Adarius Bowman and the Eskimos down the Roughriders, stay in first place

Much of the Edmonton Eskimos' passing success this season has been about slotback Adarius Bowman, and that was again the case Saturday night. While quarterback Mike Reilly threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns overall (albeit with an interception), Bowman was on the other end of over half of that aerial production, hauling in 12 catches for 208 yards and a touchdown. That led Edmonton to a 35-24 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders, improving their record to 13-3 and bolstering their hold on first place in the West Division.

Bowman, who's in his eighth CFL season out of Oklahoma State and his fifth-straight year with the Eskimos, has always had incredible potential, but the last couple of seasons have really seen him realize it thanks to sustained health and a featured role in the Edmonton offence. He caught 112 passes for a league-high 1,456 yards last season, his second season with 1,000-plus receiving yards, and he's on pace to surpass that again this year, posting 91 catches for 1,292 yards to date. He's been critical to the Eskimos' attack all season long, accounting for over a quarter of their 4,239 passing yards this year. He shone again Saturday, and that was crucial to Edmonton getting a much-needed victory.

Of course, this win was about more than just Bowman. The Eskimos' ground game was also effective, with Shakir Bell collecting 51 yards on just six carries, Reilly adding 36 yards and a touchdown on nine scrambles, Akeem Shavers chipping in 31 yards on six carries and backup quarterback Jordan Lynch rushing once for seven yards. Bowman helped out there, too, picking up 16 yards on a single carry. The vaunted Edmonton defence was also in full effect here, recording three forced fumbles and five sacks while limiting Saskatchewan's offence. Yes, this wasn't the fiercest opposition (the Roughriders entered with a league-worst 2-13 record), but it was still a contest, and Saskatchewan even led 14-3 after the first quarter. The Eskimos rebounded after that, though, and that sets them up well for what lies ahead.

With the victory, Edmonton's now 13-4 on the season and in control of their destiny. Their last regular-season game comes next week when they host the 6-10 Montreal Alouettes before a bye in the season's final week. If they win that, first place is all theirs; the 12-4 Calgary Stampeders had a bye this week and could still match the Eskimos at 14-4 if they win their final games against Saskatchewan and B.C., but Edmonton took that season series and thus holds the tiebreaker. One more victory gives the Eskimos not just home-field advantage in the West Final, but also the crucial first-round bye to get there. That's why this win mattered, and that's why Bowman's performance was so important. He wasn't the only Edmonton player to shine Saturday, but he contributed a huge amount of their offensive production and led them to a vital win.