WINNING WOUNDED
Eskimos injury list keeps growing, but staying creative helps find a way to victory
WINNIPEG — With all the moving parts on an injury depleted Edmonton Eskimos depth chart, it’s a wonder the club can survive the Canadian Football League’s ratio requirements in any given game let alone lead the pack with a 7-0 record.
With 18 starters or their replacements on the injured list for Thursday’s game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the Eskimos are looking to start off the 2017 season the same way they closed out their 2015 Grey Cup run, with eight regular-season victories.
But it’s been easier said than done with an everchanging depth chart that has yet to look the same in consecutive games this season.
“Yeah, it’s been difficult, we’ve had to come up with creative packages on both sides of the ball on a weekto-week basis, the last few weeks in particular,” said head coach Jason Maas, who is looking for his team’s 13th win in 14 games since starting out the 2016 season 5-7 as a rookie head coach. “But what I’m thankful for is throughout our organization, we’ve done a good job getting the right guys in here. They can bring a new guy in and he can be successful.
“So as much as we’re changing our ratio, it’s still working for us so far.”
This week, it’s Canadian rookie Kwaku Boateng making his first official start at defensive end, changing the ratio on what had been an all-American defensive line of starters this season.
The thing is, the fifthround selection (41st overall) in May’s draft is hardly some fresh face coming in off the bench. The six-foot, 250pound Wilfrid Laurier product has earned eight tackles and two sacks while working in a defensive line rotation that’s been in place since the beginning of the season.
Now, with Marcus Howard on the six-game injured list, he will be getting the lion’s share of reps Thursday, as Da’Quan Bowers will while making his first start with an injury to Almondo Sewell.
“Obviously I would love to have Marcus Howard out there and me being a rookie, I still have a lot of learning to go through and I’ve definitely looked up to Marcus Howard and Odell Willis,” Boateng said. “It’s a different realm of playing football, you’re not coming in when someone’s tired or coming in certain packages. Now you’re the man that you’re starting for.
“It’s going to be different playing a game without both Mondo and Marcus in there, but I’m ready to step up. It’s going to be a chance for all of us to show how cohesive our D-line is and it doesn’t really matter who you put up there, we’re going to prevail.”
It’s been the motto of the team ever since kicking off training camp with an injury to starting WIL linebacker Cory Greenwood just two days in, snowballing what’s become an absolute avalanche of injuries.
“There’s not many guys in our locker-room right now that haven’t played in games,” Maas said. “That’s what’s fortunate about us right now, is with this rash of injuries, we’re able to see all the depth.
“We practise a certain way where all of our guys get reps during the week so we’re never surprised when a guy goes in there and is able to do his job. It’s just you’d like not to see everybody not have that opportunity, yet here we are.”
Like slotback Bryant Mitchell, who is coming in having posted back-to-back games with 100 receiving yards in place of star receiver Adarius Bowman.
“Even in training camp we had that, you would roll with different groups,” said Mitchell, a six-foot-two, 198-pound Northwestern State product with 317 yards and two touchdowns on 23 catches this year. “That feeling right there, no matter who’s in at quarterback or receiver, I think that there’s chemistry built all around.
“I think we all approach the game in the same manner, we’re all starters. We get everybody experience, I think it really shows resilience in our team and when those guys come back we’ll put it all together.”
IN AND OUT
LG Danny Groulx (back) and C Justin Sorensen (knee) return to the offensive line after sitting out last week, while DE Rykeem Yates and DT Mike Moore draw in on a defensive line that has lost DE Marcus Howard (sixgame IL) and DT Almondo Sewell (one-game IL). WR Nate Behar (one-game IL) and OL D’Anthony Batiste (practice squad) also leave the active 46-man roster.