TORONTO — A few weeks ago, fresh off a win over the league-leading Calgary Stampeders, it wasn’t hard to envision the Edmonton Eskimos running out of the tunnel onto their home field at the 106th Grey Cup presented by Shaw.
Things have changed, with the club dropping three of the last four while falling to fourth place in the CFL West Division. Now, not only are the Eskimos fading away from the race for second — and the hope of a home playoff game — but a playoff spot is no longer a given.
There have been plenty of factors in the Eskimos’ recent struggles. For one, since their home-and-home with the Stamps, the offence has stalled, dropping to third in the league in production with 397.4 yards per game on the season.
The team has missed top receiver Derel Walker, a void that receivers D’haquille Williams and Bryant Mitchell haven’t quite been able to fill.
And just last game, under heavy siege from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ defensive front, the Esks turned the ball over a season-high seven times on the way to a 30-3 loss.
For a team that came into the season as one of the CFL’s biggest heavyweights, how concerning are the Esks’ recent struggles?
More in The Weekly Say.
On a scale of 1-10, how concerning is the Eskimos’ current slide?
Mike Reilly and the Esks’ offence have been shut out in five of their last eight quarters (The Canadian Press)
Jamie Nye: Eight or nine. Eighteen points scored in the last two games, Duke Williams is dinged with Derel Walker already out, the defence is ranked seventh with only Toronto and Montreal behind them and all four of their remaining games are against teams in the playoff race. I think it would be fair to be about an eight or nine level of concern. The reason it’s not 10 is Mike Reilly is still Edmonton’s quarterback.
Jim Morris: I would say an eight. You don’t want a losing streak at this time of year coupled with some of the injuries the Eskimos have sustained. I doubt they will miss the playoffs but their Grey Cup hopes seem to be fading.
Don Landry: I’d give it a good, healthy seven or eight on the concern-o-meter. Obviously, they haven’t been too happy with special teams, firing the coordinator this week. Defensively, the Eskimos haven’t been a house afire, ranking in the bottom third of the league in some of the more important categories. The real concern, now, is the offence, which seems stuck in the muck, with quarterback Mike Reilly taking it on the chin much too often lately. They need to find a forward gear, pronto.
Marshall Ferguson: Six. There are a bunch of concerning trends, but if Mike Reilly and Duke Williams get right by Week 21 they can beat anyone.
Chris O’Leary: Six. Good quarterbacking carries a lot of weight and they have that, so I think they’ll pull themselves out of it. This slide will probably cost them a home playoff game, but if they get on track over their last four games they can still take a run at the playoffs.
Who is more dangerous: Andrew Harris or William Powell?
Andrew Harris is close to setting a new career-high in single-season rushing yards (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Ferguson: Andrew Harris. He’s just more multiple and dangerous on every part of the field.
Morris: I’ve always liked Harris’s style. He has a little better average than Powell and I think is a better receiver.
O’Leary: It’s close on just the run game, but Harris brings more to the table with the pass catching ability.
Landry: Seriously? Why do you guys do this to us? Powell and Harris are both such great, dual threat backs and their statistics are virtually in lock-step. Harris is averaging 5.7 yards a carry, Powell 5.5. Powell is averaging 7.9 yards per catch, Harris 7.8. So, I’ll take Harris. By a tenth of a yard.
Nye: Right now, I’m saying William Powell. A few weeks ago I’d have said Andrew Harris. Harris is starting to get dinged up while Powell has had over 140 yards rushing in his last two games and as soon as I say this Harris will have a 150-plus yard rushing/receiving yard game. Powell does look a bit fresher down the stretch.
What is the most impressive stat of 2018?
Rookie kicker Lewis Ward has made good on 37 consecutive field goal attempts (Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca)
O’Leary: I keep bouncing between the two extremes on the age/experience scale. Ward’s having a storybook season in Ottawa and Hughes is defying everyone’s expectations in Saskatchewan. I’ll go Hughes, because he stood in front of the Calgary media the day he was traded (the first time, not the second that day) and told them he’d lead the league in sacks this year.
Nye: Lewis Ward!!! He’s a rookie kicker. All these other guys have proven that we shouldn’t be surprised they’re doing great things. But a rookie kicker hitting 37 straight field goals is something else.
Landry: Lewis Ward‘s field goal streak. He’s a rookie, and was signed as an afterthought, really, an extra leg for training camp. Wasn’t supposed to make the team and he’s just set a record for consecutive field goals in one season, within two of the all-time consecutive field goals mark. Never mind the part about him being a rookie, in fact. It’d be impressive even if he was a proven, 10-year vet.
Morris: I’m most impressed with Ward’s field goal streak. The guy is a rookie showing a veteran’s poise.
Ferguson: I want to say Lewis Ward‘s incredible streak because the degree of difficulty on some of those kicks in the Ottawa wind was through the roof, but the career evolution of Brandon Banks continues to amaze me more than anything. Without him, the Ticats really struggled this year which proved to me his current value.
