Edmonton Eskimos head coach Jason Maas said the decision to remove quarterback Mike Reilly from Monday’s game was “a little bit of both” injury and performance.
“He was missing some things late in the game,” Maas said on the Coach’s Show on 630 CHED. “One throw in particular I wasn’t sure if it was performance or injury related. I know he was limping a little bit and when I saw that one.”
LISTEN: Eskimos Coach’s Show with Jason Maas on 630 CHED
The coaches had had a discussion earlier in the game to go with James Franklin to “change things up” if needed.
Reilly completed 13 of 29 attempts for 286 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, but did limp off the field after a fumble which he recovered on a second down and short situation.
“With Mike limping a bit and with James gong in I wasn’t going to give him just one series. After the second series he drove us down and scored,” Reilly said. “At that point I felt like James could get the job done and finish it out, which he did.”
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Franklin threw one touchdown pass while completing two of five attempts for 34 yards.
No quarterback ever likes to leave a game, especially when they are winning, but the 32-year-old Reilly said on the post game show Monday that he understood the move,
“I’m never going to question anybody’s decision in terms of what our coach’s decide. They are going to decide whats best for our football club. If I’m out there on the field I’m going to give the best effort that I can and if they decide that I am not physically capable to play to the ability that I need to or if other things factor into the decision, my job is to try and get myself prepared and ready to play any time that I step foot out there.”
Reilly was seen on the bench with one shoe off talking with the trainers, and officially was listed as probable to return with a minor lower body injury. He didn’t return, but still went home happy,
“The most important thing is to walk a way with a win.”
Which the Eskimos did, 42-24 over the Als ending a six game losing streak.
The coach said Reilly will be good to go Saturday when the Eskimos host the Toronto Argonauts on the Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium.
“He’ll be fine and he’ll be ready to go and we will look for nothing but what he usually does in games – play at a high level.”
The Eskimos return to the field Thursday for their first of two practices this week before Saturday’s game. The Eskimos can clinch a CFL playoff spot this weekend if they win at home over the Argos and the B.C. Lions fall to the Blue Bombers in Winnipeg.
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