Esks make statement with win over Stamps
Last time they beat provincial rival, Edmonton went on to win Grey Cup
Wins against the Calgary Stampeders come few and far between.
For everyone, that is. But especially for the one closest in proximity that’s been involved in a long-standing rivalry that has been mainly lopsided over the past 10 years.
And, more often than not, the Edmonton Eskimos find themselves on the wrong side of that Battle of Alberta’s teeter-totter.
But not on Saturday, as the Eskimos came out on top, knocking off the top team in the standings 29-20 for their fourth win in a row, but only their first against the Stampeders since 2015.
That year, the Eskimos bettered Calgary in the Labour Day rematch to kick off a run of 10 wins in a row to hoist the Grey Cup.
That stretch included three wins over the Stampeders, whom they beat in the West Division final at Commonwealth Stadium.
“This is my 10th year (in the CFL),” Adarius Bowman said. “And I guess Montreal was making a run a few years ago, but I’m pretty sure if we sat down and put all the wins down, (the Stampeders) probably have been the most dominant team in these past 10 years. The players have changed but the organization remains the same.
“I’ve been involved in this Battle of Alberta for seven years and (wins) have been hard to come by, but when they do, it’s the best feeling ever.”
One that more than a few players in the Eskimos locker-room hadn’t experienced before.
“That was my first time beating them, so that was a big accomplishment for this team,” said Brandon Zylstra, who leads the league with 1,615 receiving yards after making three catches for 101 yards and a touchdown Saturday. “I felt like we played all three phases really well tonight.
“We just want to keep this momentum going into the playoffs.”
Especially considering the Eskimos could finish anywhere from second to fourth in the standings, depending how next weekend’s regular-season finale plays out across the league.
“I think it depends on Winnipeg’s next game, but we could either host a playoff game, or we could cross over or do something in between,” said Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly, who leads the league with 5,536 passing yards after completing 18 of 27 for 284 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions Saturday. “So, there’s a lot up in the air right now about that but we’re going to celebrate this one for at least one night.”
As short-lived as it was, the feeling of actually beating Calgary never gets tiring.
“It’s cool, I feel pretty good about it,” Odell Willis said. “At the end of the day, it’s all about the Grey Cup. If we don’t win the Grey Cup or Calgary doesn’t win the Grey Cup, it really doesn’t matter.
“I’m just happy I’m able to put four or five Ls on Bo Levi (Mitchell)'s record. Nobody else has done that. I’ve beaten Bo Levi
I’ve been involved in this Battle of Alberta for seven years and (wins) have been hard to come by, but when they do, it’s the best feeling ever
more than anybody in this league, except for Mike Reilly and the guys who have been here since the beginning (2013).”
In 68 CFL starts, Mitchell is 5610-2 in the regular season, and 9-3 now against Edmonton — 10-4 if you include the 2014 and '15 playoff meetings.
“We’re playing good football at the right time, and in this league, the teams playing good football at the end, nine times out of 10 are the teams that get to the Grey Cup,” Willis said. “We’re just trying to take it week by week and grind day by day.”
SALUTE SECRECY
Exactly what was with the threeand-a-half fingered salute the Eskimos receivers were celebrating touchdowns with on Saturday?
“You’re going to have to ask them, I just found out like a day or two ago,” Reilly said.
“It’s PG, it’s nothing crazy, but I’ll let them disclose it if they want.”
Apparently, we’re going to have to wait until later this week to find out.
While one theory floating around online is it looks a lot like something from The Hunger Games, as close as those in the press box could figure, it means there are now three more games between the Eskimos and what would be their second trip to the Grey Cup in three years.
“Well, that works too, I guess,” Reilly said.
“I don’t think it has anything to do with that, though.”