Esks’ defence will face stiff challenge
Bombers’ high-octane offence averages 38.3 points this season
The Edmonton Eskimos and Winnipeg Blue Bombers, both 3-0 this still-green CFL season, are headed for a Winnipeg showdown on Thursday night, the schedule says. With any luck, this matchup of first-place teams will also be an old-fashioned CFL shootout into the bargain, an aerial circus, a classic.
Which would be fitting, since this game comes 20 years and three days after Matt Dunigan threw for 713 yards to spearhead the Bombers to a 50-35 win over the Eskimos at the late, unlamented Winnipeg Stadium.
I know, I know. Obviously, that game was unique, an all-timer, a CFL record that may never be broken. But some kind of collective nod in that direction would be encouraging for the paying public at the Bombers’ swish new stadium, no?
Even if the Eskimos’ Mike Reilly and Winnipeg’s Drew Willy throw for 700 yards combined, it would produce an entertaining show.
Sadly, Reilly hosed down the notion of the game being one gunslinging quarterback trying to outscore the other, in this case the red-hot Willy, with the Bombers averaging 38.3 points a game so far this season.
“I’ve got confidence in our defence,” said the terminally sensible Reilly. “I think our defence has shown tremendously this year that they’re able to shut down offences.
“Granted, Winnipeg is a very good team. They’re playing well, offensively and defensively. So our focus on offence every week is to try to score on every single drive.
“It doesn’t change, no matter who we’re playing against. That’s still the mindset this week. Hopefully, we’re able to come out hot early and put some points on the board and have them playing catch-up.”
Winnipeg’s balanced, high-octane offence versus Edmonton’s aggressive, ballhawking defence is as good a way to frame the game as any.
The statistical snapshots are revealing. The Bombers lead the CFL in points scored with 115; most TDs, with 10; and most rushing TDs, with five. Toss in most kickoff return yards (418) and most field goals (seven, tied with Toronto and Montreal) and you begin to get the picture.
Willy and his corps of receivers have combined for 890 net passing yards, second only to the Argonauts’ Ricky Ray (1,053 yards). Curiously, the Bombers average 83 yards rushing per game is 11 yards per game less than Edmonton, who have yet to manage a single rushing touchdown.
“They’ve got enough talent to come out there and compete,” said Eskimos cornerback Patrick Watkins. “I don’t think there is any situation where we can take them lightly, with them being 3-0 and being a pretty good team.
“It’s one of those points in time where we can go out and try to establish an identity and show people the type of team we are, that we can play well and consistently either at home or on the road.
“That’s the challenge, just proving to ourselves what kind of identity we’re trying to maintain.”
The numbers suggest the Eskimos defence already has an identity as an opportunistic, high-energy and stingy group.
The Eskimos defence gives up 280.6 yards of offence a game to its opponent, tops in the CFL by 20 yards. Opposing quarterbacks have completed just 56 per cent of their pass attempts against Edmonton, second-best in the CFL, behind only B.C. (55.6 per cent).
The Eskimos, led by tackle Almondo Sewell, the CFL’s defensive player of the week, are second in the CFL with 13 quarterback sacks. Sewell’s five sacks leads the league in that category, individually.
Oh, and the Eskimos lead the league in interceptions, with eight, which helps explain why they are a stunning plus-nine this season in the giveaway-takeaway ratio. Calgary and Montreal are tied for a distant second with a plus-two. How’s that for an identity?
It might also be the fact Edmonton’s defence, supervised by head coach Chris Jones, a longtime defensive co-ordinator, remains ahead of the Eskimos’ offence in terms of execution, game-by-game.
Which is fine with Reilly, who didn’t refute the suggestion. “We have a really good defence,” he said. “It’s hard to keep up with a defence like that.
“I think, offensively, we’ve held our own and done what was needed to be done to win a football game. To be quite honest with you, that’s all that we care about.
“Whether we’re putting up 100 points or putting up one point more than the other team, it’s a win and we’ll take it. But, yeah, we definitely want to be more effective offensively through all four quarters.
“We saw a good second half last week and it would be nice to put together two halves like that for a game. But the reality is you’ve got to do whatever it is to win the football game, and we’ve managed to do that so far.”
J.C. Sherritt is champing at the bit to return to the lineup.
But, first, he has to prove to Edmonton Eskimos head coach Chris Jones that he’s healthy.
Sherritt, the CFL’s most outstanding defensive player in 2012, has missed two of the Eskimos’ first three games with a lingering foot injury.
“Things are definitely progressing. It was good to be back out here,” he said Tuesday at Commonwealth Stadium after making his first appearance at practice this week.
“We’re evaluating it every day, because it’s getting better every day. Of course, I’m going to push (to play) for this week and, hopefully, I can get out there.
“It’s one of the most fun defences I’ve played on. It’s just been so much fun to go out and make plays and play loose and play fast and win.”
Jones, however, isn’t about to rush Sherritt back on the field, not with the Eskimos defence playing as well as it is.
“It was good to have him back out here in pads and testing that injury out, seeing if he is going to be OK to go soon,” Jones said after Tuesday’s workout.
“I don’t want to put him back out there until I know he’s completely well.”
Sherritt, 26, a fourth-year veteran, made four tackles in his only game this season. He played against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on July 4.
“It’s been tough (sitting out games and practices), but we’re 3-0 so those guys have stepped up and played great,” he said. “It’s been awesome to see the maturity level of our rookies. They’ve done a great job and Rennie (Curran, the middle linebacker) has done a great job of leading out there.”
Sewell is defensive player of the week
Eskimos defensive tackle Almondo Sewell was named the CFL defensive player of the week for the first time in his four-year career after last week’s impressive performance against the Ottawa Redblacks.
Sewell had three quarterback sacks, four defensive tackles and one special teams tackle.
“It feels good, but it’s a long season,” Sewell said. “After the game, enjoy it a little bit, but after that, it starts all over again.”
It should be noted that the Eskimos have had a player get three sacks each of the last two games.
Defensive end Odell Willis dropped the QB three times the previous week.
Of note
Offensive lineman Justin Sorenson, who hurt his knee during training camp, was pulled off the six-game injured list and will replace Adam Baboulas as the backup centre in Thursday’s road game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Baboulas goes on the one-game injured list. The Eskimos added defensive back Alonzo Lawrence to the practice roster earlier this week. Lawrence, 24, played 13 games with the Toronto Argonauts last year. Linebacker Eric Samuels said a player has to be versatile in the Eskimos defence “so I write down notes for all the other positions as well, because you never know. You just have to have an overall concept of the defence and know what the other guy has to do just in case he goes down and you have to go to that position.”