Esks confident despite Stamps record
Last Updated: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 | 5:29 PM ET
CBC Sports
Ricky Ray and the Eskimos went 1-3 against the Stamps this season. (Jimmy Jeong/Canadian Press)The Edmonton Eskimos couldn't have picked a better time to be playing their best football of the season.
Forget their middling 9-9 record or a troubling 2-5 stretch late in the season. The Eskimos are coming off a playoff-clinching 45-13 dismantling of the B.C. Lions as they prepare to face the Calgary Stampeders in the West Division semifinal at McMahon Stadium on Sunday at 2 p.m. MT.
Winners of two in a row, the Eskimos appear to be on top of their game. Hitting that peak for the playoffs is something first-year coach Richie Hall identified as his goal before the first down of the regular season was played.
"I know we're a better team now than we were are the start of the year," Hall said. "I know we're a better team now than we were a month ago.
"I know we're playing better. It comes back to doing the little things. I've always said, we're a process in the making, and we're a long way from being finished."
The Eskimos went 1-3 against the Stamps this season, including lopsided 32-8 and 30-7 losses at McMahon Stadium. But they dominated the Lions in virtually every aspect of a game a lot of people thought they had little chance of winning.
"That's what he [Hall] has stressed from Day 1," quarterback Ricky Ray said. "Getting better every day, getting better every week and being a better football team at the end of the year than at the beginning of the year.
"At times, it didn't look like we were making the strides that we wanted, but these last two weeks, you can definitely say yes to that. Now, we're in the playoffs and it's the same thing. Get better and keep the momentum and confidence going."
The offensive line manhandled B.C.'s defence as the Esks rushed for 260 yards — rookie Arkee Whitlock ran for 165 yards on 20 carries — and had a season-high five touchdowns on the ground.
"We've had our ups and downs all year," said Whitlock. "It became that point of the year where it was either win or go home, where guys step up now or wait until next year.
"At lot of guys in here, their pride wouldn't let that happen. It's like a family. We didn't want to break up this marriage we've got as teammates. We all stepped up."
Ray was sharp, too, completing 19-of-26 passes for 248 yards, including a four-yard touchdown toss to Efrem Hill in a game where B.C.'s defence barely laid a hand on him.
"We're playing well right now and it's a good time to be playing well," said offensive lineman Calvin Armstrong. "For our group, the whole team feeds off of us.
"They see us blocking well and Arkee getting big yardage, then Ricky gets in a groove and gets comfortable, it gets contagious. The defence gets excited to get us the ball back so we can do it again. We relish that role of being leaders on this team."
Edmonton's often-maligned defence knocked B.C. quarterbacks Casey Printers (broken thumb) and Buck Pierce (shoulder) out of the game.
The unit also held the Lions to 84 yards rushing and 105 passing yards from Printers, Pierce and third-stringer Zac Champion combined.
They'll need more of the same against Calgary's offence and quarterback Henry Burris, who rang up 1,503 yards and eight touchdowns through the air in the four meetings this season.
"Right now, we're getting better as a football team," Whitlock said. "We waited 16 weeks to get better, but we're peaking at the right time."
