August 18, 2011
Dave Campbell
ESKS.com
The first five weeks of the 2011 CFL season were an absolute delight for fans of the Edmonton Eskimos. The team raced out to their first 5-0 start since 1980, first place in the West Division and the best record in the Canadian Football League. The Eskimos offensively had the top rated quarterback in Ricky Ray, the league’s best receiver in Fred Stamps, and the CFL’s top rushing attack.
The Esks captured their fifth win of season on July 29th, a 26-25 win over the Toronto Argonauts from Commonwealth Stadium. Despite the win, warning signs started to emerge. The defense had problems in stopping the run. They allowed 17 points in one half of football, unusual for a Rich Stubler (defensive coordinator) coached defense. Offensively, their once potent rushing attack started to stall; the offensive line couldn’t protect Ricky Ray with the same success compared to earlier in the season.
The Eskimos suffered their first loss in Winnipeg two weeks ago losing 28-16. Then rock bottom hit for the green and gold a week later losing 27-4 to the Montreal Alouettes.
Nobody expected the Eskimos to go 18-0 this season, but some concerning trends have started to creep in. In the last six quarters, the Eskimos have been outscored 43-6. The rushing attack was held to a measly total of minus one yard. After giving up just six sacks in their first five games, the team has surrendered 10 sacks in their last two games. It caused General Manager Eric Tillman to say in an interview on 630 CHED’s Inside Sports that his O-line was “worse than abysmal.” Adding “It was like water going through a screen door.” Ouch!
Tillman suggested there would be two to three changes on the offensive line for this Friday’s game vs. the BC Lions at Commonwealth Stadium. This week the Eskimos released left tackle Cliff Washburn and brought in imports Devin Tyler and Chris Patrick. Tyler is expected to start at left tackle while Patrick will be on the roster.
Injuries have reared their ugly head again and have affected the receiving corps. Slotback Jason Barnes suffered fractured ribs while wide receiver Marcus Henry won’t play because of a concussion.
When Ricky Ray looked down the sidelines at practice this week, he saw Fred Stamps (out four weeks with an abdominal injury), Henry, and Barnes sitting out. Adarius Bowman (cracked ribs) practiced but won’t play until Labour Day in Calgary. Have you done the correct math? That’s Ray’s four top receivers out of the lineup for this week. Ray will have to settle for the likes of Prechae Rodriguez, Dobson Collins, and Ryan Grice-Mullen to throw to. All with CFL experience which softens the blow of losing four top receivers a little bit. All of the sudden a once potent attack has been felled by poor execution and the injury bug.
“These last couple weeks, not playing like we want to and then having all the injuries that we’ve had,” Ray said. “When you need to execute better, the last thing you want to do is have to bring in new guys to do that, but that’s the hand we’re dealt with right now. I think the new guys have done a really good job coming in. They’re CFL veterans, they’re up to speed and we just have to go out and play better.”
The offensive playbook will be scaled back some. The running game needs to get back on track or else Ray will once again be fed a steady diet of second and long and defensive lineman who will just pin their ears back.
The one area of the team that may give them some solid hope is the play of the defense which held Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo to less than 300 yards passing and two touchdown passes. The defense forced the Alouettes to score the rest of their points of the foot of kicker Sean Whyte.
Head Coach Kavis Reed is treating this week as a one-game season, a Grey Cup type scenario. Lose to the Lions and the Eskimos will have over two weeks to chew on a three-game losing streak before facing the Calgary Stampeders on Labour Day. Win with a patchwork lineup and the Eskimos will be sitting once again all alone in first place in the West with a 6-2 record.
Even an ugly win will do just fine under the circumstances.
NOTES: CFL interceptions leader Rod Williams will miss Friday’s game with a hamstring injury. Wopamo Osaisai will make his CFL debut on the corner. The Eskimos are on a six-game home winning streak and have beaten the Lions in four of their last five games. The Eskimos won 33-17 back on July 16th in their last meeting with the Lions.