High-flying Eskimos cant take Stamps lightly
High-flying Eskimos can’t take Stamps lightly
Calgary The Canadian Press
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Despite being off to its best start since 2002, Edmonton coach Kavis Reed warned his Eskimos not to take the Calgary Stampeders lightly when the teams meet Saturday.
The Eskimos have started the season 3-0 but Reed warned against overconfidence against a Stampeders team that has yet to fulfill its offensive potential in the early going.
“We’re going to face a very, very good football team,” Reed said, “A team that has executed well when they’ve had to. They’ve gone through some adversity and they’ve come out on the plus side of it.”
And while the Eskimos have started well they still have a long way to go to erase the memories of last year’s 7-11 season when Edmonton missed the playoffs.
“We know that there’s a lot of adversity that we’re going to face throughout the season,” Reed said. “And we’re not tricking ourselves, but I do know in my heart that these guys are built to stand adversity and their character is showing.”
Calgary coach and general manager John Hufnagel has taken notice of Edmonton’s turnaround.
“I can’t say that I’m surprised,” Hufnagel said. “I know we’re facing a 3-0 team that is playing very well. It’ll be a great test for us.”
Hufnagel said one of the keys to shutting down Edmonton’s offence will be for his defence to harass quarterback Ricky Ray.
“He’s managed the games very well,” Hufnagel said. “His offensive line has done a good job protecting him when things have broken down. He’s made yards with his legs and also extended the play and found a completion somewhere. We just have to make him a little uncomfortable and hopefully he’ll make a mistake or two.”
In addition to stopping Ray, Calgary defensive lineman DeVone Claybrooks said the Stamps have to concentrate on containing Edmonton’s running game, which will be bolstered by the return of Arkee Whitlock to the lineup.
“The main thing is we’ve got to stop the run, because if you stop the run then (they) become one dimensional and then we can also do a lot of other things,” said Claybrooks. “Every game against them it’s a pivotal game and now it just has a lot more value on it because it’s for first place.”
Claybrooks also noted that he’s still upset about losing their home opener 23-21 to the Toronto Argonauts on Canada Day and that the Stamps want to make McMahon Stadium a tough place to play for opponents.
“We want them to fear McMahon,” he said. “We want everybody to fear McMahon. When you come in here, you know it’s going to be a tough game for 60 minutes. We didn’t do that the last game, so we’ve got to redeem ourselves to our fans.”
Last season, the Stamps stomped the Esks by scores of 56-15 and 52-5 at McMahon. The Eskimos haven’t won in Calgary since a 37-16 triumph on Labour Day in 2008 when defensive lineman Greg Peach was in his rookie season.
“In reality I’ve beat them one time in my career so for me this is a very, very big game,” Peach said. “And a lot of the newer players, guys who have played for other teams and are here now, won’t get the full grasp of this rivalry until the game starts because it’s very intense and it means a lot to beat Calgary, as an Eskimo.”
Edmonton running back Calvin McCarty echoed his teammate’s assessment.
“That’s definitely a game that a lot of us are looking forward to,” he said. “I wouldn’t say it’s a measuring stick, but I’d say it’s another big opportunity for us to go out there and get our bite back.”
Calgary quarterback Henry Burris commended the Eskimos for making a statement early in the season and he knows his team will have to execute on offence in order for the Stamps to put an end to Edmonton’s winning streak.
“They’re doing all the right things to put themselves in this position,” Burris said. “Right now they have the right recipe. It’s good to see that they’re in this position because as we know the battle of Alberta is the most heated rivalry in the game. We’re battling for all the marbles as far as early on in the season.”
As a spokesman for the Purolator Tackle Hunger program, Burris encouraged fans to bring non-perishable food items or cash donations to the game to drop off with Purolator and Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank volunteers.
“We’re asking you to come out in droves not only to support the Stamps in the game against the Eskimos, but let’s donate to those who are definitely in even more need than what we are,” Burris said.
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