The Edmonton Eskimos came into the Eastern semi-final game Sunday in Toronto immediately with lost confidence when it was determined that star linebacker J.C. Sherritt could not play due to an ankle injury.
Even though they got off to a fast start, (Eskimos got an early 7-0 lead thanks to a 46 yard run by Hugh Charles that set up a touchdown pass from Kerry Joseph to Cary Koch), the Eskimos quite possibly had their worst second quarter in franchise history.
The Argonauts scored 31 points, the most ever by one team in the second quarter in the history of the CFL playoffs. Ricky Ray orchestrated three Toronto touchdowns (two in the air to Chad Kackert and Maurice Mann and one rushing touchdown) and CFL Most Outstanding Player nominee Chad Owens had a punt return for a touchdown as Toronto defeated Edmonton 42-26.
It appears the Edmonton Eskimos are going with experience over youth Sunday for the Eastern Semi-Final against the Toronto Argonauts.
Today the team announced that Kerry Joseph, who has struggled mightily while playing on the road in recent weeks for the Eskimos will get the start over Matt Nichols.
Just how bad has Joseph been on the road? He has been 0-4 as the Eskimos starter since Labour Day away from Commonwealth Stadium, and has not shown any strong connection with any of his wide receivers.
The Edmonton Eskimos might have lost to the Montreal Alouettes, but exceeded expectations in many ways against the top team in the Eastern Conference.
Yes, Anthony Calvillo threw three touchdown passes as the Alouettes defeated the Eskimos 27-25 at Percival Molson Stadium Sunday afternoon. But the Eskimos hung with the Alouettes until the very end. They had a chance to tie the game but failed to capitalize on a two point conversion.
This week on 15 Minutes of Fame we dive right into the abyss that is the NHL lockout, we take a look at an important day for the Edmonton arena project, salute the Edmonton Eskimos for a big win and dish the latest NFL bounty news. Don’t worry – we’re talking a little baseball too!
In the GABBYs: Justin Verlander, Michael Vick, Dominik Hasek, the Lingerie Football League, the Green Bay Packers and the NCAA. The Punchline this week is Saturday night programming!
The Edmonton Eskimos are a little closer to the .500 mark after a key and convincing 37-20 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders Sunday afternoon at Commonwealth Stadium.
I like the adjustments that head coach Kavis Reed has made since taking over as offensive co-ordinator. The Eskimos seem much more relaxed as an overall unit when having the ball.
Hugh Charles might have just had his best game as an Eskimo Sunday. He ran for 152 yards, and many of the yards were easy.
Kerry Joseph was also in complete control, as he threw for 280 yards, and spread the football around to all of his receivers.
This week on 15 Minutes of Fame we discuss the latest NHL lockout news, a rough couple of weeks on the Edmonton arena front, the KHL signing with ESPN and the potential for replacement players. As well, we take a look at a big win for the Edmonton Eskimos on the weekend, which launched them back into a playoff spot.
In the GABBYs: Miguel Cabrera, Adam Greenberg, Michael Phelps, Zinedine Zidane, Roger Federer and Michael Vick. The Punchline this week is US track celebrity Lolo Jones.
The Edmonton Eskimos ended their five game losing streak Friday night at Commonwealth Stadium with a 35-20 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
With the win, the Eskimos move to 6-8, and will play the Saskatchewan Roughriders (7-6) in a colossal game next Saturday.
Fred Stamps had his best game of the season, recording nine catches for 204 yards and a touchdown. This was the first time this season he passed 100 yards.
The Edmonton Eskimos went into the Rogers Centre Monday night and recorded two key points.
Grant Shaw kicked four field goals, one from fifty yards, as Edmonton defeated Toronto 26-17.
But like it has been all year except for last week, it was the Eskimos defense that played great. J.C. Sherritt continues to be the undisputed best defensive player of the year. The second year linebacker out of Eastern Washington University had a game high 12 tackles and recorded a key interception early in the game which stopped an impressive Toronto drive.
Friday night at Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton, the Eskimos got a great rushing performance from Jerome Messam in a 38-23 victory.
Edmonton moved to 7-4 on the evening as Messam ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns.
This was like the Eskimos’ team that won five straight games to begin the year, not the one that has lost six of its last seven.
Edmonton now has the exact same number of points as the Stampeders but Calgary has a game in hand as they host the British Columbia Lions at McMahon Stadium on Saturday night.
The Tiger-Cats drop to 5-6 and are in third place in the Eastern Division.
Running back Calvin McCarty and backup quarterback Kerry Joseph also found the end zone.
Slotback Fred Stamps also looks healthy as he had 130 yards receiving. The Eskimos surprisingly dominated the first half as they had a 25-6 lead after the first half.
Messam was a complete workhorse and deserves a significant amount of credit tonight for the two points in the standings.
The Calgary Stampeders simply made more big plays than the Edmonton Eskimos at Commonwealth Stadium on Friday night.
That is why the Stampeders won the game 30-20 and moved back into first place in the Canadian Football League’s Western Division.
On the final play of the first half, Henry Burris recorded his longest pass of the season, a 62 yard hail mary throw for a touchdown to wide receiver Nik Lewis that put the Stampeders up 17-6.
Then on an unsuccessful field goal attempt by Derek Schiavone, Stampeders’ kick returner Larry Taylor ran out of the end zone and ran 52 yards. It didn’t lead to any Stampeders points on the drive, but gave Calgary significantly better field position.
Then, with the Eskimos closing in on a two-point converted touchdown, trailing 17-9, Jon Cornish recorded a 38 yard run that led to a Rene Paredes chip shot and a 20-9 lead.
The Edmonton Eskimos wrapped up week eight of the CFL season on Friday night with a performance that made their previous two losses look passable – a 36-1 loss to the BC Lions at Commonwealth Stadium.
Losing at home is never fun, but losing like that must really hurt. The Eskimos gave up eight sacks, Ricky Ray and Kerry Joseph combined to throw four interceptions and the team has now scored just 10 points in 11 quarters…after a 5-0 start to the season, during which time they looked like world beaters.
What the heck is wrong with the Eskimos?
For one, injuries are taking their toll on this team. You won’t hear them using it as an excuse, but when your top receivers are all hurt and you end up having to bring in three new guys before a game, you’re in trouble! Two of Ray’s interceptions on the night were attempted passes to guys he practically just met. When they lost Fred Stamps and Adarius Bowman, Jason Barnes stepped up and had two big games. Guess who got hurt next? (After the Jump: More Esks, Hilarious Jeremy Roenick video & More!) (more…)
The Edmonton Eskimos struggled for the majority of the first twenty minutes this evening, but in the end were able to pull it out with an impressive comeback and a 26-25 victory over the Toronto Argonauts.
For the first time since 1980, the Eskimos are 5-0 to start the season.
And once again, it was the Eskimos’ defense that came up huge. The Argonauts turned the ball over six times. Twice Argonauts’ quarterback Dalton Bell threw interceptions. Twice Argonauts’ kick returner Chad Owens fumbled. Twice the Argonauts’ running back duo of Chad Kackert and Andre Durie gave the football to the Eskimos.
On Friday night Eskimos defenders that came up huge were linebacker J.C. Sherritt (six tackles, two fumble recoveries), Winnipeg native Donovan Alexander (fumble recovery), Rod Williams (interception), Chris Thompson (forced fumble), Weldon Brown (nine tackles) and Jykine Bradley (interception).
All Edmonton Eskimo fans are putting their faith in General Manager Eric Tillman in 2011.
The major question is how long will it take for the resurrection program to actually exist so Eskimo fans can experience the glory days of the 1970′s, 1980′s and 1990′s?
I’m hoping it won’t take long. There was great optimism at the end of last season in Edmonton. After starting the year at 2-9, the Eskimos won five of their last seven games, and ended the year at 7-11.
Still, they missed the playoffs, losing 31-23 to Saskatchewan in week 20.
The Eskimos said goodbye to head coach Richie Hall in the off-season, and replaced him with Kavis Reed, the defensive co-ordinator for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Hall, meanwhile returned to Saskatchewan, where he’ll be the defensive co-ordinator for the Roughriders.
The Edmonton Eskimos came into the Eastern semi-final game Sunday in Toronto immediately with lost confidence when it was determined that star linebacker J.C. Sherritt could not play due to an ankle injury.
Eskimos: What’s Wrong?
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