Eskimos hitting reset button on team culture
After penalty-marred loss, coach says discipline starts when you arrive for work
There is a notion out there that the Edmonton Eskimos gave away the football game last weekend in Toronto.
Not true.
They actually got down on their knees and begged the Argonauts to take it.
Edmonton threw for 370 yards, won the time of possession battle handily, held Toronto to 217 yards passing and moved the ball deep into Argos territory several times.
They definitely did enough to win. That they lost is more a reflection on the Eskimos than anything the Argos did.
In all, they were flagged 12 times for 126 yards. In a three-point loss, that was more than enough to cost them the game.
“That was apparent to all of us before we got on the plane from Toronto,” said quarterback Mike Reilly. “We played well in a lot of aspects, but it didn’t matter. It was all for naught because of the ways that we hurt ourselves.
“When you put yourself in bad positions — we were in firstand-20 multiple times in the game and a couple of times down in the red zone — that’s the difference between a win and a loss.”
■ The evidence is overwhelming: On the Argos’ first drive of the game, Chris Edwards takes an objectionable conduct penalty and makes it first and goal from the six. Two plays later, it’s a touchdown.
■ They take a time-count violation because they didn’t have enough players on the field. Kenny Stafford makes the walk of shame.
■ On first-and-10 at the Toronto 29, a holding call on Matt O’Donnell makes it first-and-20 from the 39. Two plays later, they settle for a field goal.
■ Running Back C.J. Gable scores a touchdown, but it’s taken off the board by a holding penalty to Alexandre Dupuis.
■ In a halftime interview, Reilly talks about the need to be more disciplined. Then an illegal procedure call on David Beard on the first drive of the second half puts them in second-and-long and kills the march.
■ The Esks return a punt to just
inside their 40. When the flags clear, they start the ensuing possession from their 10.
■ After a 50-yard passing play, Kenny Stafford takes an objectionable conduct penalty. That can’t happen.
■ Edmonton scores a touchdown to take the lead. Hugh O’Neill boots the ensuing kickoff out of bounds at the 10. Toronto starts from their 45. takes an unnecessary
roughness penalty on the far side of the field that has nothing to do with the play. Instead of secondand-five from the 35, it’s secondand-21 from the 51.
■ Edmonton doesn’t have the right personnel on the field for a field goal and are forced to blow a timeout.
It was basically four quarters of banging their heads on the selfdestruct button.
“Discipline was talked about in our meeting today,” said head coach Jason Maas. “The captains got together Monday night and all the players got together today and came up with a plan to be better than that.
“I think guys understand that discipline is holding us back right now.”
The Eskimos have hit the reset button on the way they conduct themselves in every aspect. From the time they show up for practice to the time they leave after a game, everything is to be done with a much greater degree of professionalism. The hope is that it will create a more strict and disciplined mindset that carries into the games.
“It’s little things that you have to adhere to,” said Maas. “It’s going to a meeting completely dressed and ready to go to practice, not taking the extra two minutes to go to your locker and grab a pair of cleats or a shirt. Get to your meeting on time, the way you’re supposed to be dressed. Start there.”
It might not seem like much, but Maas says if a player can’t even manage that, how can you trust him on game day?
“At the end of the day, it’s all the little things that add up to make a big thing,” said Maas. “Our captains looked at everything in our organization, what they felt was lacking, or wasn’t adhered to.
“Wearing flip flops in the hot tub, they’ve been told not to do it, but guys do it. No more. It’s little things, not anything big, but a little thing in a play can make a big difference.
“On the field today and in our meetings, it looked like they understand that. It’s just a matter of action now, making it carry over to games.”
It’s little things that you have to adhere to. It’s going to a meeting completely dressed and ready to go to practice.