SPRUCE GROVE - Eskimos head coach Chris Jones expected some flags in Edmonton’s first pre-season game, he just wasn’t expecting it to look like a cross between Canada Day and a military parade in Red Square.

Suffice it to say he wasn’t impressed with how the Eskimos and Saskatchewan Roughriders “adjusted” to some new rules this season.

“If it’s any indication, having 60 penalties (55 actually) … I don’t think either team did a very good job,” said Jones, who watched defensive backs on both teams continually busted for contact more than five yards past the line of scrimmage, a new and dramatic wrinkle this season.

“We have to do a better job of not putting our hands on after five yards and playing within the CFL rules.”

In an effort to hammer home the rule, officials didn’t allow one step of grey area, which resulted in a rainstorm of penalty flags.

“I think the CFL wants the calls to be called and they called it to the letter of the law,” said Jones. “When it was five and a half yards they were pulling their flags out.

“Again, I don’t think that’s what we want as a league. I think the players will adjust to the rules, hopefully in the pre-season. That way when we get to the games we don’t have that type of game.”

The object of the rule is to create more offence by making it harder on DBs, but Edmonton’s Pat Watkins isn’t worried that his position just got a lot more difficult.

“I try not to touch receivers anyway, I pride myself on being a skill guy, that I can keep up to somebody without cheating,” he said. “The rules are going to affect a lot of people but I personally should be all right.”

If anything, Watkins says it’ll hamper receivers just as much as it hampers the DBs.

“It’ll balance things out. It’ll force receivers to use more skill than physicality. A lot of people don’t even use skills anymore, they run until they push off and then go into their route. It’s easy. Anybody can do that. I can be a receiver and do that.”

SOLID DEBUT

Rookie James Franklin didn’t take very long to shake off the rust and adjust to the Canadian game. The rookie quarterback, playing his first game since the 2014 Cotton Bowl, completed 10 of 17 pass attempts for 159 yards and ran for 19 yards and two touchdowns.

So far so good.

“He’s a very good player. he’s been a good player for a long time,” said Jones. “Missouri won a lot of football games with him for a reason. He’s done a nice job of picking our offence up. He’s certainly a confident individual, I look forward to seeing him this weekend.”

Franklin gave himself a passing grade, but admits there are some things he has to get better at. Patience in the pocket, for instance, is an area he’ll be addressing in practice this week.

“Staying in the pocket a little more when things start to get cluttered up front,” he said. “There were a couple of throws downfield that I missed because I took my eyes from downfield to the guys in front of me and tried to scramble out, so I think that’s the biggest thing I have to work on.

“The expectation is to go out and do better than last week.”

Franklin looked comfortable, but Jones cautions that it is still very early in the process, when defences are at their weakest.

“He’s a very calm guy, he’s got that quarterback swagger to him,” said Jones. “But that was the first pre-season game. Not taking anything away or diminishing what he did, he’s playing a base defence. As things get a little more difficult — I’m sure Mark Washington (BC Lions defensive co-ordinator) will have something for him — I’m sure he’ll be able to handle it, but let’s don’t put the cart before the horse.”

PAY ATTENTION

With only one more pre-season game left to go, and a lot of paring down to do at pivot while still getting starter Mike Reilly ready for opening night, there aren’t enough downs to get it all sorted out.

Every play is going to count.

“That is the challenge,” said Jones. “Having enough plays where we get Mike some looks and all the other quarterbacks enough evaluation so we can make the evaluations that we need to have as coaches.”

VETERAN CUT

The Esks cut safety Corbin Sharun On Monday. It was one of those moves that coaches hate.

“That’s a tough one,” said Jones. “He’s been a lifelong Eskimo, a tremendous kid, a consummate team guy, but sometimes, unfortunately in professional football you make decisions that are tough like that. I love the kid, he knows that, he loves the organization, but right now that was the decision we had to make.”

FATHERHOOD FIRST

Watkins joined the team after missing the first two weeks of training camp to take care of things at home during the birth of his child.

“First and foremost you want to be secure on the home front,” he said. “That is the main goal. But at the same time it kept pretty good communication with the organization. It’s been a whirlwind. The last two weeks went by so fast. I’m just happy that I’m here, happy to get back to work.”

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robert.tychkowski@sunmedia.ca