Journey to the Grey Cup: The 2015 Edmonton Eskimos
This is our league and this is your league from the 55 yd line on CFL America radio and the sports history Network The goal is to win the gr cup anytime that you’re told your health may make it questionable for you to come back and play in the playoffs that’s a big concern Mike Riley the question is will he be able to do it on that bad
Foot I can’t tell you what the stats are going to be I don’t care um I can’t tell you if it’s going to look pretty or if it’s going to look super ugly I don’t care I can tell you that uh when we walk off that field there’s going to be
Nothing left to [Applause] give God damn it I Broke I thought a lot about that game that drove me through the whole off season I knew that we fell short I knew that there was a lot of work to be done to get over that hump to make 2015 more success successful training camp started then once we started running around going
Okay I’m back I’m ready to go I’m ready to play there he is Evon eso’s quarterback Mike Riley whose season was derailed late in the playoffs because of a foot injury but healthy and ready to go again Riley to throw and it gets through to pman do that Mike Riley down and hurt
Yes he is it is when he hit me and and I felt my leg fold I was like this is the worst I can’t breathe and I can’t move my leg and I just hope I hope it’s not going to end my season and that does not look good this
Is about the worst possible sight we could get out of week one there was a hole in my stomach and anytime Mike Riley doesn’t stay in the football game there’s got to be something wrong he’s the leader of our football team and you have all these dreams of
Grer and uh when you see that you know your starter goes down it doesn’t set too well a torn PCL in his knee forces Riley out of the lineup indefinitely quarterbacks don’t win or lose games neither do wide receivers neither do linebackers DBS or o d line your team
Wins your team loses just because your quarterback’s out doesn’t mean you can’t win games told him straight up we’re going to win the great Cup this year but the only way we’re doing that is if we keep Pace the thing that I wanted them to do
Is to uh you know have a never say that attitude regardless of who you got on the field if you let something like that affect you now you know you not only lost a player but you’ve let a player’s injury affect the whole team to lose
Mike that really tested us as a group on what we were made of it’s off and it’s a pick six in came that ferocious Rush defense imposing it will now when you got that many athletes that’s hungry bunch of savages that play the game fast physically and together I mean scy the
Name he get P by Odell Willis JC sh lowers the boom we don’t play to be the sack leader the interception leader the tackles leader we play to be the number one defense in the CFL with a historically dominant defense the eskimos regain their stride and find a new weapon on offense touchdown
Walker I was happy that I could actually help this team out and be productive I just want to contribute somehow Walker starts his career with the best three-game receiving stretch in CFL history and the eskimos go six and four to remain in the hunt just in time for their leader to
Return I’ve never played scared on the football field I never will but I remember going into that game wondering if I was still going to be that same player wondering if that knee was going to be in the back of my mind or if it was going to change the way
That I played or you know if if I finally was going to become a guy that played with a little bit of fear the edmon esos get their quarterback Mike Riley makes his first start since week one and I remember getting up and going well I’m still going to play the way I’m
Going to play and nothing’s going to change it Mike Riley hangs in goes Enzo a darious moment as the touchdown Riley has time he’s going deep he’s got his man he’s got a touchdown now the pump fake and lets it Fly it’s a Darius it’s a touchdown welcome back Mike Riley
Welcome back his style of play is contagious the win over Calgary a 12 game losing streak against their provincial rival and with Riley back in full form the eskimos reel off win after win after win we was telling each other the time is now we can play with
Anybody the eskimos go 8 and0 in Riley’s return to clinch first place in the west setting up a western final rematch with the Calgary Stampeders I don’t think we would want it any other way why would it be anybody else last year they took it to us they’re coming to our place this
Year we think we’re the best team in the league it is the CFL Western final the eskimos and Stan Peters a trip to the gray Cup in Winnipeg next week is on the line offense make sure we handle the ball defense take the ball away most of all
Go out and have fun playing this [Applause] football come out here from the first play to the last and beat the out of them let them know they’re at our house and this is our Le sharks in the water that will not be denied not because of our love for
Winning because of our extreme hatred for losing best against best stamps and Eskimos for the right to play Ottawa in the 2015 great Cup Championship all right here we go here we go here we go Riley straight ahead stop of the line’s a [Applause] punk third and goal eso’s going for
Touchdown Eskimos Mike Riley takes the first pie out of the oven in the western file let’s go baby hey we’re going for two Riley into the end zone walk there’s got it and a quick eight nothing lead for the infon esos hey move him now move him hey work
Up and don’t stop your Fe and go get him Mitchell into the End Zone open in and incomplete Anthony Parker can’t hang on John oo recovered just in the nick of time Bly by Mitchell and the Stampeders need to close the gap lots of time for Mitchell and pass
Is caught Joe West brings it down well they’re marking it down on the three yd line that will B it down knock down Dion Lacy come on man come on Y Line here comes the safety Blitz Riley gets it away bman touchdown what a big Drive late first
Half for Edmonton biggest lead of the West final we had built that momentum in the first half and we needed to come out and start the second half the same we scramble to the left side throw and it’s complete to keny Stafford across the Calgary 35 yd line Mike Riley just
Made chicken salad out of chicken feathers Riley takes the snap throws and it’s complete again big hole for Snapper touchdown ESO [Applause] Eskimos taking charge on the opening drive of the second half back into mess’s hands that’s not going anywhere ball came loose that ball is out and it is
Recovered immediately by Dion Lacy it’s going to be our ball R it it’s all right it’s going to be our ball we’re going score Bradley drops back looks looks dances and throws and he’s going deep deep down the field Oh What A Catch by Dell Walker who skips his way to the end
Zone you know about that let’s go let’s [Applause] go looking for the next nail in the coffin of the Calgary stamp Peters Ry he’s going to keep he hits the five hey Edmonton that’s your quarterback Mike Riley on the end zone touchdown esimo ladies and gentlemen Dagger hey boys why not why not the score man why not if not we’re done if not we’re done right so give me everything you got Bly by Mitchell’s got Eric Rogers in Flight touchdown they’re not going to just lay down and let the last 10 minutes run off the
Clock Mitchell stands in throws touchdown Joe West and the Champs are not going going quietly into the night oh they’re not they are not hey I’m going to take care of the your brother tell her Pullam yall think this game’s over you’re wrong let’s [Applause] go third and six Western Final on the line need to convert to stay alive fled out of the pocket The End Zone jum ball and he’s brought it down Eric Rogers but there is a flag in the back
Field hands to the face Calgary number 56 what what hey hey you going to do that right now 35,000 on their feet here at Commonwealth Victory formation for the Edmonton esal the CL hits zero and the eskimos are going back to the great [Applause] Cup that was finally the total relief you know we did it we’re going to the gray Cup this is the stuff you dream about [Applause] I hope y’all getting y your cars pack flights whatever you got to do bring the kids bring the dogs bring everybody
Because hey the Smo is going to be in winning Pick we’re going there for business none of this stuff that we’ve done all year means anything if we don’t win the next game for the gr cup Is the geographical center of the country today this is the focal point of the nation it’s the Ottawa red blacks colliding with the Edmonton esos in the 103rd great cup let’s go come on let’s go show them how we do this let’s go we doing this way too long this what you live
For we coming we coming we come out here and we beat their ass from the first play to the last in every play in [Applause] between great J kicks it off great kept 103 underway buris throws it’s complete buris on a roll Chris Williams first and goal first dumps it off Patrick lais
Touchdown you’re you’re keep yes sir so Milo to kick it off Kel Lawrence with the return ball pop loose w w looks like Ottawa may be on it it’s red black football what the God damn it and right back to work goes burus and the Red Blocks over the middle touchdown stunning
Start 13 nothing before the eskimo’s offense hit the field let’s go all right boys let’s get an answer let’s get an answer first down Riley to throw looking for Darius Bowman touchdown on the money to his favorite Target who let’s go game on in the 103rd gray Cup es looking for the halftime lead Riley throws open man in zone touchdown a team [Applause] Shavers fellas we spotted him a quick 13 all right it shouldn’t be close right now we’ll come back in that second half to dominate this all right let’s go Second half underway Ottawa begins at Their Own nyd Line burus steps up he’s going to air it out come on grimy incomplete Aon Grimes in coverage and a flag flies damn it grimy come on God damn every time we get pinned we let him off the hook this is from
33 hits it red blacks back in the [Applause] lead Mike yeah my ribs little he got me right on the ribs still a one-point game as we head to the fourth quarter Big pressure on Falls incomplete Riley out of the pocket throws against the gra incomplete Championship season on the line and time is running out hey walk walk thrill get ready for me to put a hi behind go on a jump ball Riley’s got some time downfield incomplete looked like he had Dell
Walker there was contact down there but I didn’t know if it was enough contact for me to throw my flag hey you may as well tell Evon is challenging the previous play for defensive passing interference the ball was little under thrown so I was Tred to come back to it
And he just you know basically ran into me H my arm so you know I knew it was going to be a pi have to review defensive pass interference Ottawa 37 yd penalty here we go in some trouble gets away throws in zone and Korn with the catch and they
Mark it at the one looks like third and one and no hesitation about going for it we call the Personnel heavy and you know that’s my Personnel I come in for that and you know we knew it we knew it’ be a sneak Jordan Lynch comes in on third
Down let’s go baby get in get in I haven’t played an offensive snap ball game and come in there in the fourth quarter and um you know the biggest play of the game you know it was nerve-wracking plunging touchdown in there Jordan Lynch he scored the biggest touchdown of the game Victory formation
And they are the city of champions again Edon esos 2015 great Cup Champs it was just a relief and just being overwhelmed with emotion we want it and no one can ever take it away All that hard work you put in every second was worth it to be where you’re at right now city of Champions once again baby it’s been a long road doesn’t matter how strong of a person you are there’s times where you wonder is it ever going to get better is
It worth it is it you know why am I doing this to battle through that and to have it pay off it’s the best feeling ever [Applause] we finally brought it back it’s been a long time coming but it’s it’s coming home Now
The Edmonton Eskimos finished their season with a record of 14-4 (their best performance since 1989 in which they went 16-2). The Calgary Stampeders, the defending Grey Cup champions, finished with the same record as the Eskimos after the regular season. However, Edmonton clinched first place in the division (and a playoff bye) by virtue of defeating Calgary in two of three regular season contests. The two teams then met again in the Western Final after Calgary defeated the BC Lions 35–9 in the Western Semi-Final. The Eskimos earned the right to represent the West in the Grey Cup game by virtue of a 45–31 victory against the Stampeders at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. The 2015 Western Final game was the first time in CFL history where both teams came in with a 14-4 record in the regular season. Quarterback Mike Reilly was the offensive catalyst for the Eskimos as he passed for three touchdowns and ran for two more in the win. Edmonton reached its first championship game since winning the 93rd Grey Cup ten years earlier, making the 103rd Grey Cup the first of the modern era to be played by two teams that had not been any of the preceding nine championship games.
