EDMONTON — Jermaine Reid has a simple explanation for the surprising Edmonton Eskimos’ best start to a CFL campaign since 2002.
“We’re flying around, playing hard together, getting behind (defensive co-ordinator Rich) Stubler’s defence and really enjoying it, having fun playing,” said the burly six-foot-four, 275-pound defensive tackle, named the CFL’s Canadian player of the week Tuesday.
“When you have fun and the pieces are falling, this is what you get.“
And that is a 3-0 start to the season, an impressive feat for a team with not only a rookie head coach in Kavis Reed and new coaching staff, but an abundance of new faces sprinkled throughout the lineup.
Edmonton began last season with a 1-4 start, then dropped nine of its next 11 contests en route to finishing fourth in the West Division standings and out of the CFL playoffs.
That prompted general manager Eric Tillman to make a coaching change, letting Richie Hall go and bringing in Reed, who spent last season as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ defensive co-ordinator.
And the combination of youth and mounting victories has created a very positive atmosphere around Commonwealth Stadium these days.
“You see guys getting here early, a lot of guys here two hours before meetings even start, talking to teammates, just having a good time,” said veteran defensive back Chris Thompson, tied for the league lead with two forced fumbles in three games.
More impressive than the accumulation of wins is how Edmonton has played in all three facets of the game thus far.
The Eskimos lead in 23 different CFL categories as they prepare to travel to Calgary to face the arch-rival Stampeders (2-1) on Saturday.
Edmonton’s offensive line, highly criticized for its poor performance in 2010, is doing a fabulous job of protecting Ricky Ray.
The veteran quarterback is off to a great start with a 72 per cent completion average and 130.4 efficiency rating — both league highs — and has yet to surrender an interception in 91 pass attempts.
“I feel this year I can be smart with the football,” said Ray.
“I feel like I don’t have to go out there and force the issue, force plays.”
With Ray under centre, Edmonton is engineering scoring drives that not only keeps the defence rested and refreshed, but also keeps the ball away from the opposing offence.
In fact, Reid said his top Canadian honour was in large part due to feeling rested throughout Edmonton’s 33-17 win over the B.C. Lions last weekend.
“It’s a huge key,” he said. “When the offence is on the field you know they’re doing their job and when we’re off the field we know we’re doing our job.
“You don’t often see people gel like we have. We’re just out here having fun right now, enjoying playing with each other, being around each other so it’s not that surprising actually. We’re flying around, we’re enjoying practising together, we’re enjoying the team so it comes with it.”
Offensive guard Patrick Kabongo, who responded to Reed’s request by losing 76 pounds in the off-season, credits the team’s early success to the entire organization buying into the “Eskimo football” philosophy.
“All the staff members of the Edmonton Eskimos have made everybody feel at home,” said the six-foot-six, 315-pound Kabongo, in his ninth season with the CFL club. “I think that’s why the guys are so close.
“They’ve built practice so we can hang out together, they built time off so we can hang out. . .. it’s very important.”