Once again, ER isn’t only a long-running CBS medical drama from the ’90s starring George Clooney.
It’s also where bamboozled defenders go to lick their wounds after the Stampeders’ own E.R. finishes tying them in knots.
Following a quiet return to his CFL/Stampeder roots Week One at home to Hamilton – netting one catch for 13 yards – the 2015 CFL pass-catching champion amped ‘er up a few gears, leaving the Toronto Argonauts’ defensive secondary in tatters Saturday at BMO Field, making five grabs for 131 yards and two touchdowns.
“Not surprised, no,’’ says Calgary receivers coach Pete Constanza of Eric Rogers’ splashy return to football in general, and the CFL in particular, after two years away re-habbing an ACL torn while looking to land a roster spot on the San Francisco 49ers.
“He’s got the ability to make those plays. We’ve seen that before, of course.
“He hasn’t lost his eye-hand co-ordination or the ability to box out a defender and high-point a football. So you know he’s got it in him.
“The main thing right now is just getting his legs under him. You’re starting to see glimpses of Eric, all that ability of a couple years ago, coming back.
“Having the opportunity to make two big plays in one game the other night can only help his confidence; reminds him he’s still got those amazing tools in his tool box.”
Given the length of competitive inactivity, you’d figure at this early juncture of the return that Rogers would be scraping away more rust than has built up on the hull of the Titanic.
Instead, in only his second game back in competitive harness, he resembled the Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas Bahamas deluxe cruise ship at full speed ahead.
“That,” counters Rogers, “is a misread.
“There’s definitely a lot of rust. I feel it. I don’t run around as well as I used to.
“I’m still working on routes. I’d say the most worrisome thing in coming back was just … running. Running and cutting. I hurt myself.
“So it wasn’t like I got tackled or anything like that.
“Come game time, though, when I’m warmed up and ready to go, I feel pretty good.”
His first major, a 10-yard toss from QB Bo Levi Mitchell 5:03 into the second quarter, felt particularly sweet.
“It was give the circumstances of being away, the injury and everything, always going to be special,” says Rogers.
“But my mom passed away in February, complications from surgery, so that first touchdown was always going to be for her, which made it extra special.
“It’s something you’ve got to live through but I think about her every day.”
At BMO, the Stampeder offence was, quite simply, darn near flawless. Mitchell went 20-for-22 through the air (a 90.9 completion percentage) to nine different targets, for 324 yards and three touchdown tosses.
Tailback Don Jackson slashed his way for 123 yards on nine totes with Terry Williams adding 70 more. The offensive front did a superb job erecting a forcefield around their on-field general and at the point of attack for the ball carriers.
But the Rogers contribution, taking into account the extra jolt he could provide an already stellar attack, still stood out.
“He’s a dangerous guy,’’ says his old pitch-and-catch partner from Katy, Texas. “Everybody knows that from ’15, and the end of ’14 when he was there for the Grey Cup. You saw what it is. He goes up and makes plays. There’s a lot of field to cover so no matter what zones you play, man, there tends to be a lot of 1-on-1s, 50-50 balls, and he’s one of the best at going up and getting them.”
One of the best, period.
Still. Already. After two full years away.
“The catches in traffic, I like making them,’’ says Rogers. “They give me confidence. Some catches just … happen. There’s no explaining them.
“I can track the ball well, and when I use my big body to shield the DBs, those make me feel good, too. The first catch the first week, I was pretty happy about that, because it was raining.”
Scanning the video from last weekend, the invading Ottawa Redblacks have doubtless been put on alert for Thursday’s date at McMahon.
“I wouldn’t say I’m ahead of schedule,” says Rogers. “It’s just a day-to-day, week-to-week thing. The upcoming bye week will show me a lot about how I’m really feeling, how my body’s reacting, having to deal with some time off.
“I’m happy with the last game. Our receiving group all chipped in, which was great to see. The touchdowns were nice.
“But I’ve got a ways to go to feel my best, to hit top gear.”
Frightening thought, that.