OPENER LOSES STEAM WITH NICHOLS OUT
Opportunity there for Eskimos to start season off with a bang in Winnipeg
You can’t tout a June 14 game, the earliest CFL regular season game in league history, as being one of the biggest battles of the regular season.
Not now.
Before Matt Nichols injured his knee at practice with no one near him the other day, maybe.
But with the Winnipeg starting quarterback out for six weeks and his replacement the first since Anthony Calvillo with the Las Vegas Posse to start a CFL game regular season lid-lifter straight out of college, this would deserve monster-match status only if Winnipeg were to find a way to win it, or more likely, if Edmonton found a way to lose it.
The league thought they had a barnburner to kick off the season and TSN’s new-look Thursday Night Football format. Now they’re really wishing they’d opened with Johnny Manziel and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Calgary.
This game may be significantly less compelling to a national TV audience. But I’m not sure it ought to make it any less interesting to an Edmonton fan.
If you’re, oh, say, ex-Eskimo Adarius Bowman over in Winnipeg, you’d figure you’d be telling the new guys about 2015 when Mike Reilly was lost until Labour Day with a knee injury and the Eskimos convinced each other that with great defence and great team play, they could keep Edmonton competitive until Reilly returned at quarterback and ran the table to win Edmonton’s most recent Grey Cup.
That should be the revised theme for a Blue Bombers team that matched Edmonton’s 12-6 record last year, but imploded at home in the West semifinal against the Eskimos.
Edmonton should have no trouble finding their challenge on the other side of the ball and, if they rise to it, they should return to Edmonton to open at home against Hamilton with a chance to get off to a good start.
“We’re going to go there and find out what we’re made of and what our identity is,” said J.C. Sherritt of the way the Eskimos must approach the first game of a season that culminates with the 106th Grey Cup game in Commonwealth Stadium. “You go through camp and feel confident as can be but at the end of the day, you don’t know what you’re made of or how good you are.”
The Bombers defence ranked as one of the best in the league last year and improved in the offseason with the addition of Adam Bighill returning to the league from the NFL. They’re going to be telling themselves they need to hold the Bombers in games to give the offence a chance.
The Eskimos, who have insisted through training camp that their offence is better despite the loss of 2015 and 2016 league-leading receiver Adarius Bowman and last year’s leagueleader, Brandon Zylstra. If they prove that Thursday in Winnipeg, you have to figure they not only win the game but get their train rolling down the track.
“We know this is a tough division and that you can’t come slow out of the gate and expect to win the West Division,” said Reilly.
Head coach Jason Maas wrapped up his final practice before catching the plane to Winnipeg and his re-entry as an offensive co-ordinator.
Obviously, as the head coach he’s looking for a successful launch in all three phases of the game, but to do it as offensive coordinator against the Bombers defence would set up Edmonton’s signature squad within the squad for the season.
“Their defence was good last year and they added some great pieces to it,” said Maas. “Their defensive line was very good last year, their secondary is very good and they were great at creating turnovers.”
Will Maas be bringing a new look to the offence? There was no indication in the pre-season. It was all vanilla stuff.
“Do we have tricks up our sleeve? You’ll have to wait and see,” he teased. “There’s always uncertainty going into any first game of the season. Generally every team holds stuff close to their vest during training camp and then they reveal it at that first game because no one knows.”
On with the show, this is it. And with that in mind ...
1. CALGARY — By a nose. It’s not the regular season the Stampeders have trouble with. 2. EDMONTON — Eskimos in the Grey Cup game.3. WINNIPEG — Slow start. Strong finish. 4. SASKATCHEWAN — Looked awful in pre-season. 5. B.C. — Long last season for Wally Buono.
1. TORONTO — Ricky Ray isn’t done yet. 2. HAMILTON — Johnny Manziel isn’t going to do it overnight. 3. OTTAWA — Might prevent crossover playoff game. 4. MONTREAL — Gonna be ugly.