So where were we, before being so rudely interrupted by the most colossal collapse in Edmonton Eskimos history?

Oh, yeah.

It was 5:14 into the third quarter and Mike Reilly had just thrown his seventh consecutive completed pass of the second half, a 10-yard TD toss to Adarius Bowman to make it 28 completions in 32 attempts and reach 309 yards passing to that point of proceedings.

The TD gave the Eskimos a 31-6 lead over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and gave Reilly the Edmonton team record, previously owned by Warren Moon and Ricky Ray, with seven consecutive 300+ yards passing games.

For the sake of the storyline, excuse me if I just fast forward to Thursday evening at Commonwealth Stadium, where the Eskimos play the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and pick up where we left off with Reilly, Bowman and Derel ‘Sky’ Walker.

While ‘Most Colosaal Colapse In Eskimos History’ is a pretty compelling story, the story Bowman and Walker had going was a pretty good one, too.

Not one, but BOTH, Eskimo receivers are on a pace to set new CFL single-season records.

“Can and will,” said Bowman.

“I think we’re the best duo in the league, the best combination in this league right now with Mike Reilly throwing that ball.

“And when you list the three of us, put coach Jason Maas on top of our list. I think coach Maas is making all three of us better. He’s going to extend Mike’s career. I think he’ll extend my career as well. In previous years with previous coaches I was doing a lot more to get the ball. Coach Maas’ offence is constructed in such a way it’s hard to keep us from getting the ball.”

Walker says it’s a dynamic duo in two receivers partnered with another dynamic duo in the quarterback and offensive co-ordinator/head coach. It’s a double-double whammy.

“I believe we can keep this going all year,” said the second-year Eskimo, who has won the nickname ‘Sky’ Walker.

“Because of the way coach Maas has us moving around, it’s tough to stop us because it confuses defences. There’s also the fact the rest of the group of receivers are very, very talented. You put them out one-on-one, with Mike at quarterback, we’re going to win those match-ups a very high percentage of the time.”

If it weren’t for two overtimes, a four-point victory that went down to the final play and gassing a 25-point lead, Reilly, Bowman and Walker would be the story of the season.

Thursday against Winnipeg, Reilly has a chance to equal Anthony Calvillo’s CFL record of eight straight 300-plus yard passing games. And Bowman, playing his 100th CFL game, has an opportunity to tie the Eskimos team record of five consecutive 100-plus yard games.

The six-foot-three receiver out of Oklahoma State has produced yardage totals of 106 (vs Ottawa), 141 (vs Saskatchewan), 185 (vs Winnipeg) and 111 (vs Hamilton).

The Eskimos have had a pair of 100-plus yard receivers in every game so far, with Walker recording three and Cory Watson the other.

Bowman has 34 catches for 543 yards so far this season and Walker has 31 for 474.

Consider what both Bowman and Walker could accomplish over 18 games.

Indeed, consider what Walker could do after his first 18 games.

Walker, remember, came out of Texas A&M and spent the first six games of last season on the practice roster. He has played 16 games. That’s the same number Brian Kelly played in his rookie season before the schedule was expanded to 18. Kelly caught 61 for 1,098 that year. In his first 16 games Walker has caught 120 for 1,604 yards.

Kelly is the man both Bowman and Walker are chasing this year.

Walker is on pace for 139 catches for 2,223 yards, to break Bowman’s team record of 112 in a season set in 2014. Kelly’s Eskimo yardage record is 1,812 yards in 1983.

Bowman is on pace for 153 catches and 2,444 yards.

Allen Pitts owns the CFL single-season record of 2,036 yards.

“I’m trying not to look at the stats and stuff,” said Bowman.

“I’m just enjoying so much playing with Derel. Honestly, I’ve played with a lot of guys but playing with this guy makes it so much better for me.

“I have taken it upon myself to be the best I can be this year,” said Bowman, who led the CFL with catches for 1,456 yards in 2014 — his career year.

“I’m into my ninth year. My body is feeling great. My mind is feeling great. We still have some small things to work out with the team but in terms of me, I’m just trying to do my best every game. I really went into the off-season to get the mental part of it right, making sure I catch that ball first.”

That’s been the knock on Bowman. He can make a catch like the one earlier this season that both his coach and his quarterback said was the best catch they ever saw. But he can also then, clank, drop an easy one right in the numbers with nobody around.

“I agree with that knock,” said Bowman. “I can’t go against it. But I’m trying to get better at that every day and be in more of a leadership role with guys like Derel and some younger guys people haven’t heard about yet. I want to make it better for them.

“I don’t want it to take nine years for them like it took for me before they understand the value of the work and the privilege of being able to play football.”

That quote alone tells you where Adarius Bowman has been mentally and where he is now.

Bowman puts it another way.

Nine years into his career and he finally became a pro. And a lot of that, he says, is because of Maas.

“We all understand progression and you almost know when the ball is coming to you. We understand zones a lot more. He has us audible a route down … The best way I can put it to you is that I feel like a pro this year.”

Right now with Maas’ Eskimos, it’s a tale of two teams. The overall team may be struggling but the offence for runs of 35 and 45 minutes a game has been awesome.

“I know we’re 2-2 right now and still working on meshing the team part of it, but I don’t think anybody can stop me, Derel and Mike,” said Bowman.

“With the offence we have, with the coaches we have and with the faith our coaches have in us, with the calbre of the other receivers and the running backs and with that dominant offensive line in front of us, I don’t think there’s going to be much stopping us on offence.”

Walker isn’t going to pretend that he’s oblivious to the stats.

“I don’t usually keep track of my stats much at all. I just try to go out and try to improve on the week previous. But it’s hard not to realize we have a special sort of season going so far.”

And, while he’s very much a key player in the proceedings when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers come to Commonwealth Stadium Thursday, Walker says he’d kind of looking forward to the game as a fan, too.

“Mike is slinging it, man. Mike is a great player and he has one hell of an arm. Mike is doing a great job. I’m looking forward to this Winnipeg game with Mike just to see the end result on what Mike is going to do. Mike has a chance to have a whale of a game.”

Reilly was 32 for 45 for 465 yards.

Bowman caught 10 passes for 185 yards.

Walker caught seven for 154.

The Bombers are coming here minus four starters in their secondary.

“I think every game Mike has a chance to have a great game,” Walker said of his quarterback.

You get the idea. It might not be an easy task picking Edmonton’s nominee for most outstanding player in this year’s CFL Awards if this continues.

It’s been a compelling season no matter what’s going on with this defending Grey Cup champion team, but the Bowman-Walker show directed by Reilly and produced by Maas is the best show north of Broadway.

terry.jones@sunmedia.ca

@sunterryjones