Edmonton Eskimos Special Teams Epic Failures

BY DARREN POPOWICH @d_pop13


The Edmonton Eskimos continue to put the special into special teams. On Saturday, fired up from a pregame fracas the Eskies were in a foul mood. A mood displayed by special teamer Troy Stoudermire who returned the first punt for 20 yards setting the Esks up on the B.C. Lions 46 yard line. Blair Smith followed up Stoudermire’s return by limiting Chris Rainey to just a 4 yard return. It finally seemed that the Esks special teams’ woes of starting deep in their zone and giving their opposition great starting filed position would be turned around. Then in the fourth quarter another epic failure.



The Revolving Door

When the Esks were forced to change their entire coaching staff Special Teams Coordinator, Cory McDiarmid was hired. McDiarmid is a seasoned coach with 12 years of CFL coaching experience, including four Grey Cup appearances. Having had stints as a Special Teams Coordinator with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Calgary Stampeders, and B.C. Lions before coming to the Eskimos certainly qualified him for the Esks job. Yet, the Eskimos special teams have not done well for the vast majority of the season under his tutelage.


There was the failed experiment with Joe McKnight, who is now with the Riders. McKnight a big offseason signing as a kick and punt returner with NFL credentials fumbled twice in eight returns and was quickly dispatched to the practice roster for his epic failure followed by his release. Next the safe, but largely unspectacular Kenzel Doe who only fumbled once in thirteen games, but led the Esks to last in return average. Doe was actually seventeenth in return average among returners who had ten or more returns in a nine team league. Another epic failure. The third attempt by McDiarmid was Troy Stoudermire who made his debut with the Esks against the Montreal Alouettes where his punt return average was better than Doe’s, but he also fumbled. A third failure just not an epic failure.

http://yegboneyard.blogspot.ca/2016/...eams-epic.html