Eskimos hope to run off with third place

Meet Leos in winner-take-all for West's last playoff berth

Mario Annicchiarico, Edmonton Journal

Published: Friday, November 06, 2009

GAME TIME

ESKIMOS AT LIONS 8:30 p.m. Media: 630 CHed radio, tSN

The statistic leaps off the page quicker than Arkee Whitlock can make a cut.

Edmonton Eskimos running back Arkee Whitlock is tackled by Willie Pile of the toronto Argonauts during last week's CFL game at Commonwealth Stadium.

Dan Riedlhuber, Reuters

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The B.C. Lions run defence ranks last in the Canadian Football League, having surrendered 2,224 yards in 17 games--an average of 130.8 yards per game.

Yet the Edmonton Eskimos aren't rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of getting it done on the ground in tonight's winner-take-all battle at B.C. Place, with third place in the West Division on the line between the two 8-9 teams.

Are the Eskimos just being cautiously optimistic?

"I tell you what, to be honest with you, earlier this season I thought that (the Lions were suspect against the run), but they're packing some pretty good punch now," said Eskimos offensive line coach Jeff Bleamer. "That front four is playing great and they have great speed at linebacker.

"Sometimes you want to go right at it, mano a mano, and just see what happens. But they are an excellent defence."

That may be true as far as defending against the pass and getting to the quarterback, as Ricky Foley leads the CFL with 12 sacks and the Lions are first with 45 QB takedowns.

But can Whitlock and the Eskimos do their damage along the ground?They managed just fine against the Toronto Argonauts last week, producing 126 rushing yards against the CFL's third-highest rated run defence.

"I think it did a lot for our confidence to be able to run the football, period," said Eskimos head coach Richie Hall, "regardless of who it was against. Stats are stats.

"But we are a more productive offence when we're able to run the football, spread out and utilize all our weapons and keep the defence off balance," he continued. "Coming into B.C. Place, we do want to make a conscious effort to run the ball and, hopefully, we have some success because it will open up everything else."

Whitlock rushed for 114 yards on 15 carries for a 7.6-yard average against the Argonauts, with 44 coming in the first half. It was far superior to the 77 yards he's managed in two losses against B.C. this year.

"It's all up to us, we control all of that by coming out and executing," said Whitlock, who on Thursday was named the Eskimos' nominee as rookie of the year.

"Our philosophy is executing at the line of scrimmage. If we can get the push up front, then we have a chance to get those yards."

The Eskimos rank seventh in the league in rushing with an average of 98.5 yards per game, but the ground game has been more explosive in the latter part of the season.

"It's a plan, but it's also a goal," said Whitlock. "If you can have good balance and the two are complimenting each other, then you should be able to move the ball offensively.

"I think it's great if you can run the ball on first down and get a chunk of yardage, then on second down you only need three or four yards. I think it's perfect and I think it also makes Ricky(Ray, the Eskimos quarterback) more comfortable, being in second and short.

"We've been searching for that balance all year, and I think we've got into a groove lately running the ball and running play action. That balance, with the running game, makes the passing game a lot easier and I think, as a football team, when we've rushed we've been good."