Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs Edmonton Esks event: 1115
If they weren’t so darn big – ranging from six-foot-five to six-11 and averaging 315 pounds – the Eskimos offensive lineman would probably blend into the background.
Well, maybe not right now with their hair bleached blonde for, hopefully, another playoff run to the Grey Cup.
But, usually, no one notices the offensive line when it’s playing well. And those five big O-linemen – from left to right, tackle Joel Figueroa, guard David Beard, centre Justin Sorensen, guard Matt O’Donnell and tackle Colin Kelly – have been almost invisible as the Eskimos finished the season on a five-game winning streak.
They’ll be expected to play a key role in deciding the outcome of Sunday’s West Division semifinal against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
“I complain to them all the time that they’re so tall, it’s hard to see around them,” said a joking Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly. “During practice, I skipped one off Sorensen’s head like a week ago and everybody got a good laugh because it doesn’t happen often.
“They’re the unsung heros,” Reilly continued. “The offence doesn’t work without them and that’s in the pass game and the run game.”
Sunday will be the first time the Eskimos and Bombers have met in a playoff game since a 2008 semifinal at Winnipeg, although this will be the Bombers’ first home playoff game since 2011 and their first playoff game at Investors Group Field, which opened in 2013.
The Eskimos, of course, have already won a post-season game in the stadium – the 2015 Grey Cup.
“I’m excited to go back to it,” said Reilly, who led the CFL with 5,830 passing yards, 12 rushing TDs and a 87.1 quarterback rating this season and tied for the league lead with 30 passing TDs. “It’s going to be a challenge.”
The Eskimos lost both regular-season games:
- 33-26 at Winnipeg when the Bombers dominated time of possession (36 minutes, 12 seconds) while manufacturing a CFL-high 38 first downs and 538 yards of offence, and
- 28-19 in Edmonton after Chris Randle’s 37-yard interception return for a touchdown derailed another potential game-winning drive by Reilly. The Esks were scoreless in the first half, but had closed to within two points before Randle’s pick-six with 2-1/2 minutes remaining.
“Hey, they beat us twice; it’s going to be really hard to beat us three times, I can promise you that,” Sorensen stated. “The goal is to go there and hit them in the teeth and see if they can respond.
“We obviously didn’t play well enough to win when we were there (in August),” he said. “Not an excuse, but we were pretty injured back then and we’re coming in pretty healthy now.”
The Eskimos will have 13 different starters (seven on defence, five on offence and kicker Sean Whyte) from the first game, plus starting middle linebacker Korey Jones and wide receiver Vidal Hazelton, who were both hurt early in that contest, are healthy.
Edmonton will have six different starters from the last meeting in late September, including runningback C.J. Gable, Whyte (who has made 15 of 16 field goal attempts and just returned to the lineup last week after missing 12 games with a leg injury), Jones, Hazelton and cornerback Arjen Colquhoun.
Gable is a good blocker, working in conjunction with the offensive line to help protect Reilly, but has also averaged 92 rushing yards in four games since being acquired from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in early October.
“As long as we cover guys up, he usually finds a way to get a few extra yards,” Sorensen said about Gable. “And sometimes when we miss, he makes a guy miss and helps us out. It’s been really awesome having him in there and he definitely makes our offence a little more dynamic.”
“I’m excited where our team is right now,” said Reilly, who has thrown 127 consecutive passes without an interception, including three consecutive games without allowing a pick. “We get the opportunity to play against a very good football team in the playoffs when the majority of our guys are going to be healthy and ready to go. … I never would say that’s the reason why we lost those football games. We had opportunities to make plays to win those games and we just didn’t make the plays and they did.
“But we get a third chance at them, which is great. You don’t necessarily always get that opportunity. … But this is going to be a different game than the first two were.”
The Eskimos, the CFL’s first 12-win team to finish in third place in a division and start the playoffs on the road, have had double-digit leads in each of their last five games and recorded victories over West Division rivals Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders the last two weeks.
“We’re feeling good right now,” said linebacker Kenny Ladler. “We’re definitely playing our best ball at the right time.”
Maas said everything on offence starts with the offensive line.
“One of the best compliments I can give our O-line is if we wanted to try to run it for 100 (yards), I feel like we have that kind of O-line; and if we wanted to pass it 50 times, I think we could do that as well,” he said.
Add a mobile quarterback in Reilly, the West Division’s most outstanding player nominee who’s a dual threat to pass or run and can escape pressure, throw the ball everywhere on the field and make good decisions, and the Eskimos have something special going offensively.
“We’re confident that we can go on the road and get victories,” Maas said. “That’s what we’ve put ourselves in position to do.”
The Eskimos offensive line led the CFL with fewest quarterback sacks allowed (29) for the first time since 2003, posting four sack-free games despite a revolving door that has involved 11 players and nine starters. Only O’Donnell has played every game at right guard, although he has shifted to other positions because of injuries during a game and didn’t miss a beat, according to Reilly.
“No matter what’s transpired with injuries, with anybody in and out of the lineup, they continue to play at a high level so there’s great communication,” Maas said. “They’re big and physical. That is part of the reason why they’re as successful as they are.”
Still, the Eskimos will have their hands full against a Bombers defence that had seven quarterback sacks in the last game of the regular season and 44 overall plus 116 quarterback pressures.
“We love playing when it’s cold because then everybody else stands up a little more and doesn’t want to get as dirty,” said Sorensen. “Also, if there’s snow on the ground, it usually means you’re in the playoffs, so you’re playing for something, you’re playing for your families and trying to get another Grey Cup, another ring on your finger. Once there’s snow on the ground, then it’s for real.”
The Eskimos played an up-tempo game with a no-huddle offence all season, but slowed things down last week against Saskatchewan by using the huddle to call plays.
“We wanted to make sure we knew all of our plays and there weren’t going to be as many mishaps with our signalling,” Maas explained. “We felt like it was an advantage for us to do that to make sure that we – and only us – knew what was going on.”
This week, they’re making adjustments so the noise at Investors Group Field is less of a factor.
“It’s just louder, so you’ve just got to be louder and keep your poise when you’re out there,” Sorensen said, pointing out that the Eskimos won’t be using their regular cadence calls from the quarterback to time the start of each play. “It’s not like we’re first-year O-linemen. We’ve all been and done it long enough now.”
The Eskimos will also need another strong game from their defensive front to shut down Bombers running back Andrew Harris, who led the league with 1,035 rushing yards and 105 catches, accounting for 44 per cent of the Winnipeg offence.
“Andrew Harris is the most exciting guy with the football I’ve ever seen,” said Eskimos defensive tackle Almondo Sewell. “You’ve got to tackle him; you’ve got to stop him. You see guys bouncing off of him. It’s crazy.”
Sewell also pointed out that it’s difficult to stop Harris because he “bounces around so much” and the Winnipeg offensive line doesn’t tip off running plays.
“Usually, for the inside guys, you want to know which way the centre is sliding,” he said.
The Eskimos are also preparing for Winnipeg quarterback Matt Nichols, who missed the final week of the regular season with a calf injury, but they’re ready for the Bombers’ other QBs, as well.
Duck if Tuck’s coming
Eskimos fans can be excused if they’ve never heard of James Tuck, but they’ve probably seen his number (49). Tuck delivered the big hit that caused the fumble the Esks recovered on a Saskatchewan kickoff return in the fourth quarter last week at Regina to set up the clinching TD.
The 27-year-old journeyman had already played for three CFL teams when the Eskimos picked him up in August because of their injury problems. He was released after one game, but quickly returned to the roster because of a shortage of healthy Canadian players.
“We’ve noticed him for about five or six weeks,” Maas said. “He’s won our special teams award twice. He’s added a dimension for us that we didn’t have.
“Obviously, he’s shown his value now to us and it’s going to be hard to get James Tuck off the roster.”
Tuck has 12 special teams tackles – only two off the team high – in only seven games this season. He also finished a game while playing with a strained hamstring, which is quite the accomplishment for an Eskimos player this season.
“He’s made an impact every single time he’s on the field,” said Maas.
Lineup changes
Blair Smith, who started the season as the Eskimos’ special teams captain, returns to the lineup after spending the last five games on the injured list. Fullback Alex Dupuis is also back on the roster, along with rookie wide receiver Duke Williams.
Rookie linebacker Christophe Mulumba-Tshimanga, recently voted as the Eskimos’ most outstanding special teams player, will miss his first game of the season. Special teams player Kevin Jackson and backup receiver Bryant Mitchell also came off the roster.