The Edmonton Elks’ three-game win streak was snapped by the Calgary Stampeders, and, bluntly, it was the worst team they could have lost to.
There’s always history with Calgary. Provincial rivals, the team you’re supposed to hate, the team you always get up a little more for. But this one was different. Mark Kilam spent nearly two decades in Calgary and left unceremoniously. Not many coaches spend that long with a club and then leave on such bad terms, but that’s exactly what happened with Coach Kilam. You just know he wanted this one more. You just know it meant more than the first 10. And they couldn’t get it done.
Now there’s a chance to get one back, and they need it. With a loss, the Elks would drop to 4-8 and sit 0-6 against West Division opponents. Yikes. Sure, the crossover might be mathematically in play, but they’d still have to leapfrog B.C. or Winnipeg, two clubs that are a combined 3-0 vs. Edmonton. This one feels like must-win territory.
ROSTER CHANGES
No Jake Ceresna, no Nick Anderson, no Nyles Morgan. Some would say no hope, but not Coach Kilam. He said this morning that rookie Brock Mogensen, filling in for Nyles, is a player they’re high on. “He’s cerebral,” was how Kilam described him. “It’s his opportunity.” What an opportunity it is: stepping into a depleted defence for a game that’s breaching must-win territory. A huge spot for a hungry player.
GM Ed Hervey confirmed that Ceresna, one of the big off-season additions on the defensive line, is out for the season. Tyreek Johnson gets the official nod as starting DT, with Francis Bemiy rotating in prominently. Newly signed Jordan Williams (ex-Argo, Clemson) went through today’s walk-through as well. Expect all three to see game time. As Kilam put it: “You only get so many opportunities in professional football… You have to take them.” Bulletin-board material. One, if not all three, will have to step up, because even at the best of times, this unit has underperformed.
On offence, former U of A Golden Bear and five-year NFLer Carter O’Donnell joined the club this week and will back up RT Brett Boyko. The offensive line has had its fair share of bad games; while O’Donnell’s snaps may be limited now, there’s hope he can bolster the unit soon.
KEYS TO THE GAME
The offence needs to run through Justin Rankin. He’s been team MOP to my eyes. The box score won’t always pop, but he makes things happen when he gets the ball. The line needs to open holes, and he needs 18-22 touches, minimum, for the Elks’ offence to find rhythm.
The offensive line simply has to be better. With better line play comes more lanes in the run game, which opens the pass game. With protection, Cody has time to work through progressions; with time, receivers can break free from DBs. The common denominator for all of that? The offensive line.
Defensively, they have to take away the run. They can’t let Dedrick Mills run all over them again. The defensive line needs penetration. Edge rushers and blitzers must get to Jake Maier quickly and make him uncomfortable. Force mistakes. Maier isn’t a turnover machine, but pressure creates turnovers.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Listen, I think the Elks win. An expected crowd of nearly 30,000 (the biggest of the year), a revenge game, and a game they can’t afford to lose. The Elks may not be the CFL’s best this year, but I still believe they can compete with the best when they play to their top capabilities. Calgary is one of the best, and if the Elks play to their best, they win. It can’t be one unit or one player showing up. It needs to be for every unit and every player.
And finally, thanks for joining us on this ElksNation journey. I love the CFL. It’s the league that made me fall in love with sports. I love talking Elks twice a week with Eddie Steele, Rick Widemann, and Patrick Puff. I loved writing this and thinking about Saturday’s game.
If you’re here, I hope it’s because you love the CFL too. I hope this league and this team are near and dear to your heart. And I hope you’re with us twice a week on Elks101 and ElksCentral, and for every article we post at ElksNation.ca.
Go Elks. See you at 5:00 PM.
