CALGARY — As the Edmonton Eskimos limped off the field for some half-time wound-licking Sunday night, it became clear that quarterback Ricky Ray was one of the lucky ones.
Knocked out of the game with rib and sternum discomfort that prevented him from moving his left arm as he departed the turf at McMahon Stadium, the 30-year-old pivot likely figured himself fortunate he wouldn’t have to return to be part of Edmonton’s latest humiliating loss.
Having spent the first quarter being batted around like a Robyn Regehr trade rumour, Ray’s evening came to a merciful end early in the second quarter after a DeVone Claybrooks tackle was followed by a Robert McCune hit two plays later.
Prior to those hits, Ray spent the early part of the evening running for his life thanks to the type of combination that contributed to former GM Danny Maciocia’s demise — a porous offensive line and an opposing team with 12 hungry lads bent on swallowing the quarterback whole.
Jittery
Having won just one of six previous outings and sensing things were going to get a whole lot worse with three games against the Stamps in the next month, an understandably jittery Ray dropped the opening snap.
It got worse from there, as he finished two-of-five for 19 yards before limping off the field.
And with that, Edmonton’s season is essentially over.
The only question left with the 1-6 Eskimos is whether the same can be said of head coach Richie Hall.
Throughout the team’s hard-luck journey so far, the sliver of hope offered up by generous pundits was based entirely on the fact the club still had one of the league’s elite quarterbacks.
But while a team with a losing record makes the CFL playoffs virtually every season, if Ray is lost for any length of time, the Esks ought to get on with the gutting of a team many predicted would play in the Grey Cup game its city will host in November.
Assuming he doesn’t fire himself, as he previously threatened, team president Rick LeLacheur better get that new GM in place soon so the rebuilding process can begin with or without Hall at the helm.
Age-old backup QB Jason Maas lasted one play Sunday before Jared Zabransky stepped in and delivered a 28-yard touchdown pass that gave the Esks the rare distinction of having all three of its quarterbacks complete a pass during the same scoring drive.
From there, the visitors did little to stop the rout that saw the Stamps lead 32-8 at the half and earn the convincing 56-15 win at the final gun.
None of this is to take away from the performance of the league’s best defence, which has done well to punish and even humiliate almost every team it has faced this year.
That trend continued in this one, highlighted by a Dwight Anderson interception that wound up in Edmonton’s endzone 89 yards away after Zabransky telegraphed his pass to everyone in the stadium.
Summoned
That appeared to be the end of Zabransky’s night — making him the second-luckiest Edmonton quarterback in the park — until he was summoned back to the slaughter late in the game.
Anderson needed oxygen after his romp and the Eskimos now need a transfusion.
Fans can talk about the dropped balls, untimely turnovers, mental errors and injuries all they want to explain the Eskimos record, but at the end of the day, this is just a horrible football team.
Beaten in every aspect of the uninspiring outing against the Stamps, there’s absolutely no reason to believe the Green and Gold have what it takes to make a game of either of their next two meetings against Calgary.
Is that because Calgary is the current class of the league, or because Edmonton is just that much of a disaster?
Considering that five previous losses came against other teams, it’s painfully obvious the Eskimos are really that pathetic.
Especially if Ricky Ray gets to watch from afar for any length of time.
eric.francis@sunmedia.ca
