Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
EDMONTON — Regardless of anything else, Mike Reilly probably won’t call 2017 memorable unless he’s winning his second Grey Cup in three years at the end of the month.
Whatever happens, the history books will say otherwise. In the Eskimos’ Week 20 win over Saskatchewan, which also secured their third-place standing in the West, Reilly passed both Ricky Ray and Warren Moon for the single-season passing yards mark in Eskimos franchise history.
Reilly threw for 294 yards against the Riders, finishing his seventh CFL campaign with a league-high 5,830 yards through the air.
Reilly has never won Most Outstanding Player in the CFL, a trend he could buck this season. In 2017, the Eskimos’ pivot has scored a whopping total of 42 touchdowns (30 through the air in addition to 12 on the ground), while leading the league’s new advanced quarterback rating metric with a QUAR of 87.1.
While playing all 18 games for just the second time in his career, Reilly has hit the 300-yard mark in two-thirds of his games (12 in total), throwing only 13 interceptions in the process.
The Eskimos’ pivot looks to keep it going when the Green and Gold visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Sunday’s Western Semi-Final.
Under Reilly’s guidance, the Esks have won five consecutive games going into the post-season and are currently the CFL’s hottest team.
