Video: Jamar Wall’s game-changing punt block, touchdown boosted Stampeders

The play of the night in Friday's clash between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Calgary Stampeders came from an unusual source. The Stampeders' offence and defence both wound up doing decently overall, but the game's crucial play came from their special teams. With Calgary leading 13-3 late in the second quarter, the game was still very much up for grabs. Edmonton punter Grant Shaw was sent in on a third and 20 and attempted to pick up a few yards himself before booting the ball downfield, but the Eskimos' blockers were unable to contain Calgary defensive back Jamar Wall. Here's what he did:

Part of the blame here has to go on Shaw (or the Edmonton coaches, if they instructed him to delay like this), as there was plenty of time to get away an ordinary punt. Rolling out to the side and delaying the kick (which might have been an attempt at a fake, but a fake on 3rd and 20 is pretty tough, and no receiver was able to get open) gave Wall and the other Stampeders enough time to get downfield. This is still remarkable athleticism from Wall, though, as he manages to knock down his blocker, get up in Shaw's face, block the punt and then get up off the ground quickly enough to recover the ball and race in for a touchdown.

Wall's play proved to be a pivotal turning point in the game, as it gave Calgary a 20-3 lead. The Eskimos recovered slightly, pulling back to 20-10 before the half, but they weren't able to get any closer. The third quarter passed by without any scoring, and the Stampeders hit two field goals and a single to Edmonton's one field goal and a miss off the uprights in the fourth, coming away with a 27-13 win. That win allowed them to clinch a home playoff game and put them in excellent position to hang on to first place in the West, and a lot of it was thanks to this remarkable play from Wall.