What's wrong with the Eskimos?

0-3. The Edmonton Eskimos have started the 2010 campaign, a season in which they will host the Grey Cup in November, at 0-3. Tough start. It's especially frustrating as a fan when you see a team playing hard and making plays, only to screw it all up when it counts and shoot themselves in the foot. Turnovers mixed with a terrible red zone percentage have given the City of Edmonton deja vu all over again. We've seen this before but this just seems so much worse.

The same mistakes made in the first two games were repeated again today in the Eskimos recent loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. 24-20. A game in which the Eskimos fumbled the ball two times, one, on a stereotypical "Yes, yes,yes! No, No, No", 42 yard catch and fumble by Fred Stamps.

D'oh!

Stamps had 12 catches for 213 yards on the day. Those numbers are unreal! So is another one: Zero touchdowns. Stamps had a fantastic game but having that ball ripped from his hands is all most people are going to remember about it. If it wasn't for that dropped pass against the Alouettes I don't think there would be any reason to doubt his reliability. The guy seems to be open a lot. Either he's a great route runner with suspect hands or he's just average and is the beneficiary of a good quaterback. For the most part Stamps appears to have game, but in key situations your key players have to make the plays. 213 yards is a good stat but if none of those catches are in the end zone, who cares?

Quarterback Ricky Ray's stats are surprisingly similar to Stamps'. Going 22/31, passing for 319 yards, and committing zero interceptions is an impressive game but none of that matters when the TD column reads zero. Ricky Ray is an elite quarterback in the CFL. His arm strength is fine, it's just being wasted on 90 degree, 15 yard dump passes to slotbacks who either aren't talented enough( *cough Kamau cough*) to make plays in open field or just unable to get any blocking up field. Either way, it's not working and something needs to change.

Maybe Ray needs a little friendly competition and today we saw just that when Jared Zabransky got into the game. Once. It was a 14 yard play for a first down. He then handed off for a reverse play that went nowhere fast. I like Zabransky. The guy was on the cover of NCAA Football 08! Maybe there's a curse there too, cause I'm not sure if this guy is ever going to get an honest look. Which is too bad cause Zabransky won Eastern Oregon's Male Athlete of the Year award his senior year in 2002 and passed for 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns as team captain that season. I mean the guy was ranked number eleven in the US among quarterbacks and in his 2006 college season he was named to the second-team All-WAC. (Seriously check this guy out.)

Running back Arkee Whitlock was used sparingly in this game. After running for 116 yards against the Lions, and 99 yards against the Alouettes, you would think that Arkee is a top go-to guy for this offense. Instead he saw the ball just 13 times and ran for a season low, 49 yards. Arkee has the dynamic ability to make plays in the open field, something this team is lacking. So why so few touches?

The defense looked alright though. Mo Lloyd is playing up to his ability after a not so stellar debut season last year with the Eskies. He was all over the backfield and sacked Durant two times. Lloyd is the leader this team needs on defense and for the most part the defense has been alright. It would be nice to see the defensive linemen get more pressure on the QB and force him into throwing interceptions or throwing it away more often. The team currently sits tied for last place in the league in sacks with four.

But back again to the original question: What's wrong with this team? How do we go from a proud, successful franchise to one that gets out worked on home field and gets over looked by every other team in the West to make the playoffs. This franchise holds the North American pro sports record for most consecutive playoff appearances at 34 straight years. Some say General Manager Danny Maciocia inherited Tom Higgins' team in 05 and that's the only reason why a third placed, 11-7 team won that year ( I think Jason Maas won that one.) Since Maciocia has taken over, the Eskimos have finished last in the West for three straight years, narrowly making the playoffs last season cashing in on the playoff crossover opportunity.

If the Eskimos continue to play the way they have for the past four seasons you would think that some heads are gonna roll but ultimately will it be the right ones? Will it be Hall and Strasser that get canned or will changes be made at the top, where I beleive they should be. Sorry Danny, But how many times do you got to turn over a roster? Honestly how many guys have played one season for the Eskimos and then got cut: Omarr Morgan and Davis Sanchez come to mind. How is a team supposed to build any identity or chemistry?

Ultimately the players on the field need to play the game. It all comes down to them. They need to man-up and make some plays and they need to do it in the red zone. There is still a ton of football to be played and while Maciocia isn't taking the snaps or rushing on the end to pickup a sack right now, at the GM level, he has done a terrible job. Players can't be held accountable for that.



photo credit: Ryan Jackson