I’m not even sure where to start. The game was not pretty. It was not by the book. It was, however, a much-needed win, as the Edmonton Elks found their way to a 23-22 decision over the Montreal Alouettes.
Here are my thoughts on the game.
Another FYJW moment
Cody Fajardo’s third start for the Elks was not without its bumps. Nine of his 13 drives ended in a punting situation. The first points the offence put on the board came from a field goal with just under four minutes left in the first half. There were six sacks surrendered. Not a lot of the statline points to a win. But Fajardo, as he did when he played for the Alouettes, found a way on the final drive.
Down five points with 58 seconds on the clock, the veteran turned to his quick-out game that has worked so well in the past. The result was a six-play, 63-yard drive that finished with a touchdown from Kaion Julien-Grant with 15 seconds remaining. The two former Alouettes left the crowd speechless — or at least with less nice words to say about them.
This was why Ed Hervey made the trade for Fajardo. Edmonton needed a backup that could come and lead when necessary. After two close calls, they found the killer instinct to get that win.
Turning point
Discussing the game with some Montréal friends, we had different takes on the turning point of the game. They said that it was the Tyrell Ford 87-yard pick-six with 10 seconds remaining in the first half, a spectacular catch-and-run that Elks fans have been waiting on since the twin brothers reconnected in free agency. That was a massive play and a ten-point swing, at least, but it still had Edmonton behind, and the offence had not shown much spark.
My turning point came with 11 minutes left in the game. Vincent Blanchard was in to attempt a 54-yard field goal. It went just wide left, and Tyler Snead decided to run the ball out. Linebacker Nyles Morgan hit him so hard at the Montreal eight-yard line that the crowd gasped. It also sent the ball flying, and Brandon Barlow was able to recover. The energy on the double E bench totally changed. The belief returned. Edmonton scored touchdowns on two of their final three drives of the game. Game changer.
Wanted: Running Game
Once again, the lack of any running game to speak of concerns me. The top rusher for Edmonton was Fajardo with fourteen yards. Nine of those came on one run.
Only six other rushing attempts were listed, and both Justin Rankin and Javon Leake finished with totals of zero yards. With the number of times they went backwards, getting to zero might have been an achievement.
Edmonton did find ways to get the two backs involved. Rankin led the team in receiving yards with 88, including a key 24-yarder on the final drive. Leake contributed 153 yards in returns.
I’m glad they have found spots for these two to show their skills, but not keeping any kind of play calling balance is hurting the overall offence. The six sacks are partly on the offensive line, but when there is no threat of a run, they are placed at a disadvantage. I love the win, but I preferred the play calling that should have gotten them the win the week before.
Wanted: Sacks
Edmonton had yet another game with no sacks on the stats sheet. There was pressure, but they couldn’t close. Both Jared Brinkman and Jake Ceresna had a shot at Caleb Evans on one play and missed the agile quarterback. For the amount of money that was invested in that line, the sacks need to start coming.
The bright spot continues to be North Carolina product Noah Taylor. He seems to be benefiting from the attention paid to Ceresna and making plays, generating three tackles with one for a loss in this game. He’s making his presence known.
Redemption game
Kaion Julien-Grant felt he should have had the game-winning touchdown against Hamilton last week. All the time to think about that ball coming down to him, and the sideline growing closer, had the ball slip through his hands.
He made up for it this week. The Toronto native had two touchdowns against his former club, both in the fourth quarter, and one was that winning score.
When KJG arrived in free agency, there was less fanfare than there probably should have been. Hooking him back up with the quarterback he knows has increased that profile. The smile on his face post-game showed both elation and redemption shining through.
Special teams flurry
As much as the hit on the field goal miss from Morgan was a game-changer, the special teams had quite the night.
A return touchdown given up to Travis Theis showed a lot of missed tackles. Blanchard missed his first field goal since Week 1. They almost got a blocked punt, but contacted the kicker. To add to the fun, punter Cody Grace went down with an injury in the first half.
Not every night will be top-notch, but the special teams units struggled more than we have recently seen. The Grace injury is worrisome given that he is a valuable contributor. I still give him credit for a funny moment as he flexed to Als kicker Jose Maltos Diaz when he doinked a convert attempt — a costly point to miss.
Overall, this was a pretty even game. With the amount of injuries Montreal has been dealing with, I expected a bit more from the Elks. A win is a win, and they can learn from those moments. They have one week to be prepped to take on another struggling team in the Toronto Argonauts. Maybe stringing a win into a streak sparks more to come.
Andrew Hoskins is a lifelong Edmonton resident and the host of the Turf District Podcast.
