Tommie Campbell – shapes up as one of the table-tippers in the upcoming West final’s tale of the tape.

“Like Ali-Frazier, right?’ interjects cornerback Campbell, with a wink.

Of a fashion, yes. The Stampeders allowed the fewest passing yards, 254.6 per game. Reilly, meanwhile, led the league in aerial assault at 5,830 yards passing and the breakout Zylstra won the receiving-yards race, with 1,687.

Meaning that come Sunday, as the shadows begin to length around McMahon Stadium, something’s gotta give.

“Oh man, we like it. We love it,’’ coos safety Bell. “I’d say this is the best receiving corps in the CFL – outside of the Calgary Stampeders.

“Those guys do a great job. They get to where they need to be, they’re fast, make plays, got a great guy throw ’em the ball. But we’ll take our super-powers and put ’em to work against those guys.

“We all have a particular set of skills. We will find you. We will defeat you. As a unit. That’s what we do best: As a unit. Right now our special shine is Ciante Evans. He is the ball-hawk.

“We have the same formula every week  – stop the deep ball, keep a top on the defence, don’t allow them big chunks and if they do get the ball, hit ’em. It’s that simple.

“Communicate, fly around, put a smile on our faces and win football games.”

After being largely ignored at all-star voting time, Evans wound up as their lone divisional selection, the Stampeder secondary believes, to a man, there’s a point to re-prove.

“I definitely think we have the best group in the league,’’ says Campbell without hesitation. “Our numbers speak for themselves. As a defensive back, this is the type of game you want to play in. I feel – and I think everybody else in our secondary believes the same – you’re judged by the plays you make against great receivers.

“Some teams don’t have top-echelon receivers like they do. People remember what you do in big games against big-time players.

Evans earned his second consecutive West all-star nod this season (Photo by Rob McMorris)

Bowman wasn’t healthy but he’s been picking his play up the last few weeks, looks close to being the same Adarius from last year. Zylstra’s been great. And Walker’s a good receiver, as well.

“I don’t get a lot of balls thrown my way but Mike Reilly, he keeps me honest. Last game threw two deep balls on me.”

A larcenous grin.

“Almost intercepted both of them.”

In Carter’s mind, depth is only one out the factors that makes Sunday’s task so complicated.

“They’re so difficult to play against because they have receivers who are similar. All 6-3. All over 200 pounds. They can all run great individual man-beating routes and conceptually they’ve been able to to some things to give Mike Reilly a window to throw the football.

“With that size, that skill and that quarterback, they are a phenomenal unit.”

As, it bears repeating, is Calgary’s secondary.

So stand back and let the horses run.

“We maybe don’t have as many all-stars as last year,’’ reasoned Wall, “but that’s neither here nor there. This is today. We’ve got a bit of chip on our shoulder right now. We’re underdogs. Of course we don’t like that. We’re not used to it. But that’s all right. We’ll deal with it.

“A lot of teams have one or two good receivers. They’ve got a lot. A lot. A couple on the bench they can slot in and beat you.

“When you’re facing that, you need to bring your ‘A’ game. We believe we’re the best secondary in the league.

“We believe we’re the best team in the league.

“So there’s only one thing to do: Go out and prove it.”