ES Articles - Oct.7/05

[Opus]

Comiskey glad to be back

By JONATHAN HUNTINGTON, EDMONTON SUN

Dan Comiskey strolled into the Edmonton Eskimo dressing room yesterday afternoon, took a right turn and proceeded to his old locker stall beside Kevin Lefsrud.

"For me, this is like coming home again," said Comiskey, who played three seasons with the Eskimos before leaving this spring after requesting a trade to be closer to his premature twin daughters in southern Ontario.

The Canadian offensive guard was traded back to the Green and Gold from Hamilton on Wednesday - and firmly believes he can slide into his old position at left guard on Thanksgiving Day at Rogers Centre in Toronto against the Argos.

And his old friends - Bruce Beaton and Lefsrud - can hardly wait.

"It is going to really help us up front," said Beaton, who will be directly to his left on the o-line. He's a great player, but he also knows the schemes and the system."

"Not taking anything away from the guys we have here," added Lefsrud, "but he is a very strong player; an all-star player."

A nine-year CFL veteran with a Grey Cup ring, Comiskey will replace sophomore Joe McGrath at left guard.

Besides leadership and extensive experience in the trenches, Comiskey also brings something else to the table this week: knowledge of the Toronto Argos.

He has played against the Argos twice in the last month.

But even with everything he brings to the table, he will still take some ribbing for being "14 weeks late" for the season.

"As long as he buys chicken and some doughnuts once in awhile for being that late we are all okay," said Lefsrud with a chuckle. LATE HITS: The current plan calls for McGrath to start at right guard Monday ... Sandy Annunziata, who started in that spot last week, didn't practise with pads yesterday. His status on the 40-man roster is still questionable after he dislocated his right elbow and suffered a torn MCL in the elbow last Friday ... Davis Sanchez and Mathieu Bertrand didn't practise yesterday. According to Maciocia, they each have a leg injury but are scheduled to play Monday ... Non-import defensive lineman Randy Spencer will not travel east after injuring a leg in Hamilton.

[Opus]

Re: ES Articles - Oct.7/05

Davis hits town running,

Could be ready to face Argos on Monday

By JONATHAN HUNTINGTON, EDMONTON SUN


From last place in the CFL's East Division to the heart of a wild playoff scramble on the other side of the country in the span of one day.

Welcome to Troy Davis's new life.

On a whirlwind first day as an Edmonton Eskimo, the league's leading rusher in 2004 met his new teammates yesterday after an early morning flight from Toronto and a lunch-hour medical.

After a quick round of handshakes in the locker-room, he hit the practice field before hitting the playbook last night with head coach Danny Maciocia.

"We got a quarterback here, receivers and we've got a back, so it's going to be hard to stop this offence," said Davis, who was traded from Hamilton on Wednesday.


Maciocia isn't sure if his new star rusher will be the feature tailback when the Eskimos play Monday in Toronto against the Argos, one of the weakest teams defending the run.

MORE THAN WILLING

A decision on Davis's grasp of the playbook won't be made until a few hours before the team flight Saturday afternoon. But Davis is more than willing to carry the ball.

"I can play right now," he proclaimed, before adding, "It's not really the running game that I have to learn, but I don't know how the pass game goes."

With the CFL's leading quarterback in Ricky Ray and deep receiving core, Maciocia didn't acquire Davis to catch the ball.

He brought him to town to carry the mail and Joe Montford - who knows Davis better than most - believes he'll be able to learn the offence by Monday.

"If he was a receiver, it might be a little more difficult," explained Montford, who played with Davis the last two years in Hamilton before coming west, "but being a running back - the CFL is zone strong, zone weak and a couple of inside plays, but most of it is pretty simple."

Like other teammates, Montford is thrilled to have Davis in green and gold: "I think he is the best back in the league as far as blocking, durability and being able to catch the ball out of the backfield," continued Montford, Edmonton's sack leader.

"You watch TSN, you see some knockout blows (with his blocks)."

Added middle linebacker A.J. Gass: "Year in and year out he gets my all-star vote.

"But for me, this trade came a week too late."

Davis rumbled for 108 yards and two touchdowns against Edmonton's top-ranked run defence last Friday in Hamilton's 40-14 pounding of the Eskimos.

It marked the first time in nearly a year a running back topped the century mark against the Eskimos.

RUNS WELL AT COMMONWEALTH

And Davis has already proven he can run well on Commonwealth's grass, racking up 128 yards last July.

More importantly for the Green and Gold this week, the diminutive five-foot-eight, 180-pound back has also proven he can torch the Argos.

On Labour Day last year he burned the Toronto defence for 233 yards on the ground.

Davis wasn't nearly as successful against the Argos this year on Labour Day, but still gained almost 70 yards.

The Eskimos - with the lowest-ranked rushing attack in the league - haven't had a tailback reach the 70-yard mark in the last 12 games.

Maciocia knows the high expectations that can be placed on traded players like Davis - he even feels sorry for players in that spot - but he also knows the importance of the run game.

"That's the reason you make a move like this because deep down inside you know that you are going to have to get it going if you are going to do any damage," he said, knowing some critics are calling him a passing guru who doesn't know how to run.

"In two of the three years we went to the Grey Cup," he continued, referring to 2002 and 2003, "our running game was huge."

[Esks4ever]

Re: ES Articles - Oct.7/05

taking my usual job i see

[Nanook99]

Re: ES Articles - Oct.7/05

Even if Davis isn't ready for Monday, I want to see DD play a huge role in the game. I like Goldie, but the confidence doesn't seem to be there for him, and I think DD is going to be staying with this team no matter what if only because he is a NI. The big question is, and no offense, but is Morris still starting at tackle, or is Kabongo going to be in the game?? Will moving McGrath to the other side help Morris out? Beaton and Lefsrud obviously think that having Comiskey on their side will help them a ton, but Morris always *appears* to get beat on the other side. (notice how I said *appears*, implying that it isn't always his fault, its just more noticeable when he gets beat).
In other news, I sprained my ankle yesterday, so #77 has been waiting hand and foot on me. Woohoo bring on the ice cream.
N99

[Thrust]

Re: ES Articles - Oct.7/05

I really don't think it is a confidence issue with Goldie at all. It simply is his style of game.

[Sectionq]

Re: ES Articles - Oct.7/05

Get Davis in there and get him touches. I like Goldie out of the backfield catching passes but thats it. He doesn't seem to hit the holes fast enough and dances around too much instead of just putting your head down and running north south. Davis is a north south runner, thats what we need.

[Diesel]

Re: ES Articles - Oct.7/05

"We got a quarterback here, receivers and we've got a back, so it's going to be hard to stop this offence," said Davis, who was traded from Hamilton on Wednesday.

We also have RDL.

*sigh*

Couldn't we have traded him for a copy of Madden 2006 or somethin?

[Esks4ever]

Re: ES Articles - Oct.7/05

Even if Davis isn't ready for Monday, I want to see DD play a huge role in the game. I like Goldie, but the confidence doesn't seem to be there for him, and I think DD is going to be staying with this team no matter what if only because he is a NI. The big question is, and no offense, but is Morris still starting at tackle, or is Kabongo going to be in the game?? Will moving McGrath to the other side help Morris out? Beaton and Lefsrud obviously think that having Comiskey on their side will help them a ton, but Morris always *appears* to get beat on the other side. (notice how I said *appears*, implying that it isn't always his fault, its just more noticeable when he gets beat).
N99

I agree I wanna see alot more Double Ds!!!

In other news, I sprained my ankle yesterday, so #77 has been waiting hand and foot on me. Woohoo bring on the ice cream.

Isn't he suppose to carry you over the threshold ? not you carrying him?

[Diesel]

Re: ES Articles - Oct.7/05

and get him touches.

Bingo

[56Parkies]

Re: ES Articles - Oct.7/05

In other news, I sprained my ankle yesterday, so #77 has been waiting hand and foot on me. Woohoo bring on the ice cream.
N99

Think he'll figure it out after you've had that same sprained ankle for 5 or 6 weeks of him waiting hand and foot?

[56Parkies]

Re: ES Articles - Oct.7/05

I think that Davis will make-or-break Maciocia -- if we still only give 7 or 8 carries to the guy every game, Hugh will have no choice but to step in on the sidelines and make sure his investment is used properly. If it's Ray changing the call, then CC needs to take him aside and tell him to start using the running plays as called.

[Gargoyle]

Re: ES Articles - Oct.7/05

One thing that Davis brings to the table, aside from his many other running talents, is that blocking ability. IMHO, that makes him worth his weight in (green and) gold. Love his tenacity, style of play, strength, and lack of a massive ego. Kudos.

[gizmo fan 2]

Re: ES Articles - Oct.7/05

Okay, ASSUMING we actually start to balance the running game a little bit ...

I think Goldie should be shifted into a Haskins-clone...a kind of backfield SB. His running has been good, but I think Davis will be able to open some holes by himself that our OL couldn't for Goldie. DD is also better suited to that. I don't want to see RM go, as he's a great guy and he is very good catching out of the backfield. In this way, we can effectively use all three guys instead of having to cut one.

DD and Troy should be a tandem set in the backfield. Troy is very good at blocking, which will help us, and I think DD could be used some more in either a blocking or carrying role (and of course Davis would get carries as well). Our pass blocking would be a lot better with these two guys available to pick up blitzes.

So, now I have to come up with a new nickname ...we can still use Run DMC for DD/RM and also TD/RM.

How about DDT (D) for Diedrick and Davis?

[56Parkies]

Re: ES Articles - Oct.7/05

So, now I have to come up with a new nickname ...we can still use Run DMC for DD/RM and also TD/RM.

The Run-DMC was inspired, for sure. Hell, with Jenkins still on the roster, we even had a "Jam Master J"..

[EEfan]

Re: ES Articles - Oct.7/05

I heard a good one for ray and tucker = the Ricker