Statistics are not usually a barometer football fans associate with the offensive line, but check this one out:
- The Eskimos’ O-line has allowed only one quarterback sack during the first six games of the CFL season.
That’s amazing stuff.
If the Eskimos were to maintain something close to that pace for the rest of the season with an offensive line that has altered its alignment each of the last four games, it would be akin to some of the most incredible accomplishments in sports history:
- The Oilers’ Wayne Gretzky scoring 50 goals in 39 games in 1981.
- Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees getting a hit in a Major League Baseball-record 56 consecutive games in 1941.
- Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors becoming the only NBA player to ever score 100 points in a single game in 1962.
Yes, it is only six games, and there’s still two-thirds of the season to play. But the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Saskatchewan Roughriders already have nine sacks allowed – tied for the second-fewest in the league – while the BC Lions have surrendered a CFL-high 25.
The Calgary Stampeders’ 20 sacks allowed in 2016 represents the best O-line performance in the previous 15 years while the fewest sacks the Eskimos have allowed during that time is 29, when they led the league in 2017 and also in 2009.
“It’s cool,” admitted Eskimos centre David Beard. “It’s neat. It’s an accomplishment so far, but we’re looking for a lot more than one in six.
“We’ve been doing a good job overall,” he continued. “There’s not one position group on any team in this whole league that’s perfect. And we know that we’re just the same as everyone else. We’re not perfect.
“We’re happy with the progress that we’ve made and the performance that we’ve had, but we know there’s lots left in this season. We can still improve plenty.”
Beard said the O-line’s impressive start this season could be “a distraction” if the players allow it to be one.
“We can’t focus on it if we want to achieve it,” he said about preventing opponents from sacking quarterback Trevor Harris. “If we’re going to try to achieve to be the best offensive line in this league, then we can’t focus on the numbers. We just need to focus on our guys each and every play.
“It’s cool to think about in your free time or when you’re not at work time,” he added. “Then it’s cool. But if we’re working, if we want to be successful, we can’t really focus on that stuff.”
The only time Harris has been sacked this season was on the second-last play of the first half at Winnipeg on June 27.
Harris has since played 3-1/2 games behind an offensive line that is still missing all-star American left tackle SirVincent Rogers (signed as a free agent during the off-season), has only been able to play massive former all-star American guard Travis Bond (six-foot-seven, 356 pounds) on two occasions due to the national/American roster ratio issues, and lost six-foot-11 national all-star guard Matt O’Donnell to an injury three games ago.
“We’re happy with it, it’s a good start, but we’ve got a long way to go,” Asst. Head Coach and Offensive Line Coach Mike Gibson said about the play of his group. “Of course, you’ll take it. The quarterback has helped us. He’s got away from some things, some hits and so forth. He gets rid of the ball fast.
“But they’re doing a good job,” Gibson said about the O-linemen. “They’re working hard. They’re all on the same page. That’s the key thing.”
Beard said there was “a learning curve” at the start of the season “to get in the swing of things with Trevor.”
“But Trevor is a great quarterback,” Beard added. “He’s proven it this year and in years past. He gets rid of the ball a little bit quicker, and he’s a proven starter and a guy who’s ready to lead the team.”
Meanwhile, the O-line has been evolving all season. When Rogers suffered a torn tricep muscle and required surgery during training camp, the Eskimos simply inserted Tommie Draheim at left tackle. Draheim, 30, broke his thumb in the 2018 season-opener at Winnipeg and returned to the lineup in time to play the final three games of the regular season.
“There’s a reason why he started at the beginning of last year,” Gibson said about the fourth-year CFL veteran. “Tommie’s a proven starter in this league, so we’re very fortunate to have him.
“Obviously, SV is an all-star player, and we can’t wait to get him back. But we expected Tommie to do a good job and he’s done just that.”
Jacob Ruby, 26, a former first-round draft pick of the Montreal Alouettes in 2015, has started at left guard in five of the six games this year. He was mostly a backup last season, making only two starts.
Beard, 26, a second-round draft pick from the University of Alberta in 2015, has also transitioned from being a part-time player at guard to the starting centre late last season.
Since O’Donnell, 30, was hurt, the Eskimos have started 2019 second-round draft pick Kyle Saxelid, 24, at right guard against the Montreal Alouettes and Bond, 28, last week against Toronto.
“He’s going to be a very good football player for a long time in this league,” Gibson said about Saxelid, who grew up in the United States but counts as a national player because his mother was born in New Brunswick.
“He’s athletic; he’s long,” Gibson continued. “It’s the first time he’s played, guard. He’s a tackle. Now we’re getting him at guard. He just needs live reps (repetitions) against different people. He’s going to be fine. He’ll be a guy who starts for a long time and will do very well in this league.”
The Eskimos have played with three national O-linemen in the starting lineup on four occasions this year, but will be going with three American linemen – Draheim, Bond and right tackle Colin Kelly – for a third time during Saturday’s 5 p.m. contest against the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium.
“We play with whomever we have, and we don’t expect to change how things go,” Beard said.
Besides Draheim and Bond (one game at left guard, one game at right guard), Kelly, 29, has played every game at right tackle this year.
“A lot of changes in there,” Gibson admitted about the O-line this season. “Those five guys are working together with C.J. (Gable, the starting running back) and the add-ins (fullback or tight ends for blocking purposes) as far as making sure that we pick up more pressure and things like that.
”We’ve just got to keep working and whoever they tell us is on (the game roster) is on, and those (players) accept it, and we get ready for the next one.”
It’s not just protecting the quarterback that the O-line has excelled at. The Eskimos already have had three individual 100-yard rushing games (two by Gable and one last week by Shaq Cooper), a 447-yard passing game plus four contests with more than 400 yards of net offence.