Eskimos getting better at avoiding penalties
Maas says numbers show players ‘buying in’ to message on discipline
An Edmonton Eskimos team that’s been the bad boys of the Canadian Football League all season long finally succeeded in cleaning up its act in time for the Labour Day Classic.
But it still came down to a flag on the way to a last-second field goal that made the difference in a 23-20 loss to the Calgary Stampeders on Monday.
A 10-yard penalty against coverage linebacker Chris Edwards for illegal contact on a receiver negated a Kwaku Boateng sack that would have left Calgary facing third-hand-17 from their own 25 yard-line in the final minute with the score tied 20-20.
Instead, the Stampeders got a fresh set of downs on the way to the winning 43-yard field goal as time expired.
It was the second of just two accepted penalties on the game for a combined 50 yards, Edmonton’s lowest totals on a season that’s seen them flagged 103 times for 1,115 yards — both league highs. Calgary committed four penalties for 51 yards.
“Two penalties against four for them, that’s huge improvement from what we had been doing,” said coach Jason Maas, whose squad was giving up a full 110-yard football field each game at one point in the season.
“Obviously, it gave us a chance to win a game at the end of the day. Had we been what we normally are, which is about 9.4 (penalties), that probably doesn’t happen.
“So our guys are taking a step in the right direction and we’ve been trending that way for the last four or five games. There was one game where we were above that, but all the rest were below nine. So that’s telling me that guys are buying in and guys are doing the right things and, ultimately, when you play a team like Calgary, you don’t want to hurt yourself. The penalties were one thing, the turnovers were an entirely different thing.”
The Eskimos gave the ball away three times compared to just one by Calgary, but still managed to come out on top, 7-6, in points scored off of turnovers.
Edwards, who has been vilified by fans who see him as leading the way in Edmonton’s penalty plague, forced a fumble that resulted in a two-yard touchdown by C.J. Gable on the way to a four-point lead at halftime.
But it was the three points that resulted from the penalty that made the difference in the end.
“It’s a lot of stuff in the game that made the difference, so I don’t really think it was the penalty too much,” Edwards said.
“But it is what it is. It was a judgment call. I didn’t like the call too much because the quarterback was already sacked. There ain’t no turning back.”
Edwards has been referred to by Maas as the most improved player on the roster when it comes to the penalty department in Edmonton, following a bit of a run to start the year where you could count on him on to take at least one 15-yard major per game.
While he’s been able to turn things around, he said a bad run like that can lead to a player getting a bad rap when it comes to officiating.
“I think that’s what it is,” said Edwards. “It’s not like infractions weren’t taking place out on the field, but players were allowed to get away with some things.
“That’s what was shocking to me,” Edwards said.
As for Edwards’ job? “I’ve just got to play week in, week out how I do. I ain’t going to change how I play,” said the linebacker who took over the role held by Kenny Ladler last season.