Fall football in Canada usually makes for competitive, entertaining matches that create compelling stories. Unfortunately for the Edmonton Elks, the story has taken a dark turn. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers hosted the Double E in what would be an offensive feast for the home team.

GAME RECAP

THE FAN SIDE

There's not much to recap for the Elks in the first half, and despite the offense waking up in the second half, Edmonton could not defend against Winnipeg no matter how hard the effort. After seeing so many great defensive games from the Double E, Winnipeg out-coached Edmonton at every corner to flip the script. Head Coach Mike O'Shea utilized his veteran core to drive the ball via air and ground, an assault the Elks had no answer for. Former EE reciever Kenny Lawler caught multiple balls within inches of the boundary, a highlight reel performance for the ages. Elks defensive back Marcus Lewis made his return to the turf but he looked a bit rusty throughout the night, missing that extra step on critical plays and allowing Winnipeg a great amount of yardage in the process.

As for the offense, quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson's performance in the first half looked somewhat similar to Tre Ford's performance last week, a testament to Winnipeg's defense along with Edmonton's immaturity in the coaching department. Winnipeg made many adjustments heading into this rematch and it shows, allowing the Elks to score just 6 points on field goals in the first half. The second half showed some offensive improvement for the Double E, although this may be due to Winnipeg playing prevent defense at such an early stage in the game. Though finally scoring touchdowns thanks to the hands of Eugene Lewis and Tevin Jones, Winnipeg answered back immediately with touchdowns of their own, running back Brady Oliveira clucking his way down the field with little resistance. Elks fall 55-27 in what many describe as an embarrassing loss.

If you're an Elks fan reading this today, you're frustrated at the fact you've been sold Grey Cup or Postseason dreams, only to find the Elks in a position they were at earlier in the season; The Elks no longer control their own fate for a playoff run. This team now depends on other teams losing in order to sniff at the playoffs, similar to just 5 games previous. You probably thought this team was a shoe-in for the playoffs, yet that same team just allowed 55 points in one of the worst performances the Green and Gold faithful have ever seen. Sky-high expectations have been brought back to reality after Friday's loss, and rightfully so. All of the hype around new ownership and the coaching change is over, every member of the organization is now playing and working for a chance at returning to the team for 2025. After such a devastating loss, it's hard to say who will be returning and who won't with 3 games remaining, but clearly this team still lacks maturity and experience in certain areas. Expect the incoming president to hire more experienced individuals at some of these positions, which positions remains a mystery until the season officially ends for the Double E.

ON THE POSITIVE SIDE...

One of few consistent performers for the Elks is running back Justin Rankin, who rushed down the field for 109 yards on 14 carries as one of few cogs for the offense in Friday's game, a sentiment on repeat for the RB who was cut in Training Camp but brought back mid-season. Boris Bede also did his job with two field goals and 3 PAT's, and punter Jake Julien managed 303 yards on 6 punts. Despite the rough offense outing, the Offensive Line only allowed 1 sack on the night against Winnipeg's defensive line, a stat that should be cautiously applauded as the pocket still struggled to stay intact. It's worth noting that Eugene Lewis had just 5 receptions for 72 yards and 1 touchdown, however most of those stats accrued in the second half of the game. MBT had 19 completions on 34 pass attempts for 223 yards and 3 touchdowns, far from his best performance but still consistent to the rest of his stats on the season, one turnover not recorded but caused by a bad lateral pass that was fumbled and recovered by Winnipeg.

QUARTERBACK CONTROVERSY?

Social media is ablaze with fans, pundits and personalities questioning Tre Ford's exclusion from the game. Whether it be at halftime, garbage time or even next game, fans are wondering why Tre Ford hasn't seen the turf in a critical time of year in the name of contracts. Ford has been billed as the "Future Face" of the organization by many including the team, and if you live in Edmonton this is evident by the many billboards and advertising spaces that have changed ad graphics of MBT to Ford. Despite the shift in advertising and hype, Head Coach Jarious Jackson continues to back MBT as the quarterback that gives a better chance to win games, turning eyes and frustration upon himself in the process.

There could be many reasons as to why Tre isn't being given the keys, but with the Regular Season coming to an end the Edmonton Elks are in must-win mode for each and every game, and while all hope remained for Tre to take the wheel and run with it, the coaching staff is still hesitant to give him that power for reasons of their own. Maybe the 3 turnovers a week ago left a sour taste, maybe it's an act of accountability, maybe MBT is straight up performing better in practice, as well as on-and-off the turf, but we may never know those answers. For now it seems apparent that Jarious Jackson is standing by his decision of keeping MBT at QB1.

NEXT UP: EDMONTON ELKS VS SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS

The Edmonton Elks now look forward to hosting the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Commonwealth Stadium for a game with playoff implications on the line. Lose to Saskatchewan and consider yourself out of the playoffs, or win to keep the hopes alive for another week. The stakes have never been higher for the Green and Gold and the home team is sure to put up a fight on October 5th.

Buckle Up!