The Edmonton Elks head into their bye week celebrating a hard-fought 22-19 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. In a classic “Freaky Friday” contest, momentum swung dramatically: the Bombers dominated time of possession in the first half (22:53) and jumped out to an early 16-0 lead, but the Elks roared back with 19 unanswered points. The thriller concluded with Vincent Blanchard nailing a walk-off 40-yard field goal. Both ground games were heavily featured, with Winnipeg’s Brady Oliveira rushing 16 times for 118 yards and the Elks’ Justin Rankin tallying 93 yards on 19 carries. After 10 consecutive weeks of play, this win secures the Elks’ eighth victory of the season — a milestone the franchise hasn’t reached since their 8-10 campaign in 2019 — giving the team a well-earned rest heading into the Labour Day break.
Reason #52 why you go to games: I am a strong advocate for experiencing CFL games live. Every match presents an opportunity to witness history and walk away with the pride of saying, “I was there.” Friday night’s “Country Night” was exactly that…a historic moment defined by a rarity. History was made by something that didn’t happen: Edmonton played an entire game without taking a single penalty. The last time this occurred was 52 years ago, on October 8, 1974, in a 28-28 tie against Montreal. I likely won’t be around the next time we see a penalty-free game, so I’ll just channel a bit of Alan Jackson and “Remember When.”
Week 13 of the CFL match-ups:
- Game 1: Montreal Alouettes at Winnipeg Blue Bombers Friday, Aug. 28: The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are set to host the league-leading Montreal Alouettes in what marks their first encounter of the season.
- Game 2: Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Calgary Stampeders Saturday, Aug. 29: Hamilton is travelling west seeking to avenge their Week 9 loss to the Stampeders. Calgary, having recently returned from their bye week, is eager to snap a two-game losing streak.
- Game 3: Toronto Argonauts at Saskatchewan Roughriders Saturday, Aug. 29: The Toronto Argonauts are making their second visit to Mosaic Stadium, seeking a second victory against the Roughriders. This contest features two second-place teams led by quarterbacks capable of delivering high-impact performances.
- Game 4: BC Lions at Ottawa RedBlacks Sunday, Aug. 30: Will this be the week the Ottawa RedBlacks secure their first victory of the season? The Lions travel to Ottawa to challenge the winless RedBlacks in the final game of the Week 13 schedule. As the Lions remain in a tight race for a playoff position in the West Division, the RedBlacks should not be underestimated.
The Lead: The Edmonton Elks have earned themselves a quality break as they go into the Labour Day series against the Stampeders. They sit four points ahead of the second-place Saskatchewan Roughriders, six points ahead of B.C. and Winnipeg and eight points ahead of the Stamps. The Labour Day back-to-back battle between the Highway 2 rivals is acting as a mid-season test where the outcome creates playoff certainty for each team. They are cheering for the East in every single game this week
CFL Leaders Takeaways: Elks category leaders through Week 12 in the CFL:
- Yards after catch (1501)
- Points allowed (25.4/game)
- Pass knockdowns (44)
- Interceptions (17)
- Turnovers forced (33)
- Points off turnovers (103)
- Turnover ratio (+14)
- Opponent pass efficiency (90.1)
- #1 ranked defence
- #6 ranked special teams
Self Scouting: Football is a game where improvement is always possible. This ranges from major changes to subtle tweaks that make things more efficient. Below are my bye-week self-scouting tips:
The offence
- Justin Rankin started the season with an explosion on the ground and in the air. The opposition has taken notice and has adjusted accordingly. The Elks have to continue to find ways to get Rankin touches and in different spots on the field with sweeps, dives, screens, pitches, draws, passes, etc. This last game, Rankin had 23 touches with 19 rushes and four receptions for a total of 141 yards of offence. It is going to be a chess match every week
- The Elks have 42 Red Zone visits with 23 touchdowns scored. Operating at a 55 per cent conversion rate is fine, but converting at a higher percentage will drastically change how games unfold.
- The Elks are on the slight side of 30 minutes of possession each game but have only won the time of possession once in their last fiv games. This is a big aid for your defence.
The defence
- This is a No. 1 defence. They need to continue to trust their eyes, be disciplined in their assignments and continue to make plays
- The minor adjustment I would like to see is in the last three minutes of the first half. They have given up 56 of the 107 second quarter points in the last three minutes of the quarter, going into halftime. I am not sure if this is due to the aggressiveness of offences or a change in defence or a combination of both. It is a nitpicky observation, but hopefully changes occur in the second half of the season
Special Teams
- The Special Teams have dropped from a No. 2 ranked squad last season to a sixth-ranked group this season. The team is last in kickoff return coverage and special teams penalties. Boosts in these areas will definitely pivot game fortunes down the stretch
- Would anybody trade the duo of Vincent Blanchard and Jake Julien for any other duo in the league? These two specialists are having all-star years, and their success is mirroring the team’s success.
- The Elks have the ace in the hole going into the last part of the season, and although ranked sixth, these specialty team groups are getting better, and Javon Leake is still a danger every time he touches the ball.
