Dave Campbell
CFL.ca
A defence in football is supposed to be fearless, ferocious, fast, and fun to watch. So when Eskimos linebacker Rod Davis was asked how to describe the 2011 Eskimos defensive unit, he said they should be called “The Little Gnats.”
WHAT?!?
Instead of saying some kind vicious animal, he instead chose an insect. The defence certainly is as fast as a gnat, and equally as annoying.
They have several players under six-feet tall who are getting the job done in Rookie of the Year candidate J.C. Sherritt who leads the team in tackles, Damaso Munoz, Rod Williams and Weldon Brown just to name a few.
They also have other defenders who don’t look like gnats and hit much harder too: Davis, Greg Peach, Julius Williams, and Marcus Howard all fall under that category.
The mastermind of the defence is Rich Stubler. He’s been a defensive coordinator in the CFL for the Toronto Argonauts, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and he coached in Edmonton on two separate occasions in the nineties.
Before training camp, Stubler was asked what his defensive philosophy is, his answer was quite simple: “Don’t let them score.” The Eskimos are following the script almost to the letter.
They sit in the middle of pack defensively in total yards allowed, passing and rushing yards allowed.
The Eskimos lead or are near the top in the key stat lines. They rank first in the CFL in points allowed (352), first in the league in average points allowed (22.0) and third in the league in fewest touchdowns allowed (34).
Stubler’s system is all about bending but not breaking. Sure, you can rack 400 yards of offence but good luck finding your way into the endzone.
This is a group that has only five starters back from last season. When the Eskimos struggled at times this season it’s because they didn’t play fast. Head coach Kavis Reed says the big reason why the defence has allowed just 35 points in the last three games is because they’re playing fast.
Marcus Howard has nine quarterback sacks and his first game wasn’t until Aug. 5 in Winnipeg. Julius Williams recently went through a stretch where he registered at least one sack in four straight games.
The Eskimos have something they haven’t had in ages, two legitimate pass rushers on the front line. Halfback Weldon Brown has an interception in four consecutive games.
There’s some youth on the defence but they’re led by the veterans. Most noteworthy of the bunch is Davis who is a strong candidate for the team Defensive Player of the Year award.
Davis has taken the emotional leadership role, leading by example on the field with a number of huge hits. When he set the team record for tackles in a game with 13, it was during a loss to the Montreal Alouettes.
Davis said how disappointed he was that night because in his mind, many of those tackles came after first down yardage was gained. He’s been nothing short of spectacular since.
T.J. Hill is likely the most respected member of the defence; his teammates call him a player-coach.
Peach has gone from a full-time defensive end to a combo-role of defensive lineman and a linebacker. At some point during the season, Davis, Hill, and Peach all missed time due to injury and were sorely missed. Stubler says he’s happy to have his veterans healthy.
“You can’t play without your leaders, coaches can’t play. I mean I haven’t been out on that white line for 42 years,” explained Stubler. “They got to have guys out there who can make adjustments that can listen, and take charge. When we were missing those three guys it was hard on us.”
Now it all hasn’t been rosy. The D did their best to give the game away last week in Toronto. Leading 31-3 after three quarters, the Eskimos hung on for a 31-24 win.
You can understand when you have a four touchdown lead that a defence will relax. They looked like they were taking a Sunday stroll in the park. Bottom line, it was a teaching moment.
Play 60 strong minutes and finish the job. Their pass defence has surrendered the most touchdowns in the league with 24. Their secondary has been the group that has struggled most but have been ball-hawking lately and are helped by a strong front seven.
As the old saying goes, defence wins championships. It looks like The Little Gnats are championship ready.
NOTES: Linebacker J.C Sherritt will miss tonight’s game due to an injured ankle which according to General Manager Eric Tillman could be season-ending.
Recently acquired Hugh Charles is expected to make his Eskimos debut tonight against the Lions. Charles will primarily be used as a kick-returner to compliment Jason Armstead.
He’ll see sometime in the offense as well. Right guard Greg Wojt is expected to return to the lineup after missing the last three games with a sprained ankle, Patrick Kabongo comes out.
Quarterback Ricky Ray captured the CFL’s Offensive Player of the Week award for the first time this season. Ray passed for 374 yards and threw two touchdown passes and ran one in himself in the Eskimos 31-24 win over the Argonauts last Friday.
Running back Jerome Messam picked his fifth Canadian Player of the Week award. Messam ran for 115 yards on 19 carries. He needs just 36 more yards for his first 1,000 yard rushing season.
