Recap: Edmonton 15, Montreal 12
THE CANADIAN PRESS
Shaw's game-winner boots Eskimos over Alouettes
Posted: August 13,2015 10:30PM
Updated: August 14,2015 01:19AM
CFL.ca Staff
MONTREAL – A game dominated by defence came down to one kick.
Grant Shaw avenged three consecutive misses and nailed a 28-yard field goal with zeros on the clock to lift the Edmonton Eskimos over the Montreal Alouettes 15-12 Thursday night at Percival Molson Stadium.
Shaw’s earlier misses would have proved costly as these teams found themselves inside a defensive barn-burner that yielded 12 total sacks – Edmonton with 8 and Montreal with 4.
The Eskimos now take a league-leading 5-2 record back home to host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats next week while Montreal heads west to take on the Lions after a valiant defensive effort, especially in the first half.
The Alouettes were playing without what has been a staple along their defensive line, DE John Bowman, who was deemed a healthy scratch one hour before kickoff.
Picking up the slack on the defensive side of the ball was Kyler Elsworth who helped the Alouettes jump out to an early two score lead.
On Edmonton’s second play from scrimmage of the game, Elsworth tipped a pass which landed into the hands of LB Chip Cox who returned it 18 yards to set up a 30-yard Boris Bede field goal.
Bede is now officially the man in Montreal as it relates to the kicking duties after Sean Whyte was released earlier in the week.
Elsworth assisted on Cox’s turnover but cashed in on the very next Edmonton possession. A pass completed to WR Wallace Miles ended up on the turf after he was stripped of the football and Elsworth was right there to scoop it up and take the fumble back 41 yards for the touchdown.
The Als took a 9-0 lead into the second quarter after a dominant performance by their defence, holding Eskimos quarterback Matt Nichols to just 35 yards passing and 2 interceptions to accompany the aforementioned fumble.
A quick completion from Rakeem Cato to WR Alex Charette for 53 yards set up another Bede field goal from 38 yards out and the Als lead was extended to 12.
Nichols and the Edmonton offence was kept in check for almost the entire first half but finally got into a groove on their last drive of the second quarter. Nichols completed a 27-yard pass to SB Kenny Stafford and then a quick slant to Derel Walker to set up the Esks inside the five yard line. Quarterback Jordan Lynch entered in short yardage and ran a play-action to spot Stafford in the back of the endzone for a 4-yard touchdown pass.
Stafford’s fifth touchdown of the season with 39 seconds remaining in the half cut the Montreal lead to 12-7. The Toledo product was sent to the Eskimos from Montreal in the off-season as a part of a trade that sent Fred Stamps east and the acquisition is paying dividends.
If it was the Montreal defence that stole the
show in the first half, the Edmonton defence refused to be upstaged as
the second half got underway. With Montreal backed up in their own
territory, a pair of Eskimo defenders made the pocket uncomfortable for
Cato and veteran DB Cauchy Muamba put his club to within three points by
registering the sack in the endzone for a safety.
The following two possessions the Esks defence continued to hum, forcing two drive-stalling sacks sending Cato to the turf.
As for the Eskimos offence, Nichols was given a pair of possessions before he was replaced by James Franklin with just over 6 minutes remaining in the third quarter. At first it was unclear whether Nichols was replaced to change the pace of the offence or whether he had sustained an injury.
Later on it was confirmed that Nichols had left the game and gone to the locker room. When he left, he finished 15 of 24 for 130 yards and 2 interceptions.
Franklin completed his first pass, a 31-yarder to Walker, to set up a Grant Shaw field goal attempt but he pulled it wide right for the single.
Relentless in their efforts, the Eskimos once again bounced back on the Als next opportunity to put points on the board as the fourth quarter began. Cato dropped back and found SJ Green who made one of his patented highlight-reel grabs for a 40-yard gain. Two plays later however, Edmonton DB John Ojo got his hands on a tipped pass and snuffed out the drive.
Franklin took over and promptly found Stafford over the middle for a 30-yard gain and then an 8-yard pass to Walker to set up another Shaw field goal attempt.
His third miss of the day earned the Eskimos another single but left them still trailing 12-11 with just under 11 minutes left.
In a defensive game where ever point was valuable, the Eskimos sent Shaw out to punt just inside his own end of midfield and his boot sailed three yards into the Montreal endzone. Racing down field was Lynch, who was has been key on special teams for the Eskimos and registered a critical tackle to tie the game at 12.
The stop would prove to be huge as a stop by the Esks defence got the ball back and allowed Franklin to take over with 22 seconds on the clock where he would engineer the winning scoring drive.
MONTREAL – A game dominated by defence came down to one kick.
Grant Shaw avenged three consecutive misses and nailed a 28-yard field goal with zeros on the clock to lift the Edmonton Eskimos over the Montreal Alouettes 15-12 Thursday night at Percival Molson Stadium.
Shaw’s earlier misses would have proved costly as these teams found themselves inside a defensive barn-burner that yielded 12 total sacks – Edmonton with 8 and Montreal with 4.
The Eskimos now take a league-leading 5-2 record back home to host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats next week while Montreal heads west to take on the Lions after a valiant defensive effort, especially in the first half.
The Alouettes were playing without what has been a staple along their defensive line, DE John Bowman, who was deemed a healthy scratch one hour before kickoff.
Picking up the slack on the defensive side of the ball was Kyler Elsworth who helped the Alouettes jump out to an early two score lead.
On Edmonton’s second play from scrimmage of the game, Elsworth tipped a pass which landed into the hands of LB Chip Cox who returned it 18 yards to set up a 30-yard Boris Bede field goal.
Bede is now officially the man in Montreal as it relates to the kicking duties after Sean Whyte was released earlier in the week.
Elsworth assisted on Cox’s turnover but cashed in on the very next Edmonton possession. A pass completed to WR Wallace Miles ended up on the turf after he was stripped of the football and Elsworth was right there to scoop it up and take the fumble back 41 yards for the touchdown.
The Als took a 9-0 lead into the second quarter after a dominant performance by their defence, holding Eskimos quarterback Matt Nichols to just 35 yards passing and 2 interceptions to accompany the aforementioned fumble.
A quick completion from Rakeem Cato to WR Alex Charette for 53 yards set up another Bede field goal from 38 yards out and the Als lead was extended to 12.
Nichols and the Edmonton offence was kept in check for almost the entire first half but finally got into a groove on their last drive of the second quarter. Nichols completed a 27-yard pass to SB Kenny Stafford and then a quick slant to Derel Walker to set up the Esks inside the five yard line. Quarterback Jordan Lynch entered in short yardage and ran a play-action to spot Stafford in the back of the endzone for a 4-yard touchdown pass.
Stafford’s fifth touchdown of the season with 39 seconds remaining in the half cut the Montreal lead to 12-7. The Toledo product was sent to the Eskimos from Montreal in the off-season as a part of a trade that sent Fred Stamps east and the acquisition is paying dividends.
| Stamps vs. Stafford: What did the receivers do against their old club? |
|---|
 Receivers Fred Stamps and Kenny Stafford were traded for one another this past off-season and faced their former teams for the first time. Earlier today, CFL.ca's Don landry chronicled the trade heading into the matchup. Stafford hauled in 4 receptions for 61 yards while the Eskimos defence kept Stamps off the scoresheet. |
The following two possessions the Esks defence continued to hum, forcing two drive-stalling sacks sending Cato to the turf.
As for the Eskimos offence, Nichols was given a pair of possessions before he was replaced by James Franklin with just over 6 minutes remaining in the third quarter. At first it was unclear whether Nichols was replaced to change the pace of the offence or whether he had sustained an injury.
Later on it was confirmed that Nichols had left the game and gone to the locker room. When he left, he finished 15 of 24 for 130 yards and 2 interceptions.
Franklin completed his first pass, a 31-yarder to Walker, to set up a Grant Shaw field goal attempt but he pulled it wide right for the single.
Relentless in their efforts, the Eskimos once again bounced back on the Als next opportunity to put points on the board as the fourth quarter began. Cato dropped back and found SJ Green who made one of his patented highlight-reel grabs for a 40-yard gain. Two plays later however, Edmonton DB John Ojo got his hands on a tipped pass and snuffed out the drive.
Franklin took over and promptly found Stafford over the middle for a 30-yard gain and then an 8-yard pass to Walker to set up another Shaw field goal attempt.
His third miss of the day earned the Eskimos another single but left them still trailing 12-11 with just under 11 minutes left.
In a defensive game where ever point was valuable, the Eskimos sent Shaw out to punt just inside his own end of midfield and his boot sailed three yards into the Montreal endzone. Racing down field was Lynch, who was has been key on special teams for the Eskimos and registered a critical tackle to tie the game at 12.
The stop would prove to be huge as a stop by the Esks defence got the ball back and allowed Franklin to take over with 22 seconds on the clock where he would engineer the winning scoring drive.
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