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Eskimos meet for final time in 2017 after loss in CFL Western Final, GM offers support for Maas

WATCH ABOVE: The decision by Eskimos coach Jason Mass to kick a field goal rather than to gamble on third down in the CFL West Final has some fans believing that's why the team won't be at the Grey Cup. On Tuesday, the Eskimos were cleaning out their lockers and Quinn Phillips was there – Nov 21, 2017

On Tuesday, the Edmonton Eskimos met for the last time this season before heading out to their off-season destinations.

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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.”

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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.

“We as an organization won 13 games with a league record [number] of injuries, so we didn’t end up where we wanted to end up, we’re disappointed about that,” Sunderland said. “Everyone’s talking about Jason’s call and I understand that because it’s a passionate fan base and we love that. That’s why one of the most appealing things about being in Edmonton is how much people care, so we don’t want that to change.”
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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.

“It’s always a bit of a sad moment when you realize the season’s done, whether you finish with a win or a loss,” Reilly said. “Professional football, it’s never the same team, even if you were the best team in the league and won the championship, it’s not going to be the same exact guys. [It’s tough] to know… [it’s] the last time with some of the teammates you’ve had, and you may not know who they are, but you know that you’re not going to play with the exact same guys next year.”

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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