There's winning, and then there's dominating. The Edmonton Elks showed that they can dominate on Thursday night.
In front of over 15,000 fans at Commonwealth Stadium the Elks hosted the Ottawa REDBLACKS in what was dubbed as a potential "Trap Game", Ottawa's CFL team going into this game with an 0-4 record against the Elks at 3-1. Both teams were hungrier than ever to secure the win, yet the Green and Gold found much more than victory in Thursday Night's affair.
TAILGATE TALK
Sunshine and summer, heat and hot dogs, the Elks Tailgate Party was a big hit on Thursday. Football fans flocked to Lot B outside of Commonwealth Stadium to take in the party before the game, featuring a surprise appearance from Toronto Argonauts superfan and avid Tailgater Ginger Argo with his famous smoker mounted on the back of his truck. From Stall 181 and 182 we fed fans with chicken wings and souvlaki, a big hit with the people as we both ran out of eats quickly. With full bellies and a military flyover about the commence, the Tailgate emptied out and Commonwealth filled up.
GAME RECAP
3 THOUGHTS
1. Edmonton = Sack City. Both teams combined for 5 sacks on the night, 2 for Edmonton and 3 for Ottawa.
2. Over 500 yards of net offense. 537 yards, to be exact. 340 yards by air and another 215 by ground, the Elks found a way to post yards throughout the entire game but the 4th Quarter saw some of the most exciting offensive action.
3. Pure Double E domination in the 4th Quarter. Going into the final frame, the Elks were in the lead with a 16-14 score. By the end of the 4th, the final score was 40-17 for the Green and Gold, the team putting on a performance for the ages to wrap up this game.
THE POINT AFTER
Not only was this a 3-phase win, this was a victory that featured the strengths of each phase as well. After claiming that I couldn't bet on the Elks to notch 40 points on our podcast, The Elks Call, the Elks went ahead and posted their first 40-point game of the season which, I'll gladly eat some crow on next week's episode. RB Justin Rankin continued to shine, and RB Javon Leake was utilized in a way that made a massive impact on the game.
QB Cody Fajardo threw the ball 24 times, completing 19 passes for 340 yards and 2 TDs, his longest play eating up 90 yards between his pass and YAC yards. RB Justin Rankin continued to dominate the league with 107 yards and 2 TDs from 14 carries with an additional 3 receptions for 43 yards and another TD, continuing the "1000 and 1000" mission with flair. RB Javon Leake also got involved with 85 yards from 10 carries, a healthy indicator as the season marches on. WR Austin Mack topped the recieving leaderboard with 94 yards from 6 receptions and only 1 target missed. Mack's presence in this game was felt by Ottawa as they struggled to contain the CFL All-Star. WR Brandon O'Leary-Orange found meaningful touches, his 90-yard play consisting of mostly YAC yards. WR Kaion Julien-Grant only posted 24 yards in this game but his TD reception made an impact.
Defensively the team played well, interceptions finally coming at long last. DB Kordell Jackson may have only had 3 defensive tackles but his 2 interceptions had fans jumping up and down with joy. DB Tyrell Ford and S Chelen Garnes also found interceptions of their own, Ottawa QB Jake Maier struggling to find the open man often. Draft Pick LB Dariel Djabome certainly didn't look like a rookie in this game, another 7 tackles this week in addition to a special teams tackle to top the defensive leaderboard. DL Robbie Smith and DL Jared Brinkman made it past Ottawa's Offensive Line to secure 1 quarterback sack each in Thursday's tilt.
Special teams looked better in this game, K Vincent Blanchard hitting a 50-yard field goal before halftime to much surprise. Blanchard has been improving since he joined the Double E last year, a perfect performance on Thursday with 4 extra points and 4 field goals total. He also posted 434 yards on 6 kickoffs, averaging 72.3 yards per boot. P Jake Julien looked good in this one as well, averaging 51 yards on 5 punts. WR Carter Kettyle posted his first stat line of the season with the longest punt return of the day, a 30 yard return in game action.
THE FAN SIDE
I just left a store and had someone say "Go Eskies" (I wear Green and Gold almost every day). Sure, this person didn't say Elks, but the sentiment remains the same; People are watching this team in Edmonton. Don't let the attendance fool you, this city is finally starting to care about the team on the turf, and Thursday Night's game was critical for the organization's goal of filling up the stadium in the near future.
I had texted a friend earlier in the match, something along the lines of "This team could be so dominant." Safe to say the Elks proved my point in the 4th Quarter, a breakout performance that fans had been waiting for since the start of the season. The team has looked good in all but one game thus far, and if they truly want to claim the status of "contender" they will need to exorcise demons that have haunted them in the past, the BC Lions giving the EE fits just last week.
UP NEXT: EDMONTON ELKS VS BC LIONS JULY 17TH 2026
The Edmonton Elks will host the BC Lions for their second matchup of the 2026 Regular Season. The Lions feasted on the Elks last week but the home team wants to change the narrative. BC is 1-3 on the season and with playoff hopes already starting to dwindle, the Lions will be coming to Commonwealth Stadium hungry for a win. For the Elks, confidence and momentum have been gained and the Green and Gold are hoping this will propel the team to another victory next Friday. The weather forecast is currently predicting +31C, meaning the sun should be shining. Good weather and good football should prompt fans to flock down to 11100 Stadium Road for the biggest game of the season.
Buckle Up!