The Edmonton Eskimos had their five-game win streak end with a humbling 28-16 loss to the resurgent Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday.
Now the Eskimos are going to have to deal with more than just defeat. They have lost their best receiver.
The Eskimos announced on Saturday that Fred Stamps, who leads the Canadian Football League with 33 catches, five of them touchdowns, for 619 yards, will be sidelined for four-to-six weeks after undergoing emergency abdominal surgery in Winnipeg.
The Eskimos indicated in a media release that Stamps suffered the injury early in the Blue Bombers game but continued to play.
"Fred was experiencing significant discomfort after the game," Eskimos general manager Eric Tillman said in the release. “He was taken to hospital for tests which determined that there was some internal bleeding and surgery was required. The surgery was successful and Fred will remain in hospital for a few more days. Our medical staff is projecting that he’ll be sidelined four to six weeks.
“Football is secondary at a time like this and Fred will be in our thoughts and prayers during his recovery".
Earlier this season, Stamps proclaimed himself as the best slotback in the CFL and he provided evidence of that in each game. He caught a pass while surrounded by three Bombers near the end of the first half that was absolutely brilliant. He caught the game-winning pass the previous week against Toronto.
Stamps was one of the few starting players that Tillman retained after last season when he radically overhauled the Eskimos’ lineup after watching it fail to make the playoffs. Stamps played a key role in quarterback Ricky Ray rediscovering the success that made him one of the most dominant players of this era after it appeared he had possibly seen his better days
Rookie head coach Kavis Reed and new offensive co-ordinator Marcus Crandell helped Ray rediscover his touch, but having a dependable receiver like Stamps was a key advantage.
Now Ray, who experienced a physical pounding against the Bombers, will have to rely on other receivers. But someone else stepping into Stamps’ spot is not that simple. He makes game-changing plays and helps others make plays. He’s a game breaker.
The fact the Eskimos built up some wins will help buffer them through this trying period. Losing Stamps at this juncture won’t impact them as much it would have later in the season.
If there is such a thing as an opportune time to get hurt, this is it. Had the Esks’ started off slowly, the injury would be a significant blow. Then again, Stamps is a big reason the Eskimos have started so well.
You could argue that Stamps and Montreal’s Jamel Richardson are best overall receivers in the CFL this year. Both make dynamic plays. Take either one of them out of their teams’ lineups and they are not as effective — although that will be for the Eskimos to prove otherwise.
But the Als have won the Grey Cup the last two years. They are annually a dominant franchise. The Eskimos are trying to rediscover past glory. Stamps has been a huge part of that, but for now he will be out of Edmonton’s lineup, impacting their effectiveness for the next month or so.
This will be a time for the Eskimos to find out what they’re made of minus one of their best players.
It’s been said injuries can’t be used as an excuse, but there is no excusing the fact the Eskimos are not as strong today as they were going into Friday night’s game. Stamps had only three catches for 41 yards against Winnipeg, which may have factored in the Eskimos’ loss.
Yes, the Bombers’ defence physically dominated the Eskimos’ offence, but without Stamps playing at 100 per cent, Edmonton lost a vital cog.
They will really miss him now.
