The Labour Day Classic is here!
Even though the teams look evenly-matched on paper, it’s the intangibles that could make the difference in the home and home series.
“They’re a good team,” said Eskimos defensive lineman Eddie Steele. “They’re a well-rounded team. They’re pretty good at controlling the ball and taking care of their quarterback. It’s going to be tough. Their offensive line is playing real well.”
Former Eskimos running back Jerome Messam continues to be the punishing fourth-quarter shutdown guy in the mould of Jon Cornish if the Stampeders are ahead at that point.
A big key for the Eskimos will be their ability to put pressure on Stampeders QB Bo Levi Mitchell in a passing game that features only one CFL top-10 producer, Marquay McDaniel.
“Bo Levi gets the ball out real quick,” said Steele. “It’s not like he’s sitting back and holding it. We’ve got our work cut out for us. We’ve really got to show up. All we can do is try to get his feet moving a bit and make him feel uncomfortable in the pocket.”
Edmonton has been building their own momentum and is coming into the game on a three-game win streak.
“We’ve been playing well lately,” said Steele. “The last couple of games, we’ve been coming on strong, speaking for the defensive side. Offence, they’ve been doing their thing all year. We’re picking our game up and playing team football.”
It’s at the point of the season where head coach Jason Maas can use this game as a measuring stick not only to see where the team is now, but to demonstrate how far they’re come since the start of the season.
“We all know how to play football at this time of the year,” said Maas. “Mentally and physically, with the rest we’ve had, they start to love football again and are excited to be back. I think we’re gelling as a football team in all three phases. A little bit more of that is going to help us win more.
“Everything you’re done up to this point is going to help you in the backstretch. We’ve had nine hard-fought games and are 5-4. It’s setting us up for a great finish. Rookies are longer rookies at this time of the year.”
In the team’s last two starts, the offence has shown balance in a credible running game and have developed a passing game that is effective beyond its two superstar receivers.
“I’m excited for this game,” said Reilly. “We’ve come a long way since the start of the season. We’ve still got a long way to go, but it doesn’t get any better than playing against Calgary. Alberta. Labour Day. We look forward to this game as I know our fans, their fans and everybody looks forward to this game.
“It’s just another opportunity for us to go our and show how we’ve improved on that path toward our end goal. They’re at the top of the league for a reason. They’ve been playing the best. It’s a chance for us to go down there and show them what we’re capable of.
“Three more games of experience for the younger guys,” said Reilly. “Having made a lot of mistakes we made early in the season, it’s a continual process. The reality is we’ve won football games and we’ve played some pretty good football games during that time.”