Chris O’Leary
Edmonton Journal
The critics have spoken and Matt Nichols is a hit – for the most part.
The Edmonton Eskimo backup quarterback entered Sunday’s game against the Montreal Alouettes with the Esks down 20-4 and 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Three touchdown passes later, Nichols had the team in position to tie the game with no time left on the clock.
His second two-point convert attempt didn’t go his way, but the 25-year-old who’s in his third-year in the Canadian Football League had people on their feet in a game that just about everyone had written off as an easy Alouettes win.
“He came in and gave us a spark, he did a good job. That’s the type of player he is,” Eskimo slotback Fred Stamps beamed, after pulling in a pair of touchdown passes from Nichols in the rally.
“He came in and the first thing he said before he even called the play out was, ‘Let’s go, let’s go. Let’s pick it up.’ What more can you expect from your quarterback? If he puts it on the line, we’ve got to put it on the line for him.”
The chemistry between Stamps and Nichols is undeniable. Even in Nichols’ lone start this season against Calgary on Sept. 28, he managed to find Stamps for a highlight-reel touchdown. Nichols showed promise in that game, but wasn’t able to lift his team past a surging Stampeders group.
“Matt did a great job,” Eskimo starting quarterback Kerry Joseph said.
A cut to a finger on Joseph’s throwing hand opened the door for Nichols to play. When trainers couldn’t stop the bleeding, Nichols went in.
“He was out there in a no-huddle and he handled the situation well,” Joseph said. “He was there to push the ball down the field and that’s the type of offence we need to be.”
Eskimo head coach Kavis Reed said Sunday that Joseph would remain the starter, but that they liked what they saw in Nichols and have a better understanding of how to use him. Whether that means Nichols takes a larger role in Friday’s regular-season finale against Calgary remains to be seen.
Nichols also turned heads in the opposing lockerroom.
“He did a really good job,” Montreal middle linebacker Shea Emry said. “He came in, gave them some fire and made some plays with his feet.”
It was something Emry had seen before, having played college ball with Nichols at Eastern Washington University.
“That’s what he did (in college). He’s a good quarterback. Given the opportunity to play, he did a good job.”
Nichols will have to settle for a four-out-of-five star performance. There was at least one detractor in the house.
“He got lucky,” Alouettes defensive back Jerald Brown said of Nichols. “He made some throws, but he didn’t have anything to lose. At the same time, he wasn’t faced with the heat that Kerry Joseph (faced). If he felt the heat, he would have had no chance. That guy would have stood no chance. But he came in and did his job.”
