The Edmonton Elks beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers this past Saturday to keep their playoff hopes alive for one more week. The math is pretty simple. If the Elks win out and the Blue Bombers lose out, they’ll be in. There was a chance in this one that a tied end-of-season record with the Blue Bombers could’ve gotten them in, but the Elks needed to win this game by 14 or more for that to happen. They were up 25-10 in the 4th quarter, so it was there, but alas, not to be. Interestingly enough, the Elks could even finish third in the West and not have to travel out East. That would involve Edmonton winning out, and Calgary and Winnipeg both losing out, which would secure that scenario. It’s a tall task with two games left in the season for the Elks, but with this weekend’s win against Winnipeg, it’s in the cards. Now let’s break down the game.
THE GOOD:
This wasn’t the cleanest game possible for the Elks on the offensive side of the ball, but it was enough to get it done. As we’ve kind of come to expect in wins, the offence ran through Justin Rankin. Eighteen carries for 132 yards. A 64-yard house call on 3rd and 2. I mean, the dude is just a baller. Thirteen total touchdowns on the season. Led the CFL in big plays heading into the game, and added to the total. Dude is just a monster. He’ll come into next season with good early odds to be league MOP. Defensively, the secondary is playing with incredible instincts. It’s been a group that’s faced its fair share of substitutions (similar to the defensive line), starting with the likes of Royce Metchie, Devodric Bynum, and Manny Rugamba. But as injuries and cuts have taken their share of the toll on the position group, this current group has emerged to play great ball back there. With Tyrell Ford and Kobe Williams being the only two players in their same spots in Week 1, and the emergence of JJ Ross at corner, and the versatility of Kordell Jackson and Chelen Garnes (Kenny Logan too), they seem to have found a group that best represents everyone’s ability, and their scheme. I also want to shout out some of the play-calling. Defensively, I think J.C. Sherritt has really grown as the D-coordinator, and offensively, I thought Jordan Maksymic dialled up a few cheeky ones. The read option on first and goal from the four was tremendous. It’s not a play you would expect from this team with Cody Fajardo in as the quarterback. But they called it and it worked to perfection. Cody walked into the end zone after a hard bite on the play call by the defensive end. The decision to go for it on 3rd and 2 from their own 46 only two minutes into the 3rd quarter was a great call from Coach Kilam as well. I know I personally had highlighted the lack of aggression in certain situations in regard to going for it, and while this exact situation wasn’t dire (a one-point lead with 13 minutes left in the 3rd quarter), I loved the aggression and trust in the guys. It showed.
THE BAD:
It’s not that there was necessarily a lot of bad. It’s more just that there was a little left to be desired. Cody didn’t have a great game. Thirteen of 24 for 142 yards and no touchdowns (with 37 coming on one single play in the 1st quarter), but it didn’t really hurt the team. They led by 15 halfway through the third quarter and ended up winning by 5 when you needed 14 for the tiebreaker. It’s a win. That’s what you needed to stay alive. You got it. But maybe you just left a touch to be desired, like I said. Oh, also, the reffing. Horrible. I’m usually one who doesn’t get too mad at the officiating because things even out. But this was a bad job.
COACH KILAM AND JUSTIN RANKIN’S COMMENTS:
When speaking to Coach Kilam after the game, I asked him about the win, but not winning by the 14 necessary for the tiebreaker and how much that weighs into the game plan during the week and during the game vs. how much of it is just go win the game: “Yeah, totally valid point… We thought about it, but it’s always to win first. We gotta do the right things to win the game and then if we can control it late to try and maintain that, then do that, but the win is the most important and we got the dub.” I also asked him about how much the defensive game plan was taking Brady Oliveira out of the game (with Winnipeg being the number one rushing team in the CFL) vs. taking Zach Collaros out of the game and how he thinks the defense executed: “Brady’s a great player, they want to get him going and they’re going to run the ball even when you know they’re going to run the ball… Credit to our defence, it’s physical in there and our team has done a good job on first down… We knew what it was going to be on first down and we thought if we could improve our second-down play, we’d have a chance and we did.” Great to see the evolution of this defensive group that was dead last across the board in virtually everything earlier in the season.
I asked Justin Rankin about what he attributes to being essentially the best “big play player” in the CFL: “I think just practice… The o-line and receivers believing in me to make a guy miss… uplifting each other and holding each other accountable… Things like that build confidence and the more confident you are, the more plays you make.” I also asked him about how much it weighs on him and the team to know you’re still in the playoff hunt, but that it may come down to something out of their control, with a Winnipeg win shutting the door on the playoffs for the Elks this season. “We definitely think about it, you can’t not think about it, but I think our mindset has really stayed the same all year. This is a team that’s always fought and I don’t think that’s changed… I’m just happy this team believes in each other as much as they do.” Wise words from one of the league’s best.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I mean, the season’s not over. It’s an uphill climb and, like I said in the last paragraph, it’s not going to be totally in their control. But they’re alive. They have to take care of what they can take care of. This Elks team can play with anyone in the CFL, and they prove it week in and week out. This is a 6-3 ball club in their last nine. And really should be 8-1. Woulda, coulda, shoulda, but they’ve proved it. The game was a must-win and they won. That’s what matters. One week at a time. It’s on to BC and they have to handle business there. And as well as BC’s playing lately, with what we’ve seen from the Elks these last two weeks, there’s no reason they can’t.
