August 2, 2018

Boateng Racks Up The Sacks

Kwaku Boateng got off to a quiet start this season, but he had the CFL version of Richter’s magnitude scale jumping last week.

The tremors occurred each time the Eskimos’ 23-year-old defensive end tackled Montreal Alouettes quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. The three quarterback sacks, along with three defensive tackles, represented the finest performance of Boateng’s young CFL career.

Combined with two more “Kwakes” and three defensive tackles in his previous game against the B.C. Lions on June 29, Boateng has already eclipsed two of his goals coming into his sophomore season:

  1. earn a job in the starting lineup, and
  2. surpass last year’s total of four quarterback sacks, which he accumulated with limited playing time during 18 games (including one start) as he rotated through both defensive end positions to give the starting players a break.

 

“Obviously, getting sacks is a big deal, and I’m just thankful to be in the position I’m in,” said Boateng, who will be looking to add to his already impressive numbers – he’s currently ranked second in the CFL in sacks – when the Eskimos take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders at 8 p.m. Thursday at The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium. Game day is presented by Purolator.

“The first one (last week) was perfect timing. On the last two, I had the opportunity to make an inside move or an outside move and make the play. I was just fortunate to be in good situations.”

He gave Eskimos defensive line coach Demetrious Maxie credit for adjustments made after the first quarter that enabled Edmonton to collect a total of six sacks against the Alouettes. Defensive tackle Jake Ceresna (second), linebacker J.C. Sherritt (first) and defensive back Josh Woodman (first) had the other sacks.

Boateng’s next goal is to reach double figures in sacks, but he also knows a lot of things have happen for him to be able to keep getting to the opponent’s quarterback.

“Everyone brings up the three sacks I got at Montreal, but if you watch the tape, you’re going to see people like (fellow defensive end) Alex Bazzie, you’re going to see (defensive tackle) Almondo Sewell working their tails off to get to the quarterback,” he said. “It just really depends on being there at the right time and that the play call on the offensive and defensive sides match up and the DBs (defensive backs) and linebackers are in proper coverages and clouding up the look for the quarterback to give you enough time to get there.

“If you’re in good position to make the tackle, you can get yourself a sack,” he added.

“So getting your sack is more than a statistical game. It’s really just being lucky because so many factors play into it.”

Boateng said Maxie compares quarterback sacks to hitting a home run in baseball.

“You’re going to strike out several times throughout the game, but the moment you hit that home run, it’s a big deal,” he said.

For example, Boateng had no sacks or tackles in his first two games this season and then a total of five sacks and six tackles in back-to-back outings, which actually were separated by almost a month as he sat out the Eskimos fourth and fifth games of the season with a minor injury.

Boateng was willing to play through the injury because he had never missed a game since he started playing football in Grade 9, but the Eskimos coaching staff was more cautious and reminded him that the season isn’t a race, it’s a marathon.

“The fact I had to ruin that streak when I had the opportunity to play back home in Toronto sucked, but it really motivated me to be great going forward,” he said. “Obviously, me getting those two weeks off has helped a lot, and you could see that in Montreal. I got more time to recover, so there wasn’t any lingering injury or any lingering pain, so that gave me an ample amount of time to get ready for the following game.”

Boateng has come a long way in a short time since he claimed Wilfrid Laurier University’s all-time sack record (21-1/2) in 2016. He had only two three-sack games with the Golden Hawks, once during the regular season and once during the playoffs.

“I had to learn a lot last year,” he said about his rookie season with the Eskimos. “I almost had to retrain myself on how to become an effective defensive end.

“You can’t be one-dimensional as a pass rusher. You’ve got to be able to power people sometime, use your power, use your strength. But you’ve got to know when to use your finesse and use your speed and how to use your hands to escape blocks and, obviously, how to improve your run defence.”

Boateng said he mostly just tried to beat the offensive linemen in university with speed, but offensive tackles in the CFL “are a lot more athletic,” quarterbacks know how to read defences and offences are more efficient.

“Since I got up here, I realized my speed isn’t going to help me all the time. I’ve had to develop more power moves, and I’ve had to develop more handwork. Coach (Casey) Creehan (former Eskimos defensive line coach) helped me a lot with that last year and Coach Maxie is helping me advance my skill set now.”

Boateng, who was listed as high as No. 2 in the Canadian Football League Scouting Bureau’s first of three rankings in December 2016, was drafted in the fifth round – 41st overall – last year. He used that disappointment as an incentive to prove to the Eskimos last year that he could play at this level.

“I’m always going to have that chip on my shoulder until I’m done playing football,” he said. “It’s something in the back of my mind to always remind me that people in the league thought I would be too under-sized or too one-dimensional to be great in this league. I really need to thank the veterans from last year who helped me on and off the field and also Coach Creehan who literally took me under his wing and taught me how to use my size to my advantage and to use leverage and whatnot.”

Creehan’s system last year allowed the defensive ends to play on their strongest side – for example, Odell Willis usually came off the left edge. But Maxie has Boateng lined up on the boundary (or short side of the field), so he could be coming from the left or right side, depending upon the placement of the ball.

“I feel more powerful on the left side just because I’m right-hand dominant and I’m able just to explode off the ball with my right foot back,” Boateng said. “But Coach Maxie really wants to emphasize the fact that you’ve got to be able to play on both sides of the ball, whether you’re a left or right side, and you’ve got to be comfortable in both stances.

“I’ve been able to adapt because my university coach also emphasized being versatile. It’s not a big challenge for me to play either side.”

Having said that, it should be noted that all three of Boateng’s sacks last week came from the right side against former Eskimos left tackle Tony Washington.

Boateng weighed 240 pounds when he joined the Esks last year and finished the season around 245 pounds. He bulked up to 257 pounds this year (although he was down to 255 by the end of training camp) to play the boundary side because he would be dealing with the run game and offensive lineman coming out to block for the running back, etc., as well as rushing the quarterback.

“I love it there,” he said about the boundary end position. “I’m understanding the game a lot more because I only play one position.”

Boateng explained that field end position requires a player who is a little quicker and more athletic because “he has to be able to stretch the field with his feet.” Bazzie fills those requirements.

 

Plenty of lineup changes

Injuries have forced the Eskimos to make several lineup changes this week:

Versatile offensive lineman David Beard slides over to centre to replace veteran Justin Sorensen (one-game injured list). Beard has already played at left and right guard this season.

With national linebackers Christophe Mulumba-Tshimanga and Blair Smith both going on the six-game injured list, international linebacker Korey Jones steps into the weak-side linebacker slot where Adam Konar started the season before also getting injured. Fortunately, the Eskimos played with an extra Canadian player in the starting lineup last week, so further moves weren’t required, although international linebackers Brandon Pittman and Jeremiah Kose were added to the roster as backups.

International defensive back Mercy Maston, who ruptured an Achilles tendon last year during the warm-up prior to the Labour Day Rematch with Calgary Stampeders on Sept. 9, makes his season debut at the boundary corner. Rookie Maurice McKnight goes to the practice roster.

National fullback Christophe Normand, who came off the six-game injured list after missing only three games, and 2018 draft pick Tanner Green are added to the roster with veteran fullback Pascal Lochard going on the six-game injured list.

And national cornerback Arjen Colquhoun and offensive lineman Jean-Simon Roy will also make their season debuts after spending the last six games on the injured list. International running back Shaquille Cooper and defensive lineman Nick Usher head to the practice roster.

 

Did you know?

That Eskimos receiver Duke Williams, who leads the league with 672 receiving yards and is tied for the league lead with five receiving touchdowns, was named a CFL Player of the Month for the second month in a row? Williams, who had 21 catches for 364 yards and three touchdowns during three games in July, has had five consecutive 100-yard games this season to tie Brian Kelly’s club record from 1983.

Only three players in CFL history have ever had six consecutive 100-yard receiving games.

That Boateng beat out Williams for the Eskimos outstanding rookie award last season. Williams had 46 catches for 715 yards and four TDs in 13 games in 2017.

That quarterback Mike Reilly was named a CFL Player of the Week for his performance in last week’s 44-23 victory over the Alouettes. Reilly completed 24 of 32 passes for 415 yards and four touchdowns and rushed seven times for another 26 yards and a TD. It was Reilly’s sixth career 400-yard game and second this season. He leads the league with 2,063 passing yards and 13 passing touchdowns and is tied for the league lead with five rushing majors. Reilly, who needs only 138 yards to move into the CFL’s top 20 all-time passing leaders, has previously been named a Player of the Week on two occasions this season and a Player of the Month in June.

That the Eskimos have won four of their last five home games against the Roughriders dating back to the 2014 season and 13 of their past 20 games overall since 2011.

That the Eskimos (4-2) have trailed after the first quarter in each of their last five games but rallied to win three of those contests – including each of the last two games. The Roughriders have also been slow starters.

That the Eskimos are hoping to drastically reduce their penalty count after taking 17 penalties for 191 yards last week. The Esks are the CFL’s most penalized team with 63 infractions for 704 yards.

The belairdirect 50/50 take-home jackpot starts at $71,480 because the prize money was unclaimed after the Eskimos win over the Toronto Argonauts on July 13.

Last July, Quentin and Samantha Ebertz won a record $435,919.50 jackpot that included unclaimed winnings carried over from a previous game. The remaining proceeds are given to the Edmonton Huskies, Edmonton Wildcats, University of Alberta Golden Bears, Football Alberta and the Eskimo Alumni Association to support the growth and sustainability of amateur football in Northern Alberta.

Tonight’s game is also the annual food drive with Purolator and the Edmonton Food Bank collecting non-perishable food items as well as cash donations. The Grey Cup will be in attendance outside of Gate 9 for fans to take their picture with the CFL’s championship trophy.