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CALGARY — Ricky Ray has had plenty of great moments in his CFL career. He's been an all-star quarterback, a Grey Cup champion and a well-regarded man about Edmonton.
But his record against the Eskimos' provincial rival, the Calgary Stampeders, has been something less than scintillating. Dare we say brutal? We dare.
In his last 10 games against Calgary, Ray had fashioned some respectable passing statistics only to lose seven times. Granted, Ray's offensive teammates during those 10 games were never able to measure up to his standards. Still, Ray was the focal point of the CFL franchise, which meant losing seven of 10 games to the Cowtown cowboys fell largely on his shoulders.
But oh, how things are starting to change.
Edmonton Eskimos Jason Goss catches the football for a touchdown in front of Calgary Stampeders Calvin Bannister during the second half of Monday’s CFL football game in Calgary. (Todd Korol/Reuters)
In Monday's annual Labour Day clash, it was all Edmonton, all Ray, as the Eskimos trampled the Stampeders 37-16.
Working behind an offensive line that blocked everything but the sun, Ray was able to pick up where he left off on July 3, when he pitched a last-second touchdown toss to defeat Calgary 34-31.
Operating in front of 35,650 mostly pro-Stampeders supporters, Ray threw precision passes, took his offence on lengthy marches and ran defenders ragged during the second half. Ray was so good in the final 30 minutes, he threw just one incompletion in 15 attempts.
Overall, he completed 26 of 38 passes for 376 yards and three touchdowns.
By comparison, Calgary quarterbacks Dave Dickenson and Henry Burris, who left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury, combined for just 156 yards.
“[Ray is] a proven quarterback in this league, an all-star and he played great for them,” Calgary defensive lineman Randy Chevrier said. “It's our priority to stop him and, unfortunately, we came up short.”
Ray was only a rumour to the Stampeders' defensive front four. They never laid a hand on him, let alone pressured him.
Ever the team player, Ray was quick to praise his offensive line as “the heart and soul of the team. They've been doing a great job and we've been running the ball real well. If they're playing well, we're playing well.”
Ray was at his best when it mattered.
After Dickenson opened the third quarter with a smart scoring drive that put the Stampeders ahead 16-12, Ray went to work like a diamond cutter.
He sliced through defensive coverages with ease, throwing a 24-yard touchdown strike to Kamau Peterson, then a 22-yarder to Fred Stamps, followed by a 25-yarder to Stamps again, this time in the fourth quarter.
By the time Ray was finished, Calgary had fumbled twice, gone to its third-string quarterback and was left knowing it had lost the season series to a West Division rival that has been gaining strength despite losing some key players to injuries.
“We physically get after people,” Eskimos head coach Danny Maciocia said. “That all took place in training camp. We were trying to build character. You're going to win and lose some games, but we don't want to walk off the field knowing we lost the physical battles.”
The Eskimos are a team on the rise despite an offence that presently starts two Canadians at wide receiver (Brock Ralph and Andrew Nowacki) and backup Calvin McCarty at running back (for the injured A.J. Harris). The Stampeders, meanwhile, remain a troubling mix of enormous potential that now sits with a ho-hum record (5-4, as opposed to Edmonton's 6-3).
The Stampeders should boast a better record but don't. They should have played with more emotion yesterday but didn't.
No one would say how seriously Burris was injured but given the short time to prepare for Friday's rematch at Commonwealth Stadium, it's likely Dickenson will get plenty of practice time this week.
As for Ray, there's little doubt he's benefited from a more determined offensive line and running game. But he's also been aided by Rick Worman, the Eskimos offensive co-ordinator. With Worman's assistance, Ray has been given more freedom to run plays that suit his skills and those of his offensive mates. It's been a far more productive pairing than Ray and the team's former offensive co-ordinator, Jacques Chapdelaine.
What didn't go well today? Ray was asked.
“The first half,” he replied. “I didn't play very well. Offensively, we had just 12 points. The good thing is we're making more good plays than not.”
Better yet for the Eskimos, the right man is making them, and he's starting to get this beat Calgary business down pat.
