CFL.ca
Posted: November 16,2014 07:30PM
Updated: November 16,2014 08:15PM
CFL.ca Staff
#GCPlayoffs
EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Eskimos are off to the Western Final, after picking off Kerry Joseph five times on the way to an 18-10 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Sunday evening in the Western Semi-Final.
A stingy defence and an 88-yard Kendial Lawrence punt return touchdown made all the difference, as the Esks took a 17-0 second-quarter lead and never looked back on a frigid day at Commonwealth Stadium.
John White powered the Eskimo offence with 134 rushing yards on 19 carries, but other than that there was little room on the ground for either of these heated rivals as they met for the fourth time in seven games.
Joseph threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to Korey
Williams just before halftime to make it a close game, but was pulled in
the third quarter after throwing a playoff record-tying fifth
interception in the game. Sunseri provided a spark for the Riders but
couldn’t finish the comeback.
Matt Nichols was also pulled for the Eskimos in favour of Mike Reilly, after throwing for 59 yards on 12-of-23 passing with one interception.
At the end of the day, the Eskimos with their league-leading defence were able to sit on an early lead and take advantage of the big play by Lawrence, as the Riders struggled to move the ball with Darian Durant watching from the sidelines.
The Eskimos defence came out firing in a Green and Gold-dominated first quarter, as the Eskimos forced a pair of two-and-outs while jumping out to a 3-0 lead.
After looking to get the ground game going with a first-down run by Allen, the Riders found trouble through the air. Joseph’s errant pass downfield was picked off by Aaron Grymes, giving Nichols and the Eskimo offence the ball inside scoring range.
The Rider defence held for a 42-yard field goal by Hugh O’Neill, his second of the game, but wouldn’t stay off the field for long. Joseph threw his second straight interception on a deep ball attempt to Dressler, again putting a quick end to the Riders’ possession.
Bad turned to worse for Joseph and the Riders their next time out. This time, Joseph’s low pass over the middle to Rob Bagg was corralled up into the air and into the hands of safety Cauchy Muamba, marking Joseph’s third straight interception on as many passing attempts.
The Eskimos couldn’t add more than four points off of their defensive hat trick, but on another O’Neill field goal extended their lead to 10-0 by the midway point of the second quarter.
While the Riders continued to hang around thanks to their charged up hometown defence, special teams sparks the game’s first touchdown. With the Riders punting and Lawrence back to return, the Eskimos’ X-factor burst through a seam up the middle of the field, burning the Riders’ coverage team for an 88-yard score.
That rewarded the Eskimos for a near-perfect start to the game, giving them a 17-0 lead much to the delight of the Commonwealth Stadium faithful.
Joseph and the Riders looked to settle down that crowd, but he was picked off for the fourth time in the game on the very next drive by Ryan Hinds. In looking to make the Riders pay right away, though, Nichols was intercepted in the end zone by Weldon Brown, ending the threat for the Green and White.
Just when halftime was imminent with the Esks in control, the Riders
struck it big. On second down with heavy pressure in his face, Joseph heaved up a deep ball and found Williams behind coverage, giving the Eskimos a 54-yard touchdown pass with just 45 seconds left in the half.
That sent the game to halftime with just a 10-point difference, as the Eskimos scored only four points off four interceptions. The Riders, meanwhile, stayed well within reach, despite picking up just 102 yards of net offence through the first 30 minutes.
The defences continued their dominance in the third quarter, while the Esks’ defence continued to cause headaches for Joseph, who was picked off by linebacker and Most Outstanding Rookie nominee Dexter McCoil early in the third quarter.
The Eskimos added just a single point off the turnover thanks to a missed field goal by O’Neill, but Joseph’s record-tying fifth interception of the game was the last pass he’d throw on the afternoon.
The Riders went with Tino Sunseri after that, ending Joseph’s day after going 7-of-17 for 120 yards, one touchdown, and five interceptions. Meanwhile, the Esks also opted for a change at quarterback to Mike Reilly after picking up just five points off turnovers, while failing to find the end zone on offence.
Sunseri provided some spark for the Riders on offence, leading them to a 30-yard field goal to put an end to the third quarter. That left the Riders down just eight points following a strong 15 minutes, with the game still well within reach despite being outplayed.
It took until late in three minute warning of the fourth quarter, but the Riders mounted their late comeback attempt, starting with a big stop on the Eskimos thanks to a sack by Ricky Foley.
From the 24, Sunseri hooked up with Brett Swain for a 30-yard pickup, moving the Riders near midfield. Sunseri connected with Bagg after that, keeping the drive moving into Edmonton territory.
But the drive hit a snag, as a holding penalty moved the Riders back while a sack on second down ended the threat. The Riders were forced to punt with just over a minute remaining, needing a big stop from their defence down eight.
The Eskimos needed a to move the chains and melt the clock, and they did just that with first down pickups by Calvin McCarty and White to seal the deal. The victory gave the Eskimos three of four games against the Riders this season, but more than that, they're off to the Western Final for a date with provincial rival Calgary on Nov. 23.
Reilly is projected to get the start in that game after completing six of eight passes for 53 yards on Sunday, although no official announcement has been made. The Eskimos are 0-3 against the Stamps this season, but had their starting quarterback for only one of those games.
The Riders finish their season on a disappointing note, in a year characterized by the elbow injury to Durant back in the Banjo Bowl. Sunseri completed seven of 15 passing attempts for 100 yards in the loss against Edmonton, and will likely get a chance to compete for a backup spot next spring.
#GCPlayoffs
EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Eskimos are off to the Western Final, after picking off Kerry Joseph five times on the way to an 18-10 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Sunday evening in the Western Semi-Final.
A stingy defence and an 88-yard Kendial Lawrence punt return touchdown made all the difference, as the Esks took a 17-0 second-quarter lead and never looked back on a frigid day at Commonwealth Stadium.
John White powered the Eskimo offence with 134 rushing yards on 19 carries, but other than that there was little room on the ground for either of these heated rivals as they met for the fourth time in seven games.
| Related: Western Semi-Final |
|---|
 Edmonton DB Ryan Hinds celebrates an one of five Eskimos interceptions in Sunday's Western Semi-Final win. » View Game Stats » Images: SSK at EDM » Western Semi-Final Playoff Centre» Video: Lawrence's 88-Yard PR Touchdown » Video: Williams Hauls in Major from Joseph» Video: Riders post-game reactions» Video: Campbell says Esks' D set the tone » Esks' top-ranked 'D' true to form» Joseph displeased with Western Semi performance » Preview: Esks, Riders look to settle score » Buy: Western Final Tickets - EDM at CGY |
Matt Nichols was also pulled for the Eskimos in favour of Mike Reilly, after throwing for 59 yards on 12-of-23 passing with one interception.
At the end of the day, the Eskimos with their league-leading defence were able to sit on an early lead and take advantage of the big play by Lawrence, as the Riders struggled to move the ball with Darian Durant watching from the sidelines.
The Eskimos defence came out firing in a Green and Gold-dominated first quarter, as the Eskimos forced a pair of two-and-outs while jumping out to a 3-0 lead.
After looking to get the ground game going with a first-down run by Allen, the Riders found trouble through the air. Joseph’s errant pass downfield was picked off by Aaron Grymes, giving Nichols and the Eskimo offence the ball inside scoring range.
The Rider defence held for a 42-yard field goal by Hugh O’Neill, his second of the game, but wouldn’t stay off the field for long. Joseph threw his second straight interception on a deep ball attempt to Dressler, again putting a quick end to the Riders’ possession.
Bad turned to worse for Joseph and the Riders their next time out. This time, Joseph’s low pass over the middle to Rob Bagg was corralled up into the air and into the hands of safety Cauchy Muamba, marking Joseph’s third straight interception on as many passing attempts.
The Eskimos couldn’t add more than four points off of their defensive hat trick, but on another O’Neill field goal extended their lead to 10-0 by the midway point of the second quarter.
While the Riders continued to hang around thanks to their charged up hometown defence, special teams sparks the game’s first touchdown. With the Riders punting and Lawrence back to return, the Eskimos’ X-factor burst through a seam up the middle of the field, burning the Riders’ coverage team for an 88-yard score.
That rewarded the Eskimos for a near-perfect start to the game, giving them a 17-0 lead much to the delight of the Commonwealth Stadium faithful.
Joseph and the Riders looked to settle down that crowd, but he was picked off for the fourth time in the game on the very next drive by Ryan Hinds. In looking to make the Riders pay right away, though, Nichols was intercepted in the end zone by Weldon Brown, ending the threat for the Green and White.
Video
WSF: Lawrence Burns The Punt Coverage
That sent the game to halftime with just a 10-point difference, as the Eskimos scored only four points off four interceptions. The Riders, meanwhile, stayed well within reach, despite picking up just 102 yards of net offence through the first 30 minutes.
The defences continued their dominance in the third quarter, while the Esks’ defence continued to cause headaches for Joseph, who was picked off by linebacker and Most Outstanding Rookie nominee Dexter McCoil early in the third quarter.
The Eskimos added just a single point off the turnover thanks to a missed field goal by O’Neill, but Joseph’s record-tying fifth interception of the game was the last pass he’d throw on the afternoon.
The Riders went with Tino Sunseri after that, ending Joseph’s day after going 7-of-17 for 120 yards, one touchdown, and five interceptions. Meanwhile, the Esks also opted for a change at quarterback to Mike Reilly after picking up just five points off turnovers, while failing to find the end zone on offence.
Sunseri provided some spark for the Riders on offence, leading them to a 30-yard field goal to put an end to the third quarter. That left the Riders down just eight points following a strong 15 minutes, with the game still well within reach despite being outplayed.
It took until late in three minute warning of the fourth quarter, but the Riders mounted their late comeback attempt, starting with a big stop on the Eskimos thanks to a sack by Ricky Foley.
From the 24, Sunseri hooked up with Brett Swain for a 30-yard pickup, moving the Riders near midfield. Sunseri connected with Bagg after that, keeping the drive moving into Edmonton territory.
But the drive hit a snag, as a holding penalty moved the Riders back while a sack on second down ended the threat. The Riders were forced to punt with just over a minute remaining, needing a big stop from their defence down eight.
The Eskimos needed a to move the chains and melt the clock, and they did just that with first down pickups by Calvin McCarty and White to seal the deal. The victory gave the Eskimos three of four games against the Riders this season, but more than that, they're off to the Western Final for a date with provincial rival Calgary on Nov. 23.
Reilly is projected to get the start in that game after completing six of eight passes for 53 yards on Sunday, although no official announcement has been made. The Eskimos are 0-3 against the Stamps this season, but had their starting quarterback for only one of those games.
The Riders finish their season on a disappointing note, in a year characterized by the elbow injury to Durant back in the Banjo Bowl. Sunseri completed seven of 15 passing attempts for 100 yards in the loss against Edmonton, and will likely get a chance to compete for a backup spot next spring.
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