No Hollywood ending this game, just fade to black. No heroic comeback, no diving tackle to save the game and no last second field goal. Just a jaw dropping collapse followed by blackness for the Eskimos and their fans. How could this be? For the first thirty-five minutes a beat down and then the Edmonton Eskimos took their collective feet off the gas against the Hamilton Tiger Cats. The turning point: a momentum shifting defensive pass interference call that seem give the Cats life and send the Eskimos spinning.
Edmonton Defence Fades to Black
Starting Fast
In the first quarter Mike Reilly and the Esks offense was superb with Reilly completing six passes in a row, running once and throwing for the games first touchdown. Reilly spread the ball around to Natey Adjei, Adrius Bowman, Derel Walker and Cory Watson. The Eskimos started fast and took an early lead for the first time this season, up 7-3 with over eight minutes to go in the quarter.
The defence looked good too, knocking down passes, making sure tackles and getting some pressure. As the defence held, the Edmonton offence continued to move the ball, with Bowman and Walker catches leading to a Sean Whyte field goal to increase the Esks’ lead to 10-3. They looked to own the both sides of the ball and special teams in the first quarter, as well as the time of possession.
Keep It Rolling
As the game settled in it became clear that the Eskimos were going to a short inside passing and run game in the second quarter. Reilly used John White, Bowman and Walker to chip their way down the field. They got great field position from an illegal punt out of bounds that set the Esks up at their own 42 yard line. Nine plays later, Reilly hit Walker for a 22 yard touchdown pass and the Esks were up 17-3 with 6:51 left in the half.
After a series of negative plays for the Ti-Cats more bad news as Edmonton punt returner Kenzel Doe gave the offense great field position on the Hamilton 35. Bowman catches two, Walkers collects one, and two plays to White later, a rushing touchdown put Edmonton up 24-3. Rolling into the half, the Eskimos had an almost nine minute time of position advantage, Reilly was 21 of 25 and 282 yards, and the score was 24-6.
The Worm Turns
The second half opened with the Esks marching from their own 30, mixing short passing and deeper receptions to Watson and two to Walker. A 10 yard touchdown pass to Bowman put the Esks firmly in the lead 31-6 after the Whyte convert. Then it happened: Edmonton shifted to zone coverage. This allowed former Eskimo Jeremiah Masoli to make six completions in a row, mostly in front Esk defenders and one over the top to Terrence Toliver on Cord Parks to reduce the Esks lead to 31-13.
On the series just after the touchdown, the Ticats defence turned the heat up. Quinton Pointer came on a delay blitz to make a hellacious hit, leading with the crown of his helmet under Reilly’s chin. It seems quarterback protection needs more scrutiny if the CFL wants to prevent its stars from standing on the sidelines rather than being on the field.
The absolute turning point of the game came after Brandon Banks set-up the Ticats on the Edmonton 54 yard line. Masoli continued to throw the underneath passes with success and then threw to Chad Owens in the end zone with good coverage from Marcel Young, who had inside position. While the ball sailed four or five feet over both their heads, Owens hit the deck like a soccer star, drawing a late controversial flag for defensive pass interference. This completed a momentum shift that the Esks would not overcome as Jeff Mathews plunged in to reduce the deficit to 31-20.
Esks Defensive Fold
The pass interference and hits on Reilly were not the reason why the Esks lost; that’s squarely on the Esks defense. When a defence plays to keep everything in front of itself and then they can’t tackle, they are going to give up points. That’s what started in the third quarter and continued all the way through the fourth quarter. It really wasn’t that the Ticats were that good, it really was that the Esks defense was that bad, folding like a cheap tent.
With 2:03 in the third quarter Masoli moved the ball finding hole after hole in the Edmonton defensive scheme. Luke Tasker, Andy Fantuz, and Tolliver racked up yards after the catch with the Esks defense giving up huge cushions and then failing to wrap up. The entire secondary was equally bad in the second half, whether veterans like Pat Watkins and Young or newbies Cord Parks and Solomon Means. Masoli avoided pressure, delivering a strike to Fantuz for a 23 yard touchdown. With 14:04 left in the fourth quarter, Edmonton was still up 31-26, but needed to make plays to swing momentum back.
Good Teams Finish
The offence still did not rally. Then the Edmonton defense folded yet again on a 34 yard crossing route to Banks and a subsequent toss over top of Young to Fantuz to put the Cats in the lead 34-31. The Cats followed up with another field goal to make it 37-31 with 3:26 left in the fourth.
To this point in the season the Eskimos have found ways to strike back, as they did against the Riders last home game or the Redbalcks the previous home game. In both of those games, the made late drives to hit field goals and put all the pressure squarely on their opposition. The Esks marched again with Chris Getzlaf, Walker, Bowman and White all getting in on the drive, but then uncharacteristically loaded the gun, pointed at their feet and pulled the trigger. Allowing penalties and sacks to put them in a 2nd and 27 position, the drive ended with a Reilly sack and fumble. Fade to black.
While the Esks are sitting on a 2-2 record, their defence is as bad right now as the Riders and the Bombers; they are clearly in the bottom third of the CFL. Aaron Grymes is still rumored to be on his way; will he be enough or will Edmonton need to make a major scheme in mid-season? Right now it’s clear changes have to be made on the defensive side before the whole season fades to black.
Main Photo:
