On Tuesday, the Edmonton Eskimos met for the last time this season before heading out to their off-season destinations.
The team lost 32-28 to the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League’s Western Final on Sunday, falling one game short of the Grey Cup.
Much attention is still being given to the decision made by Eskimos head coach Jason Maas – with under two minutes left in the fourth quarter – to kick a field goal on third and four from the 13-yard line instead of going for a first down.
Maas has come under fire from some fans over the decision, but Eskimos general manager Brock Sunderland says he fully supports his head coach.
“Everything Jason Maas does is to win,” he said on Tuesday. “If he has a conviction about something, I trust it and I support him. In the CFL, over the last two years, only one coach has won more games than he has.”
Over the last two seasons, including playoffs, Maas has won 24 games and has helped the Eskimos to back-to-back divisional finals. This year, the Eskimos had to endure a record number of injuries as the team dressed well over 80 players with over 50 players making at least one start.
Sunderland says he has a lengthy free-agent list but has agreements in place with several players for contract extensions. He says he’s currently negotiating a contract extension for running back C.J. Gable.
Quarterback Mike Reilly says change is something you can’t avoid in pro sports, which makes meeting as a team for the final time difficult.
Reilly will head to Ottawa for the CFL awards ceremony on Thursday where he’s up for the league’s Most Outstanding Player Award along with Toronto Argonauts quarterback Ricky Ray.
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