Do you remember the last time you saw the Green and Gold score a touchdown within the first minute of a football game at Commonwealth Stadium? Better yet, do you remember the last time Edmonton had a three-touchdown lead at home? Off the top of my head even I don't recall seeing both of those events in recent years, but I do know the Edmonton Elks managed to make those exact situations happen on Thursday against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in what was an exciting game that was decided in the fourth quarter. In this week's edition of The Turnover, we'll break down the 9th game of the season for the Edmonton Elks, which also happened to be loss nine in-a-row for the trying Elks, who also managed to notch their Home Losing Streak at 22.
GAME DAY VIBES
At The Elks Herd, we've been saying the phrase, "Let's be real" quite a bit lately, and for good reason. The Edmonton Elks have gone through a coaching rearrangement, quarterback swap and offensive redesign all within a bye week. Having the expectation of an Elks win, especially against an elite team in the CFL West in Winnipeg, would only add an extra dose of disappointment to your EE fandom. While we always have hope, we did not expect a win considering the circumstances.
After a long work day and a dentist appointment, we loaded up the truck and arrived at the Elks Tailgate Party with little time to spare. Katherine and I prepared and opened our first-ever "Herdy's" pop-up, which is a play on Arby's and The Elks Herd. We've been serving smoked meats at the Tailgate Party for most of the season and due to some fans feeling as if the Tailgate Stalls are miniature private parties, we wanted to make a sign that welcomes fans to our stall and festivities. Apparently the Herdy's sign worked well because on Thursday, we ran out of smoked meatball subs much earlier than we had anticipated. The sauce was made by fellow EE fan Steve B, making the dish a true fan collaboration.
Thursday's Tailgate was more special than usual because long-time EE fan Sue K traveled from Victoria to see her team play, win or lose. We were very excited to see her after years of interacting online, so thanks to Sue for adding to the fun! The Tailgate is still a very bright spot on Elks Game Day in Edmonton, and all of our fellow fans prove it at every Home Game.
GAME TIME
We scrambled into the stadium a bit later than usual, missing the national anthem and introductions. By the time we made it to the top of Section X, Elks running back Kevin Brown had scored a touchdown within the first minute of the game, with the flex 2-point conversion to boot. Excitement levels rose and hopes remained. The Elks attacked the Bombers at every chance and forced the ball back into their own hands via third down. With Canadian quarterback Tre Ford at pivot, the Elks would score another touchdown on a Ford running play to make the game a 15-0 affair by the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Elks continued pushing the Bombers with momentum on their side. The defense pressured Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros into tossing the ball in the direction of Edmonton LB Loucheiz Purifoy, giving the Elks a mighty 22-0 lead with the field goal. Zach Collaros would exit the game, bringing backup quarterback Dru Brown in at pivot for Winnipeg. The Elks would lose the wind in their defensive sails, however, with the Elks giving up 10 points in the second quarter.
The Elks would begin to let the game slip away from them in the third quarter, this time in a new fashion. A fumble after a long throw to Elks reciver Dillon Mitchell would swing the momentum back to Winnipeg. The Bombers would score a touchdown, mostly due to running back Brady Oliveira breaking through the Elks defense on most attempts. The Elks answered on their next drive with a flat pass to reciever Kyran Moore, who ran along the sidelines all the way to the end zone. With a 29-17 lead and hopes at their highest, the Edmonton Elks would find a way to lose their lead and continued to be scored upon without any answer back. Loucheiz Purifoy would sustain a game-ending injury and in return, the Elks defense would allow 21 more points to lose to the Bombers, 29-38 the score.
3 THOUGHTS FROM THURSDAY
1. Best game all season. The fans of the Green and Gold wanted improvement and this game showed exactly that.
2. Better than a zero on the scoreboard. Exciting football. Fans wanted to see a competitive game and once again, they got exactly that.
3. 1 offensive touchdown after the 1st Quarter. C'mon man. The defense scored a touchdown early in the second but otherwise, there was very minimal scoring from the offense after the first quarter. This indicates a lack of adjustments which, OC Jarious Jackson just worked his first game in his new role. With time these adjustments should come and in return, better offensive play late in the game.
FOR FANS FROM FANS
Even though this game was just another way to lose for the Edmonton Elks, this game was also the best game of the season. It was great to see Tre Ford get his first start and it was even better to see a three touchdown lead. The Elks are showing improvement and honestly, that's what the fans needed to see. A competitive game against the best in the west was unexpected, therefore we can't complain about this game. We're just happy to see the return of Tre Ford and touchdowns at Commonwealth Stadium. The defense fell apart after the Purifoy injury and for the first time this season, the loss can be mostly blamed on the Elks defensive side. We're seeing that J-Min Pelley is progressing in his recovery from injury, his presence and performance being highly missed in this last game.
ON TAP: EDMONTON ELKS @ HAMILTON TIGER-CATS AUGUST 17 2023
The Edmonton Elks visit Hamilton to take on the Tiger-Cats on Thursday, and with improvements showing on the turf and changes seemingly working, Elks fans should be once again hopeful for a win, something we may not have been able to say 4 weeks ago. Buckle up, Edmonton!
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