Article content

So much for having extra time to prepare for the Montreal Alouettes.

An Edmonton Eskimos team that enjoyed a weekend off as the rest of the Canadian Football League finished up the pre-season schedule got a wrench thrown into the works with the sudden firing of Als head coach Mike Sherman on Saturday.

“I read about it and hear about it, like you all do, and I try not to think too much into it,” said Phillip Lolley, who will make his debut as the Eskimos new defensive co-ordinator as they open the season Friday against the visiting Montreal Alouettes (7 p.m., TSN, 630 CHED). “All I know is it’s the same guys who were calling the plays last year.”

The Alouettes are filling the void by making their offensive co-ordinator, Khari Jones, the new head coach.

“Yeah, he’s been promoted to head coach, but he was the offensive co-ordinator, he did call the plays, because the whole deal last year with the head coach at that time was he allowed (Jones) to do that. So I don’t look for much change,” said Lolley, who is more focused on the ones executing the plays that are called, than the one calling them. “And I know they’ve got three very athletic quarterbacks that can run the RPO (run-pass option) game, and two of them with great speed.