Eskimos lose control of their playoff hopes in loss to Lions

The Edmonton Eskimos were left hanging their heads in defeat after falling 42-32 in B.C. on Friday to the Lions, who secured a playoff spot in the process.

“The third quarter comes and we get blasted; there’s no better way to say it,” Eskimos head coach Jason Maas said after the game.

LISTEN BELOW: Jason Maas

In order for the Eskimos to make the playoffs, they’ll now need the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to lose against Calgary next Friday, and the Eskimos will then need to beat Winnipeg in the final game of the regular season at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 3.

The kick-off for that game will be at 2 p.m., with the Countdown to Kick-off starting at 12:30 p.m. on 630 CHED.

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Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly threw for 268 yards and one touchdown in their loss to the Lions, while B.C. quarterback Travis Lulay threw from 251 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions on the night.

“Going into the locker room with the lead at halftime, you’ve got to come out and play a lot better in the third quarter — that is what sunk us, of course,” Reilly said after the game.

LISTEN BELOW: Mike Reilly

It was a rough start to the game for the Lions, with offensive penalties erasing scoring chances in the first quarter and the Eskimos turning the mistakes into points.

But the Lions went on a tear in the third quarter, scoring 21 unanswered points, with the Eskimos unable to close the resulting gap in the final quarter of the game.

“We dropped the ball tonight on that one, so now we’ve got to hope that other people come through for us,” Eskimos cornerback Aaron Grymes said after the game.

LISTEN BELOW: Aaron Grymes

Receiver DeVier Posey had a trio of touchdowns for the Lions, while Bryant Mitchell was the top receiver for the Eskimos with six catches for 110 yards, including the team’s only touchdown; with Sean Whyte kicking three field goals.

Edmonton now sits with a record of 7-9 on the season, while B.C. improves to 9-8.

The Eskimos will now head to their bye week and have to hope for a Calgary Stampeders win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers this coming Friday.  If that happens the Eskimos final game of the regular season at home against the Bombers would be for a playoff spot.