Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
For the Edmonton Eskimos, Monday’s emphatic 42-24 win over the Montreal Alouettes is by far the biggest win of the season. Sure, the Esks started the season 7-0 and were the CFL’s last undefeated team, but their win over Montreal to finish off Week 16 is still their most important, for a number of reasons.
Much needed
More than anything else, Edmonton was desperate for a win. Monday’s win snapped a six-game skid that saw the Eskimos go from early-season powerhouse to playoff bubble team in the blink of an eye. With Saskatchewan’s win over the Argos earlier in the week, the pressure was on Edmonton to keep pace and the Eskimos delivered.
The win should end up being significant as the Esks continue to try and solidify a playoff spot. Not only did Edmonton keep pace with the Riders, but they also kept their two-game lead on Ottawa, the team they’re chasing for a potential crossover spot.
Finally, the win allowed the Eskimos to open up a two-game cushion on BC after their costly 30-25 loss to the REDBLACKS on Saturday. Two games may not seem like a lot, but at this stage of the season, that cushion is critical and gives Edmonton a little breathing room down the stretch.
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Mike Reilly led the Eskimos back from an early 15-point deficit in Montreal (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
The nature of Monday’s win was significant, too. The Eskimos looked rather listless and out of sync as they fell into an early 15-0 hole on the road. But in outscoring the Als 35-9 in the final three quarters, Edmonton looked like the dangerous offence we saw as they got off to the league’s best start through June and July.
Newcomer C.J. Gable looked right at home in his first game in green and gold, racking up 111 yards and a touchdown on the ground and another touchdown in the receiving game. He was dynamic and gave the Eskimos an element they’ve lacked for most of the season.
Give Edmonton credit: since John White’s season ending injury, they’ve stayed committed to the run game all season long, even without a consistent feature threat. Entering Week 16, only Calgary and Ottawa had more rushing attempts than the Eskimos had, which shows a commitment to running the ball. However, their 4.4 yards-per-carry average was the worst in the CFL, which underlined the need for a reliable, dynamic threat.
With Gable in the fold, Edmonton has the potential of rolling out a much more balanced attack. We know Mike Reilly is an elite quarterback, and we also know the Eskimos boast a terrifying arsenal of aerial targets led by Brandon Zylstra. Seeing Gable fit in immediately is a promising trend for Edmonton.
Of course, we can’t overlook the opposition on Monday afternoon. Montreal is in free fall mode and has now lost eight straight games and 10 of its last 11. With both Hamilton and Ottawa winning in Week 16, the Als’ playoff hopes have officially ended. As such, Edmonton’s performance has to be taken in context.
More than anything else, though, a win like Monday’s could be a huge momentum builder for the Eskimos. They finish off with some tough assignments as they try to lock down a playoff spot, but with Gable in the mix and an ugly losing streak behind them, Edmonton is one of the more fascinating teams to watch down the stretch. That’s why Monday’s road win was so huge.
C.J. Gable scored two touchdowns in his Eskimos debut on Thanksgiving (The Canadian Press)
In their hands
Had you told me during the first half of the season the Hamilton Tiger-Cats would be in a spot to control their playoff destiny, there is no way I would have believed you. But, with four weeks remaining this season, that’s exactly the situation the Ticats find themselves in. If Hamilton wins its remaining four games, it will be guaranteed a playoff spot. That’s rather remarkable knowing the Ticats started their season 0-8.
On the technical side of things, it’s all about how the schedule shapes up down the stretch. With the crossover in effect, the Ottawa REDBLACKS currently hold down the East Division’s second and final playoff spot at 6-9-1 and have just two games remaining. One of those remaining games is against Hamilton, which sets up this scenario.
If the Tiger-Cats win out, they would finish the season at 8-10. Because one of those wins would be head-to-head with Ottawa, the best the REDBLACKS could finish in this scenario would be 7-10-1, which would put them one point behind Hamilton. As such, the Ticats truly do control their own destiny the rest of the way.
Of course, winning out is far easier said than done. For instance, Hamilton hosts the red hot Calgary Stampeders this week, a team in the midst of a 10-game winning streak. Going 4-0 to finish the season is not the most probable outcome, but it does paint a picture of this Tiger-Cats turnaround.
Since Kent Austin handed the coaching reins to June Jones, Hamilton has won four of six games and returned to relevance. That’s not to say Austin was the problem, because he wasn’t, but the team’s VP of football operations recognized the message needed to change. Austin stepped back from the sidelines in a move that had to send a wakeup call to his players and they’ve seemingly responded.
Jeremiah Masoli and the Ticats continued their late-season surge with a win in Winnipeg (The Canadian Press)
Jones had to make a tough call right away, too. In one of his first orders of business at the helm, Jones decided to install Jeremiah Masoli as the team’s number one quarterback, supplanting Zach Collaros. It was less an indictment on the latter and more a realization that things weren’t clicking with Collaros directing traffic. Again, the decision seems to have paid off.
Since taking the reins, Masoli has thrown eight touchdowns against three interceptions while slowly getting more and more comfortable at the top of the depth chart. Masoli hasn’t thrown an interception in three consecutive games and is coming off perhaps the best game of his career Friday in Winnipeg.
Making the playoffs is not going to be easy for the Tiger-Cats. As much as they do control their own destiny, they’re also chasing a team in a similar situation. All Ottawa needs to do is win its Week 19 head-to-head matchup with Hamilton to guarantee a playoff spot, which puts the REDBLACKS in an advantageous situation. Still, for the Ticats to be in a position where the playoffs are more than a pipe dream is pretty remarkable knowing how things started.
What controversy?
Give Chris Jones some credit, because he quashed any uncertainty about his team’s quarterback situation at the first possible chance. Following a big win over Toronto on Saturday, Saskatchewan’s head coach declared Kevin Glenn is still his starting quarterback, despite being replaced by Brandon Bridge in the second quarter.
“(Glenn) will be our starting quarterback and we just have to move on to our next game,” Jones said. “In professional baseball, when somebody has a bit of a slow time in an inning, what do they do? They bring in the guy that they call in relief. And that’s all we did.”
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» Friday, 7:00 p.m. ET: Calgary at Hamilton
» Friday, 10:00 p.m. ET: Ottawa at Saskatchewan
» Saturday, 4:00 p.m. ET: BC at Winnipeg
» Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET: Toronto at Edmonton
I like the way Jones handled this, because it nips any conversation in the bud. Bridge played well in relief of Glenn and was a big reason the Riders outscored Toronto 17-8 in the second half. He was accurate, made good decisions, and finished off scoring drives. Had Jones not made his definitive statement, the quarterback debate in Regina would be a hot one this week.
I also like the decision in and of itself. Take nothing away from Bridge, but Glenn has been a huge part of Saskatchewan’s resurgent season. Before missing Week 13 with an injury, Glenn was having one his better seasons in recent memory and was spreading the ball around to an impressive array of receivers. Yes, he’s struggled comparatively the last three weeks, but I also think he’s done enough this season to warrant a little leeway.
In the end, this decision is one a coach wants to make. For Jones, it shows he has an incumbent quarterback he can trust and a backup who can push his way into the conversation. Bridge has done just that and has now shown he can win games as a starter.
That’s a nice fallback option to have if Glenn’s game doesn’t return to the form it was at earlier in the season. I can’t count how many times we’ve talked about the importance of quarterback depth in this league, but it really is crucial. Right now, the Riders are decently deep at the position, and the tough decision Jones made on Saturday is evidence of that.
