CALGARY – Mike Reilly’s return to the lineup couldn’t spark the Edmonton Eskimos to a win over the Calgary Stampeders on Labour Day.
With his team trailing 13-4 in the fourth quarter, Reilly entered the game in relief of starting quarterback James Franklin, who completed 13-of-28 passes for 105 yards up to that point.
“I knew that I needed to be available,” said Reilly, who had been out of the lineup since suffering a knee injury in Edmonton’s 26-11 loss to the Toronto Argonauts in Fort McMurray, Alta., on June 27.
“We obviously wanted to have a little more time to practise, to get the timing down and knock the rust off and to really test the knee before putting it to work in a game scenario. I think we all felt comfortable as well that if I needed to go in I would be able to and we wouldn’t be risking anything.”
Although Reilly engineered a six-play, 49-yard drive that led to an 18-yard field goal by Sean Whyte, the Stamps bounced back with a 45-yard field goal by Rene Paredes on their way to a 16-7 victory.
Reilly completed 5-of-12 passes for 90 yards, while finishing as Edmonton’s leading rusher with 25 yards on three carries.
“Today I was happy that I had to take off and run a couple times and get tackled a few times,” said Reilly, who added he’s confident he’s healthy enough to start for the Eskimos when the same two teams meet again on Saturday at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium.
“That was really the last thing that I needed to test was whether I could take off and sprint and take a tackle and have my knee feel the same. Today, we learned that information.
“I feel good about where it’s at, but again that’s up to the coaching staff to decide.”
Edmonton coach Chris Jones said he and his coaching staff will evaluate how Reilly throws the ball in the days leading up to Saturday’s rematch before deciding who will start the game.
“We’ll make that decision later on,” said Jones, who was pleased to see Reilly get right back up after getting sacked by hulking Calgary defensive lineman Charleston Hughes. “When he gets out there and extends drives, it certainly brings a bit of momentum to your team.”
Edmonton receiver Adarius Bowman was happy to see Reilly enter the game in the fourth quarter.
“It’s always good to get one of your leaders back on the field,” said Bowman, who caught three passes from Reilly for 78 yards to finish as the game’s top receiver with five catches for 93 yards. “It was good to have Mike out there. His leadership, just hearing his voice and his presence, I think it made a small difference for us.”
Bowman wouldn’t be surprised to see Reilly get the start on Saturday.
“I think Mike’s always ready,” said Bowman, while adding he’s confident the Eskimos can respond with a much better effort. “Calgary’s a good team. We’ve got to go back and re-evaluate and get ready in five days to play these guys again.”
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