Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
It should have been a good night for Almondo Sewell.
The Eskimo Eskimos’ defensive tackle had four tackles against the BC Lions last weekend and also made a 16-yard catch to move the chains on a fake field-goal attempt.
But none of that mattered when Edmonton lost 31-23 to the Lions.
“It’s one of those games we have to be able to find our killer instinct and beat a team we’re supposed to beat,” said Sewell.
The Eskimos defence hasn’t been a dominating force this CFL season but has played well enough to get the job done.
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Sewell had a reception in his team’s game against the Lions last week (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Edmonton has allowed 24.8 points a game, leaving them ranked fifth in the CFL. Look through the defensive statistics and the Eskimo defence is middle of the pack in most categories. Search the individual stats and you’ll find few Eskimos in the top 20.
Still, Edmonton has an 8-5 record and is tied for second place in the CFL West with Winnipeg.
“We have phenomenal players across the board, offence and defence,” said defensive end Kwaku Boateng, the Wilfrid Laurier product whose five sacks leaves him tied for second in the league with three other players.
“On defence . . . we don’t need just one person to take on the whole role of being that stat guy. The defence is full of stars. We have so many great athletes everyone is chipping in. That’s the best part of it.”
Defensive back Aaron Grymes said the Eskimos are playing as a team, not a group of individuals making plays.
“We’re getting to the point now where a lot of us have bought into what is going on,” said Grymes, who has 18 tackles and an interception. “Football is the ultimate team sport. It’s never about individuals, especially on defence. We have to work together.
“To me it doesn’t’ matter we don’t have a certain guy in the top-10 statistical categories.”
Edmonton defensive coordinator Mike Benevides has sold the idea that each player serves an important role being a cog in a bigger machine.
“It’s a team defence,” said Benevides. “The concept is everybody is going to contribute. Everybody is asked to make certain plays and play within the confines of what we do.
“It’s not like you’re not going to have your chance to shine.”
Even against the Lions the Eskimo defence made some big plays to put the ball back in the hands of quarterback Mike Reilly, who threw for 302 yards and two touchdowns. He also was picked off twice and Edmonton was guilty of taking 14 penalties for 132 yards.
“Nine times out of 10, with an offence like ours, a team isn’t going to beat us kicking field goals,” said Grymes. “With an offence like ours, bend-but-not-break is huge for us.
“As long as we are giving them (the offence) the ball back we believe they can get it done.”
Coming into the season questions swirled around the Eskimo defence, especially the front four, after the departure of players like defensive tackle Euclid Cummings and ends John Chick and Odell Willis.
Sewell, playing in his eighth season, is the leader along the line. Boateng, a second-year player, has been joined by newcomers like Jake Ceresna, obtained in a trade from Ottawa, and Alex Bazzie, a free-agent signing.
Sewell credits general manager Brock Sunderland for making positives changes.
“We don’t have any individuals,” said Sewell, who has 19 tackles and a quarterback sack this season. “Brock did a real good job of getting rid of all the guys that have these massive egos and stuff like that.
“He brought a bunch of players that are going to play as a team. We are all in it for the same goal, to win the Grey Cup and that’s it.”
The Eskimos are second in the league in quarterback sacks with 21, one less than Winnipeg. Even those have been distrusted around the team. After Boateng, no player has more than two.
“We’ve got a very young defensive line,” said the 23-year-old Boateng who has played 24 CFL games. “With that you are going to have a lot more explosiveness off the edge and interior. We have people who are really excited and we’re getting to the quarterback each and every game.
Boateng leads the Esks in sacks with five (Walter Tychnowicz/CFL.ca)
“It just goes back to the chemistry we have, the way the team was assembled. We have people that want to be here and work together, not as individuals. That’s the biggest key to winning games for us.”
Benevides said it’s taken time for some of the new players to fit into the Eskimo scheme.
“We’re starting to learn how to play together,” he said. “Everybody is learning what we are expecting them to do and everybody doing their part.
“We lost a lot of great players, great veterans. But this game is cyclical. Whoever steps in has to play and win.”
The leadership shown by Grymes, J.C. Sherritt and Sewell, all members of Edmonton’s 2015 Grey Cup champion team, is also important.
“They have been champions, they have been there,” said Benevides. “You have great leaders, people who understand the value of playing together.”
The Eskimos will be looking get back on the winning track when they play the Montreal Alouettes on the road Saturday. Boateng sees the loss against the Lions as just a stumble along the road to playing for the Grey Cup at Commonwealth Stadium in November.
“In the past two or three years the team that won the Grey Cup wasn’t a team that had a perfect score or an easy way there,” he said. “It’s always been a team that went through struggles and tribulations.
“We want to go to the Grey Cup. We want to defend our house and win the Grey Cup.”
