CFL.CA STAFF
EDMONTON — The Edmonton Eskimos and Saskatchewan Roughriders will meet at Commonwealth Stadium in the Week 10 edition of Friday Night Football.
At opposite ends of the West Division yet separated only by eight points, both the Eskimos and Riders have something to prove. Edmonton’s undefeated record fell to 7-1 last week with a 33-26 loss in Winnipeg, while Saskatchewan (3-4) is trying to continue its legitimization as a contender following a 41-8 drubbing of the BC Lions two weeks ago.
The Eskimos’ injury troubles have been a story all season long and appear to have reached a breaking point; the Riders appear to finally be rounding into form under Chris Jones.
Of course, appearances and predictions are useless in a league with as much parity as the Canadian Football League.
While the Saskatchewan Roughriders undoubtedly put in their best effort of the Chris Jones era against BC two weeks ago, the task at hand is a massive undertaking: Take their 0-3 road record, go to Edmonton and beat the Eskimos — who are 4-0 at home in 2017.
Cameron Marshall (32) during the game between the Montreal Alouettes and the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Percival-Molson Stadium in Montreal, QC, Thursday, June 22, 2017. (Photo: Johany Jutras / CFL)
Jones and co. understand the challenge, and no team coached by the grizzled Tennessean would stand accused of taking something for granted. That said, a big win is a big win.
Saskatchewan quarterback Kevin Glenn, who threw for 320 yards and a trio of touchdowns against the BC Lions, explained to Riderville.com:
“We needed one of those games to show everybody ‘this is what we can do. It’s something to build off, any time you have a game where all three phases are hitting the same cylinder (and) doing very well.”
One of the Riders’ key pieces in the 33-point blowout of BC was defensive back Ed Gainey, who recorded a historic four interceptions on the night.
“You’ve got to show up and play big — he did all last year — (and) a lot of it’s about confidence,” explained Jones of Gainey. “When you string a couple of bad games together, you can’t get your head down and start doubting yourself — you’ve got to know that you’re a great player for a reason.”
Gainey, an Appalachian State product, is eager to maintain his own form and wants to ensure Saskatchewan doesn’t slip up following its bye.
Ed Gainey:
“We have to remember that feeling of coming back from that bye week, going into Calgary and getting beat pretty bad. We’ve got to continue to work to get better, continue to grow together and cherish these times that we have right now.”
left to right -Ottawa Redblacks player #28 (DB) Corey Tindal tries to get the ball away from Edmonton Eskimos player #81 (SB) D’haquille Williams during the 2nd quarter of CFL game action between the Edmonton Eskimo’s and the Ottawa Redblacks at the Brick Field located at Commonwealth stadium in Edmonton Friday, July 14 /2017. (CFL PHOTO Walter Tychnowicz- )
By The Numbers
0 – Teams in the West Division with a negative point-differential; last-place Saskatchewan (3-4) is still plus-25.
5 – Touchdown receptions for Saskatchewan’s Duron Carter — second-most in the CFL.
9 – Turnovers committed by both Edmonton and Saskatchewan’s offenses; second-fewest in the league only to Calgary (6).
95.5 – League-leading QUAR rating for Edmonton’s Mike Reilly; Saskatchewan’s Kevin Glenn jumped to a fourth-place 79.1 rating following his 320-yard performance in Week 8.
AFI, Yare Media and the CFL
American Football International is collaborating with Yare Media and the Canadian Football League to present 2017 CFL games live. This is more than a livestream. This is a stream of the top flight TSN network television broadcast.
If you can’t watch it live, each game is available for viewing through the remainder of the season.