The Toronto Argonauts played the perfect bend-but-don’t-break defence as the Argos won 24-19 in BMO Field. The Elks had 152 yards rushing, 360 yards passing, 38:45 in time of possession but with three turnovers and settled for 3 field goals under 20 yards, the Elks lost a very winnable game. The Elks defence were no slouches either as they held the Argos to negative one yard rushing and gave up no first downs rushing and generated 2 interceptions of their own. The gunslinger mentality usually leaves the one holding the gun with some holes but today they stood holstered up and walked off the field with a playoff berth in hand.
Week 17 of the CFL season features four games:
- Game 1: Toronto Argonauts at Winnipeg Blue Bombers — Friday, Sept. 25: This matchup serves as a potential preview of the East Semi-Final. While Toronto secured their playoff berth last week, the Blue Bombers remain locked in a competitive battle within the West Division, currently tied with BC and holding a two-point lead over Calgary with a game in hand.
- Game 2: Saskatchewan Roughriders at BC Lions — Friday, Sept. 25: The Roughriders currently hold second place in the West Division, with the Lions and the Blue Bombers trailing by two points. The Lions seek to maintain their momentum and defeat the defending Grey Cup champions as both teams aim to secure home-field advantage for the playoffs.
- Game 3: Calgary Stampeders at Ottawa RedBlacks — Saturday, Sept. 26: This matchup marks the second installment following last week’s dramatic, walk-off victory for the Stampeders over the RedBlacks, secured by a spectacular 62-yard field goal from franchise legend Rene Paredes. The RedBlacks are eager to secure their first win, while the Stampeders remain focused on maintaining their postseason aspirations, as they currently sit two points outside the playoff picture.
- Game 4: Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Edmonton Elks — Saturday, Sept. 26: The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Edmonton Elks face each other for the first time this season in a matchup that pits a desperate Hamilton squad, currently four points out of a playoff position, against a determined Elks team striving to host their first playoff game since 2015.
The Lead: After a disappointing result against the Argo’s, the Elks meet the Tiger-Cats for the first time this year. They need to prepare for a possible two-headed monster…not Harrison Frost and Tre Ford but desperation and despair. The Ti-Cats backs are against the wall and the ‘claws’ are out. The Elks on the other hand cannot get complacent with an upcoming bye week. As good as a year they have had, there is an opportunity to push for the championship summit but it starts by continually winning games, improving every week and focusing on the task at hand. The Elks are currently riding a 3 game winning streak at home but have lost the last 6 against Hamilton at Commonwealth Stadium. Ultimately, something has to give
CFL Leaders Takeaways: Elks category leaders through Week 17 in the CFL:
- Red zone opportunities (57)
- Points allowed (24.8/game)
- Opponent yds/play (6.50)
- Opponent pass efficiency (89.0)
- Pass knockdowns (62)
- Interceptions (21)
- Turnovers forced (42)
- Points off turnovers (140)
- Turnover ratio (+18)
- Kickoff average (70.7 yds)
- #1 ranked defence
- #4 ranked special teams
The Fajardo File: Cody Fajardo is on pace for a career year statistically. He needs:
- 12 attempts
- 17 completions
- 162 passing yards
Fajardo is closing in on some all-time Edmonton QB seasons as he needs, 66 yards, 145 yards, 225 yards and 284 yards to pass Michael Reilly (2013), Tracy Ham (1990), Tracy Ham (1989), and Danny McManus (1996) respectively. Passing these four milestones would leave him in 11th position on the Edmonton Single Season passing yards list.
The Strategic Matchup: The pivotal matchup will be first-down production, as the team that dominates this facet will likely control the outcome of the game. The Elks’ offensive line must effectively manage the line of scrimmage, while the defence needs to generate consistent pressure on Frost and contain Ford within the pocket.
ElksNation Game Notes:
