Foolish to take Elks for granted

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This article was published 07/10/2022 (1118 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s been more than two months since the Winnipeg Blue and Edmonton Elks last met, with the Blue and Gold earning a 24-10 victory at Commonwealth Stadium back on July 22.

Since then, not much has changed for either team.

The Bombers improved to 7-0 with the win over Edmonton and have lost just twice over the last eight games, currently sitting atop the West Division with a 13-2 record. The Elks, who dropped to 2-5 following the Week 7 defeat, have continued to rack up the losses, their 4-11 mark positioning them at the bottom of the West Division standings.

None of that matters, of course, when it comes to Saturday’s showdown. We’ve seen throughout the CFL this year that records don’t always tell the whole story, and while the Bombers have certainly been the better team this year, taking anyone for granted in this league is a sure recipe for failure.

“You respect your opponent, you respect the game and you do everything you can to do your job that week at a high level. There’s too much parity to overlook anybody,” quarterback Zach Collaros said following Friday’s walkthrough at IG Field. “There’s a lot of talent over there and around the league and we understand that. Nothing changes in your preparation, no matter what the other team’s record is.”

With that, here’s what you need to know heading into Saturday’s game, in the latest edition of 5 Storylines.

SIX AND COUNTING…

The Bombers and Elks have a long history, having first played back on Sept. 5, 1938 — two decades before the CFL was first established in 1958. I bring up the past to provide some context to the present, specifically how dominant Winnipeg has been over Edmonton of late.

The Bombers have won the last six games over the Elks, marking the longest streak of victories over that 84-year span. The previous record was five straight wins, which occurred between the 1965 and 1967 seasons.

Still, the pursuit for lucky No. 7 is anything but a foregone conclusion. While the win-loss record might heavily favour Winnipeg, a closer look at their lone matchup this season suggests Saturday won’t be a walk in the park.

The Bombers were bested by the Elks in almost every area of the game, including time of possession (37:14 to 22:46), total yards (321 to 272), first downs (23 to 12) and offensive plays (69 to 39). There won’t be many more games the Bombers win where Collaros completes just seven passes.

No one is suggesting the Bombers aren’t heavily favoured here, but don’t think it will be as easy as it appears.

 

HOME SWEET HOME

It’s no secret that the last few years the Bombers have been a dominant force at home. As a reminder, Winnipeg is 24-2 at IG Field dating back to September 2018, which matches their previous best 26-game stretch at home, set in the mid-80s.

Part of that has been the result of having such spirited crowds, with fans taking it to a whole new level this season. The Bombers lead the CFL in attendance with an average audience of 29,561. The players comment after every game on how impactful the energy in the stadium is.

For those keeping score in Edmonton, the Elks are absolutely putrid at home, having set a new CFL — and pro football — record with their 15th straight loss at Commonwealth Stadium last week. While not world-beaters anywhere, Edmonton has been a much better team on the road.

The Elks have won four of their last six games on the road, including two of their previous three. Even their last road loss was close, ending with a one-score game against a quality Calgary Stampeders team.

The statistics also show quarterback Taylor Cornelius is better in away games. Cornelius is 0-5 at home, with two touchdowns compared to six interceptions, while on the road he’s 3-2, with seven touchdowns and two interceptions.

 

STANDINGS WATCH

Many thought that Winnipeg would have clinched first place in the division by now, especially after an injury to B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke in Week 9 which was supposed to derail their season. Yet here we are with a month remaining and the Bombers are still in a tight race with their west coast opponent.

The Bombers still control their post-season destiny, given they play the Lions twice after the Elks to wrap up the regular season. There’s still a chance Winnipeg could seal the top spot in the West before then, which would require a victory over the Elks and a B.C. loss to the Toronto Argonauts Saturday afternoon.

Given how banged up the Bombers are right now, coupled with the fact everyone is dealing with some kind of bump or bruise at this point in the season, the opportunity to selectively rest players over the last three games would be an invaluable advantage. And as we saw last season, a key factor to a successful playoff run, and, this year, a bid for a third straight Grey Cup.

As for the Elks, a loss officially eliminates them from the playoffs. A win, however, would extend their faint hopes another week.

 

BLACK AND BLUE BOMBERS

There’s no doubt the Bombers are banged up and feeling the effects of a gruelling 18-game schedule. Pick an area of the roster and it’s dealing with its share of injuries.

The defence has been hit the hardest. The secondary still has a pair of rookies in Evan Holm and Jamal Parker patrolling the sidelines, with Nick Taylor and Demerio Houston out long-term; linebackers Kyrie Wilson and Malik Clements remain out another week, with Redha Kramdi making his first start at strong-side linebacker (a position that is also a big part of the secondary); and defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat will miss a second straight game, allowing for recent pickup Keion Adams to make his first start with the Bombers.

That’s a lot of moving pieces to deal with, and while Edmonton’s offence hasn’t been great this season, they are a much-improved group from earlier in the year. Cornelius won’t have No. 1 target in receiver Kenny Lawler, who underwent season-ending surgery this past week, but he does have some other dynamic options to give the ball to.

The Elks have discovered a solid running back in Kevin Brown, who, over just four games, has 43 rushes for 320 yards — an average of 7.4 yards per carry — and has caught all 13 passes thrown his way for an additional 102 yards. While Lawler is out, there are other weapons at receiver, including Derel Walker and Dillon Mitchell.

 

DEMSKI HITTING HIS STRIDE

Speaking of Rourke, don’t look now but Bombers receiver Nic Demski is making it a two-horse race for the CFL’s most outstanding Canadian. Simply put, Demski has been one of the hottest players in the league over the last month and has shown few signs of slowing down.

He was named a top performer last week and, two days later, was recognized as one of three top performers for the month of September. The 28-year-old Winnipeg native enters the game with a five-game touchdown streak, with seven scores over that stretch.

Demski has already registered a personal single-season high for touchdowns, more than doubling his previous mark of four last season with nine this year. In 11 games, he has 52 catches for 613 yards, putting him on pace to set new benchmarks in these categories as well.

Demski has never recorded a 1,000-yard campaign in his previous six seasons, and while it will take a bit of a Herculean effort to hit that mark this year, it’s not completely out of reach. And with Drew Wolitarsky and Greg Ellingson still on the shelf, expect Demski to be a prime target again in this one.

 

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton