Eskimos best Stamps 15-11, clinch season series, move to prime playoff position

The Edmonton Eskimos didn't come away with a decisive victory Saturday against Calgary, only edging the Stampeders 15-11, but their win was impressive and meaningful nonetheless. It was impressive because it came on the road and marked a further reversal in their fortunes against Calgary; after losing 12 straight games against their provincial rivals, they snapped that streak in Edmonton in September (costing a Stamps' fan 24,576 beers in the process), and have now won back-to-back games against the Stampeders. Perhaps even more significantly, though, this was meaningful because of its impact on the standings. The Eskimos are now 11-4 and tied with Calgary for first, but they control the season series tiebreaker between the teams, and their relatively-easy remaining schedule gives them a great chance at taking first place and its all-important first-round bye. This win also assured that they'll host a playoff game, whether that's in the 2-3 matchup in the West semi-final or after a bye in the West Final. That's why this game mattered so much, and that's why even a four-point victory is terrific news for Edmonton fans.

As it has been for much of the season, the Eskimos' dominant defence was a key storyline in this game. Not only did they hold the Stampeders to 11 points, they did a great job of neutralizing Calgary's passing game. Stampeders' quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell threw for just 230 yards and one touchdown on the night, and he was intercepted twice and held to 17 completions on 32 attempts, a 53.1 per cent completion mark. Mitchell was sacked twice (once each by Odell Willis and Deon Lacey) and under pressure much of the night, which helped to throw him off, as did the excellent coverage of his receivers downfield. The Calgary ground game was a little better, with Jon Cornish collecting 72 yards on just 12 carries (6.0 yards per carry), but Edmonton's defence was able to keep Cornish from completely running over them. Maybe most impressively, though, they completely locked things down after halftime, allowing just one point in the final two quarters.

The Eskimos' offence was far from great Saturday, but it did enough to get the job done. Quarterback Mike Reilly threw for 264 yards and a touchdown, and he did so with an efficient 29 completions on 40 attempts (72.5 per cent). Yes, he did throw two interceptions, but this was still a reasonably-solid performance from him. He spread the ball around, too, finding nine different receivers on the night. The ground game was a little more concerning, with Shakir Bell being held to 45 yards on 13 carries (3.5 yards per carry), and its struggles and Reilly's turnovers were part of why Edmonton wasn't able to put up more points, but Reily threw a touchdown pass to Kenny Stafford and kicker Sean Whyte made both of his field-goal attempts and a convert while adding two punt singles, which proved to be enough. The Eskimos will have to look at their offence going forward and see what they can do to generate more consistent production, but they picked up a vital win here and have a terrific chance to seize first place in the West. For now, that's more than enough to celebrate.