However, the 2015 Redblacks wouldn’t have finished first in the East Division if Burris hadn’t had a season worthy of the CFL’s most outstanding player award and wouldn’t have played for the Grey Cup if he hadn’t been alert and quick enough to pull down a high snap before throwing the pass that Greg Ellingson turned into a 93-yard game-winning touchdown play against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East final.
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Lynch, the former Northern Illinois star in his rookie season with the Eskimos, scored a third-down play. Reilly threw for 352 yards and three TDs in a 27-16 victory and the Eskimos never looked back, winning its final 10 games culminating with the Grey Cup title.
Edmonton caught fire when Reilly returned as the starter, reeling off 10 straight wins, culminating with the Grey Cup title.
The game was a disappointment for Redblacks fans who thought their team might be crowned champions at the end of their second season.
Justin Phillips, the defensive lineman and special-teams player who requested a trade from the Calgary Stampeders to the new Redblacks franchise in his hometown, said he wasn’t yet ready to discuss his future.
“It’s awesome. This is why you do it”, said head coach Chris Jones.
“You learn to respect a man a different way when you see him at his lowest point and that’s where you really see character”, Chambers said. But obviously heartbroken, disappointed, all those things.
“You could pull tons of positives out of this year”, defensive tackle Keith Shologan said, “but right now all we’re thinking about is we just lost the Grey Cup”. Upon review, the officials agreed that it was indeed pass interference and suddenly the Eskimos had the ball on the Ottawa 10-yard line with destiny calling.
What bothers me so much is that both teams played great, yet – for better or for worse – they are sharing the headlines with video replay.
To make it this far after only two years in the CFL is a dream come true, he said. “That’s how it transpired”.
“We knew within one or two points, if we could get it that close, it was our game”, he said.
Five plays later, the Eskimos were in the end-z0ne for their first touchdown on a 23-yard pass from Mike Reilly to Adarius Bowman, who got behind Redblacks halfback Brandyn Thompson.
“We made some mistakes early to keep them in the game, but we came out on top”, said McCarty, who went to school in B.C. Chris Milo booted a 35-yard field goal to give the Redblacks a 19-17 lead. Edmonton punter Grant Shaw had a 69-yard single in the third, and Milo countered with a 72-yarder in the fourth to make it 20-18.
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The Redblacks’ Henry Burris passed 22-for-29 for 229 yards and was sacked three times. “They found ways to make plays and to get us off the field…” But we had ample opportunities to go down and put this game out of reach.
