Even the best generals in the world can't win a war without ground troops.
And the Edmonton Eskimos have to award their front line for holding the trenches against a tough defence in Thursday's 33-19 victory over the Montreal Alouettes.
It was a tall order for the O-line to carry out, considering across from them was a defensive line led by Anwar Stewart and Keron Williams that had allowed a league-low 56.8 rushing yards per game.
Although the Eskimos were able to rush for a combined 65 yards, the real feat was in their pass protection.
Williams and Stewart were among the league's top-5 sack leaders heading into the game, but were held at bay by an Eskimos line that didn't allow any quarterback sacks for the first time this season.
"I think we got the run game going good enough to where it softened up the passing game and Ricky (Ray) was just on," said offensive tackle Calvin Armstrong.
"We played well as a group. We picked up a couple of their stunts early and started playing with more confidence.
"I think they're the best defensive line in the league. That's pretty much the consensus around the league and I'd definitely agree with that after playing them twice."
But with Stewart on their line, any team would be in the running for that title.
"He's a good player, the thing about him is he's smart and he's been around a long time," said Armstrong, who lined up across from Stewart.
"He kind of knows what to expect. I'm sure he studies film well and he's a real intelligent player."
Although his brain may be his biggest weapon, there's no discounting Stewart's size.
"He's big and he's physical, so he's just a good football player," Armstrong said.
"He's a good athlete and we had a good battle."
