The Eskimos have surprised, and maybe even silenced a few critics and so-called pundits with their 4 - 2 record, which is good for second in the highly competitive CFL West. Edmonton is looking to win three straight regular season games, something not done since 2005. But wins on the West Coast are never easy to come by. The Esks haven't taken two points out of BC since their 2005 Grey Cup win over Montreal.
The Esks are riding an emotional high from last Thursday's 35 - 24 win over BC at Commonwealth Stadium. Less than 24 hours after being released from a Hamilton hospital where he underwent emergency surgery to repair his fractured neck, Jason Tucker's presence at the game helped inspire his teammates to a dramatic second half comeback.
Rather than trying to replace Tucker with one "go to guy", Edmonton's winning with a balanced attack. In the win over the Lions, eight different players caught passes from Ricky Ray who finished the night 23 - 30 for 392 yards and two TDS, good enough to win CFL Offensive Player of the Week.
Overshadowed somewhat has been the play of Edmonton's defence where rookies Montez Murphy, Jim Davis and veteran Dario Romero have generated consistent pressure up front. A year ago, Brandon Guillory was sidelined with what was thought to be a career ending back injury. Today he's capably filling the void left by the injury to Fred Perry. Newcomer DB Keith Williams is tied for the CFL lead with 36 defensive tackles.
Rookie return ace Tristan Jackson has been kept in check the last two games, but Edmonton's special teams units, revamped by new coordinator Noel Thorpe, continue their solid play. Rookie Tyler Clutts has a league best 11 special teams tackles heading into Week #7.
Notables
- Quarterback Ricky Ray was named CFL Offensive Player of the week for week six. This is the second time this year Ray has won the award.
- Non-import linebacker Scott Coe will be playing his first game as an Eskimo since he signed with the team on Tuesday, August 5th.
- Last week, the Eskimos scored on 5 of their 7 possessions in the second half vs. BC.
- Ricky Ray needs 7 TD passes to tie Tracy Ham for 2nd in career TD passes in Eskimo history.
- Brock Ralph needs 14 yards for 2000 receiving yards in his career.
- This is the 20th back-to-back series the Eskimos and Lions have played in their regular season history. The Eskimos are looking for their 8th sweep.
The Eskimos host the Saskatchewan Roughriders on August 21, 2008. Buy Eskimo tickets online at ticketmaster.ca or call 451-8000. For more information on the Edmonton Eskimo Football Club please visit our website at
www.esks.com.
The Edmonton Eskimo Football Club is one of the most successful teams in CFL history with 13 Grey Cup championships and a North American pro-sports record of 34 consecutive years in the playoffs. A community-owned team, the Eskimos pride themselves on giving back to the community that has supported the organization throughout its illustrious history.
Eskimos look to sweep the first back-to-back series of the year with the Lions
Eskimos look to sweep the first back-to-back series of the year with the Lions
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