In Fred Stamps' mind, it's easy to explain the Edmonton Eskimos' mini two-game win streak.
"Everyone knows that with Ricky Ray, if he doesn't get hit or sacked he's the best quarterback in the CFL," Stamps said. "Keeping him upright is the key.
"He's the leader of our team and if we protect him there's a good chance we'll win. It all starts up front."
The numbers certainly back Stamps up.
Ray has been sacked just once the last two weeks, that one coming in Sunday's comeback 37-35 home victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Ray and Stamps both played huge roles in the victory.
Ray completed 28-of-36 passes for 384 yards and two TDs while Stamps had a game-high 10 catches for 181 yards and a touchdown.
Edmonton surrendered no sacks in its 24-6 victory over Toronto in New Brunswick on Sept. 26. Although Ray only had 188 yards passing, the offensive line paved the way for 173 total yards rushing, with Calvin McCarty running for 84 yards and two TDs on just 10 carries.
The Eskimos complete the home-and-home series with Hamilton on Friday night at Ivor Wynne Stadium (TSN, 7:30 p.m. ET). Another win would give Edmonton its first three-game win streak since the club won the Grey Cup in 2005 and help the team forget a horrendous first half of the season that saw it win just twice in its first 11 contests.
Now, Edmonton (4-9) enters action just two points behind third-place B.C. (5-8) in the West Division. The two teams square off in Vancouver on Oct. 16.
Stamps said Edmonton will worry about B.C. next week. Right now, the focus remains on Hamilton.
"Man, we can't afford to look past Hamilton," he said. "That's a good football team and it's going to be tough to go there and play because they'll have a good crowd.
"We just have to stay focused and play."
Hamilton quarterback Kevin Glenn had a decent outing against Edmonton, completing 25-of-37 passes for 294 yards and two touchdowns but also had an interception. Glenn's nine-yard TD strike to Marquay McDaniel late in the game pulled the Ticats to within 37-35 but the two-point convert was unsuccessful.
Tailback DeAndra' Cobb had 101 yards rushing -- his third straight 100-yard contest -- and a touchdown but also lost a fumble.
Overall, Edmonton outgained Hamilton (442 yards to 397) and forced twice as many turnovers and sacks (2-1 in both instances).
"The key is doing all the things we've done well lately that's led to success," said Eskimos safety Elliott Richardson, who also delivered the game's biggest hit, flattening Ticats' slotback Dave Stala.
"That's communicating to get into position to be able to make plays, then when they come to us to step up and make them. We've been a lot more assignment sound than we have been the first half of the season and it's showing with our defensive performances.
"I don't know what it is that's led to the change in fortunes right now but I think you've seen the last two games where things have gone wrong for us but we've been able to bounce back and capitalize on. Hopefully that leads to good confidence for the rest of the season."
The game is also an important one for Hamilton (6-7), which remains tied with Toronto for second in the East Division standings. But both the Ticats and Argos must also concern themselves now with possibly of having to keep either B.C. or Edmonton at bay and preventing a potential cross-over playoff scenario.
In the CFL, if the fourth-place finisher in one division has more points than the third-place team in the other, the fourth-place squad crosses over into the other conference and assumes the third playoff seed.
As well, Hamilton and Toronto are scheduled to meet at Rogers Centre, but a bigger concern for Ticats linebacker Otis Floyd is the recent play of his unit, which has allowed more than 30 points in each of the past three weeks.
What's more, Hamilton's defence has given up more than 300 yards passing its last three contests and the Ticats squandered 14-point leads in dropping two straight games.
"We haven't played to our ability," Floyd said. "And that gets to you because you know you can play better.
"The key for us will be to play our game and capitalize on plays. When an opportunity presents itself, we have to take advantage of it."
That includes finding ways to get to Ray and at least force him to throw before he's ready.
"We've got to put pressure on Ricky Ray and not let him have all the time in the world," Floyd said.
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