After trailing Bombers 20-0, Eskimos storm back to pull off a 35-27 overtime win

It certainly wasn't the greatest display of quality execution, but it might have been the most entertaining CFL game so far this season. Friday night's battle of 2-9 teams went as expected at first, with the Edmonton Eskimos' offence struggling initially against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' pass rush in a hostile environment and Winnipeg storming out to a 20-0 lead. After that, though, it was almost all Eskimos, as they outscored the Bombers 35-7 down the stretch to pull off a 35-27 overtime win. While it was a narrow victory and one aided considerably both by Winnipeg ineptitude and pure blind luck, the result keeps Edmonton's playoff hopes alive and drives yet another nail into what has been a horrible season for the Blue Bombers.

On the night, the Eskimos probably deserved this win. They dominated the stat sheet, with quarterback Mike Reilly throwing for 418 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions and a 67.4 per cent completion mark, running back Hugh Charles picking up 81 yards and the game-clinching touchdown on just 11 carries (an average of 7.4 yards per carry), and slotback Fred Stamps hauling in eight catches for 157 yards and a touchdown. Still, Edmonton wouldn't have had a chance here if not for Winnipeg collapsing both on offence and on defence, and the Eskimos got very lucky towards the end of this one. In particular, a desperation heave from Reilly on a third down near the end of regulation somehow passed through the hands of Winnipeg defensive back Demond Washington and bounced right to Stamps, setting up Edmonton kicker Hugh O'Neill for a game-tying field goal that sent this to overtime (by the way, it was the first CFL contest to hit extra time this year). Without that streak of luck, the Eskimos are now 2-10 and the Bombers have their third victory of the year.

What's remarkable is that this result keeps Edmonton's playoff hopes in good shape. Although the Eskimos are just 3-9 and are four games behind third-place B.C. in the West, they're just one game back of the East Division Montreal Alouettes. The Alouettes are 4-7 on the year (they play Hamilton Saturday) and appear to be in a bit of a crisis without injured quarterback Anthony Calvillo. Primary backup Tanner Marsh is also hurt, making things even more difficult for them. The way the CFL crossover rule works, Edmonton would have to finish ahead of the third-place team in the East to steal their playoff berth, but that's not inconceivable at all given Montreal's recent struggles. The Esks just need to put together a consistent effort down the stretch.

Can Edmonton do that? Well, the Eskimos are certainly capable of it at points. Even in a hostile environment and facing a great pass rush, Edmonton's offensive execution was reasonably impressive down the stretch. They have an impressive quarterback in Reilly, and Charles and Stamps (amongst others) are useful pieces as well. The offensive line is still a work in progress, though, and while there are moments where the defence looks great, there are also times like the first quarter Friday where it seems completely overmatched. This narrow win over the Blue Bombers certainly demonstrated that the Eskimos are far from perfect. However, their comeback showed they have plenty of potential. We'll see which is more reflective of this team as a whole, but this win keeps them on track to challenge for a playoff spot. Edmonton fans shouldn't get too happy over this showing, but a win is a win, and it does mean the postseason dreams are still alive for now. Meanwhile, the Bombers will have to face some hard questions after letting yet another game slip away...