Sometimes you get smacked in mouth, and other times you do the smacking. The Edmonton Elks did the smacking on Saturday.

In front of 22,583 fans at Commonwealth Stadium, the Green and Gold faced the Double Blue Toronto Argonauts for a matinee game exactly 1 week after they started their match versus the Montréal Alouettes, but this time, the battle would take place in the Concrete Cathedral against an Argonauts team that has been surging up the Power Rankings. There was much on the line for both teams and a win for either team would offer some insurance for the remainder of their respective seasons. Fortunately for the Double E, they would go on to have one of their best performances since 2014.

TAILGATE TALK

The Elks Tailgate Party is a hit every game day and Saturday's fiesta was no different, a Taco Taste-Off competition making it's debut in the pre-game party. Judges and tailgate-goers had the opportunity to taste and vote for their favourite tacos, and the winners will get some amazing prize packages courtesy of sponsors and the Edmonton Elks. Shout out to Andrea and Jason of Stall 138 for hosting the event, fans had a blast tasting tacos! We ran out of our tacos de carnitas very quickly at Stall 182 as the people began to flock to Lot B outside of the stadium near the midway point. Within the last hour the Tailgate got extremely busy, the 1PM kickoff seeing masses of people in the Tailgate at the final minutes before kickoff.

GAME RECAP

3 THOUGHTS:

1. Defense was lights out - Ball Hawks! DB JJ Ross had himself a game with 2 interceptions, one for a pick six, and there were 2 fumbles forced and recovered by the Elks as well. The defensive line also found their way to the quarterback, sacking Toronto's QB Chad Kelly three times during this game to help hold the Argonauts to only 12 points for the entire game.

2. Welcome back Justin Rankin. While the Edmonton running back struggled to find his footing in the first half of play, Rankin shined in the second half with breakout rushes and catches that saw him somewhat make a return to his form from earlier in the season. 16 carries and 4 catches implies that the team is trying to utilize him frequently.

3. The Argonauts had no answer for the Elks. The first half of play was tight, only a two point difference separating the teams at halftime. After the half however, the Elks took the game and ran with it to put on a dominant performance that hasn't been seen in ages, holding the Argonauts to only 3 points for the remainder of the game.

THE POINT AFTER

The Double E have finally pulled off a dominating win, true domination, for the first time since 2014. All 3 phases did their jobs on Saturday afternoon but one phase stood out compared to the others.

Offensively the team did what was needed in order to secure victory. QB Cody Fajardo threw for 301 yards on 25 completions from 31 attempts, 1 passing TD notched for his efforts. Fajardo also rushed 3 times for 50 yards, his longest being a 44-yard sprint. Cody did well at moving the ball and reading Toronto's defense. RB Justin Rankin carried the ball 16 times for 47 yards and 1 TD, but he also made an aerial impact with 4 receptions for 61 yards. RB Javon Leake topped the rushing board with 6 carries for 58 yards. QB Cole Snyder punched the other rushing TD on a short yardage scenario. WR Joshua Cephus made 6 catches for 55 yards and 1 TD.

The defense was exceptional on Saturday. While rookie DB Terez Reid topped the tackle board with 5 defensive tackles, DB JJ Ross will surely take Player Of The Game honours with 4 defensive tackles and 2 interceptions, one of which was a pick six in the second half of play. DL Noah Taylor had 1 sack and DL Malik Carney had 2 sacks, LB Brock Mogenson and LB Joel Dublanko recovered fumbles that were forced by JJ Ross and DL Richard Jibunor. 12 points allowed say that the Elks defense were playing their best football on Saturday.

Special teams saw some struggles but overall they performed well. K Vincent Blanchard went 4/4 on field goals, his longest being a 52-yard boot. He also tallied 4 extra points after touchdowns. Blanchard did phenomenal on kickoffs, providing 412 yards from 6 kickoffs with a 92-yard boot helping his average. P Jake Julien seemed to struggle on accuracy but his numbers looked good, averaging 48.3 yards from 7 punts on the day, his longest being a 62 yard punt.

THE FAN SIDE

Personally, I've been a fan of the Green and Gold since 2013. I can't say I've seen many games where the EE has dominated to that degree, maybe back when gunslinger QB Michael Reilly was the sheriff in town. The last EE 30-point plus victory was on November 1st, 2014. Under the Elks moniker the team hasn't seen a performance like that at all, a very welcome sight for fans of all ages. I had invited long-time friends and family members to Section X in an effort to enjoy their company in our favourite environment, and everyone went home happy, excited, and wanting to go to more CFL games. Shocking, wins result in fans wanting more. Combined with the Taco Taste-Off and beautiful football weather, Saturday afternoon was the perfect combination for a very memorable day at Commonwealth Stadium.

As the old saying goes, offense wins games but defense win championships, and the performance on Saturday proves that the Elks are deserving of contender status. I know that fans and pundits alike are on the fence with giving this team said title but Saturday's game showed that not only is Double E Football back in Commonwealth Stadium, it's back in the city and it's back in the community. The wins and play expected in 2016 are now expected in 2026, and the media will surely be talking about the game come Monday morning. Luckily for the Elks, the "Home Sweet Home" vibes will continue against their next challenger in less than a week.

NEXT UP: EDMONTON ELKS VS WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS AUGUST 21ST

The Edmonton Elks will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for what will surely be an exciting game. The 7-3 Elks will face the 5-4 Blue Bombers for a West Division matchup in the City of Champions, Commonwealth Stadium hosting back-to-back CFL games before welcoming Guns N' Roses to town. The Elks will do their best to improve to 8-3 while the Bombers seek a higher spot in the standings as Labour Day looms. Fajardo vs Collaros, Rankin vs Oliveira, Carney vs Ceresna, all of these storylines and more will play out on Friday at 7:30PM with the Tailgate Party and Taco Taste-Off awards happening at 5:30PM. We'll see you there!

Buckle Up!