There’s nothing like a good old fashioned butt-kicking to get the fans back on your side after crapping the bed in the season opener. Eskimos fans are loving their team now thanks to a dominant first half that saw Edmonton rack up 36 points en route to a 46-17 lambasting of the undefeated Ottawa Redblacks.
But that love isn’t really love at all, but rather a collective sigh of relief from a fan base wondering if the season could be salvaged after a single game.
Despite the high temperatures in the city, you’d think the Edmonton Eskimo Empire was on the icy planet of Hoth heading into the season opener against Ottawa at Commonwealth Stadium. Too many questions surrounded Matt Nichols as the Eskimos’ starter for the next 12 weeks.
Did fans have a right to be concerned? Absolutely. Nichols’ lack of productivity as an starter was well documented – in fact it was gone over with a fine-toothed comb by the Empire faithful.
So Nichols knew there were no more excuses. His time was now, or his time was over at the end of this season.
Nichols didn’t just bring it; he packaged it and delivered it with a three-touchdown performance that had his haters wondering “who is this guy?”
He completed 12 of 21 passes for 212 yards and had a rating of 119.6. The only blemish on his passing record was on a counter flip play, when Nichols flicked the ball into the hands of Redblacks defensive end Zach Evans, who rumbled, stumbled and bumbled his way into the Eskimo end zone for a pick six.
Evans will surely embellish the story after he retires and who can blame him? Sixty-six yards is a long way to go for a defensive lineman, especially for your first CFL touchdown. As for Nichols, he’d prefer a different ending.
Nichols didn’t see Evans who slid off his block into the passing lane. When asked about the play on local radio, Eskimo Head Coach Chris Jones said, “Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, that lineman wouldn’t be there.”
It would have been the turning point if Nichols hadn’t shaken it off before his next offensive series. Momentum seemed to be shifting to the Redblacks who finally scored with over three minutes left in the first half.
On the following possession, faced with 2nd and 8, Nichols tossed a dart down the middle to Adarius Bowman for a 51-yard gain. That single play should silence the critics for the time being; Nichols is the starter now and the haters will have to get over it.
Nichols’ game wasn’t perfect by any stretch, and won’t be winning any awards for that performance, but he got the job done. It was a much-needed blue collar effort in front of a home crowd who needed to be convinced he’s the guy to lead this team until Mike Reilly returns. Nichols was pulled in the fourth quarter to give James Franklin some game experience.
With the cloud of uncertainty gone on Monday morning, the Eskimos took to the practice field, preparing to take on the same Redblacks in Ottawa at TD Place Stadium for a Friday night rematch. The team had a light hour-long practice Monday, but will ramp up the intensity Tuesday and Wednesday with two and a half hour sessions before hitting the road on Thursday.
In the meantime, the Eskimos and their fans can breathe easy for now.
