CFL Week 6

[squishy35]

Picture of taligating the last time the Elks won a home game.

[Ryan_USA]

Picture of taligating the last time the Elks won a home game.

I just spit out my corn flakes

[SammyGreene]

Just three games on tap for Canada Day Weekend. Seemed like no better time to at least have 4 games including a doubleheader on the national holiday but I guess not.

Friday 4:30 p.m.
Edmonton (0-3) at Ottawa (0-2)
Battle of the back-ups with Taylor Cornelius being benched in favour Jarret Doege who showed promise in mop up duty in the blowout loss to the Argos. RedBlacks turn to Tyrie Adams this week as they anxiously await the return of Jeremiah Masoli a year after being injured.

Saturday 4 p.m.
Winnipeg (2-1) at Montreal (2-0)
TSN analyst Paul LaPolice surprised many by saying the Als have best defence in the league through the early part of the season. No better test than against a Bombers team that was shockingly dominated by the Lions last week.

Monday 4 p.m.
B.C. (3-0) at Toronto (2-0)
Battle of the unbeatens as BC looks to pick up where they left off last week. Big test for their run defence and offensive line with the Argos piling up sacks against the Elks last week. Hatcher and Rhymes practising with first team on Thursday but Whitehead (hamstring) was out again, while Taquan Mizzell (knee) also sat. Former Lion Jordan Williams (knee) also missed practice for the Argos while standout national Kurleigh Gittens Jr was limited in his attempt to return to the line-up. Weather on BMO’s natural grass field could be a factor with 30 percent chance of rain. Hopefully the Lions are practising on grass all week.

[Hambone]

Picture of taligating the last time the Elks won a home game.

And here I thought that was the Leafs at their final pregame meal before they won their last Stanley Cup.

[SammyGreene]

The Elks are dreadful. They need another set of eyeballs on the football operations. This is what can happen when one guy is wearing way too many hats (GM, head coach & DC) especially when it’s not 2015 anymore and he is out of touch with structuring his salary cap and the talent being brought in.

The Bob McAdoo/Jarious Jackson offence needs to be punted too but only so much you can do 4 weeks into the season.

[Figaro]

I think 'dreadful' is too generous a description for the Elks. The defence can not stop the run, Special teams are very slow, and receivers can't make doable receptions. I have been watching the CFL since '67 and this is about the worse team I have seen. I agree with Milt Stegall - if I were an Elk fan, I wouldn't buy a ticket to watch this.

[Toppy Vann]

The Chris Jones show might be a victim of too many roles in one person and loyalty to his guys in a league where the characteristics of the top teams and how they're coached in all facets of the game have a lot more creativity on offense that simply outfoxes Chris Jones and his staff both offensively and defensively. He's no longer the defensive guru as opposing teams are better coached and counter his tendencies. Luckily for him is that Calgary are banged up and we don't know how Sask will develop.



Elks have signed Brett Boyko.

https://3downnation.com/2023/07/03/edmo ... one-other/

BC Lions
On May 15, 2019, Boyko signed with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL).[18] He played in 15 games and started in five in 2019. He did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the 2020 CFL season and was released on February 12, 2021.[19]

Saskatchewan Roughriders
Boyko signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on March 1, 2021.[20] He played in eight games in 2021 and became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 8, 2022.[21]

[DanoT]

Boyko was a disappointment as a Lion and pretty much the same as a Rider. But at 6'7" and 300+lbs he has the size that Jones covets.

[SammyGreene]

Thursday
Saskatchewan (3-1) 12 Edmonton 11 (0-5)
Elks somehow find a way to lose their fifth straight game out of the gate. Riders' game tying drive saw Harris complete two desperation passes as he was about to step out of bounds, along with a 3rd and 2. Two-point conversion ties game and brain fart by Elks returner CJ Sims who gave up the game-winning point on the ensuing kickoff. Cornelious INT sealed the collapse and moved the Riders into a first place tie with BC and Winnipeg at 3-1.

Friday
Calgary (1-2) at Winnipeg (3-1) 5:30 p.m.
It will take an upset road win for the Alberta teams to avoid being a combined 1-8.

Saturday
Ottawa (1-2) at Hamilton (0-3) 4 p.m.
Masoli makes his long-awaited return against his former team that has looked terrible to start the season.

Sunday
Montreal (2-1) at B.C. (3-1) 4 p.m.
Adams looks for a bounce back performance against another tough defensive unit and should have his full compliment of receivers to work with for the first time this season.

[David]

Watching that game for 57 minutes, I felt sure that the Elks were going to do the Lions a favour. Then they folded like Superman on laundry day. Pinpoint passing by Harris, some impressive catches, the Elks start to tighten up and the Riders score a TD to make it 11-9. I would have blitzed on the 2-pt conversion if I was Jones because the Rider Oline was not handling pressure well all game. Easy catch in the endzone. 11-11.

And then something inexcusable happened that was an embarrassment to the league. Elks returner Sims who is playing his 3rd game watches Lauther's kickoff sail into the end zone (big surprise there ) and casually goes to retrieve it and Takes. A. Knee. 12-11 Riders. Yikes. How could any Special Teams coach worth his salt not remind the player (new to the league or not) of the situation and its implications?

But it should never have gotten to that point.

Elks were up 11-3 with 7 minutes left. They had to punt on 3rd down. Jake Julien could have easily punted the ball through the end zone, thus making the score 12-3 which would have required the Riders to get a touchdown and field goal to win. Instead, he tried to pin them deep (presumably?) and Alford fielded the ball at the 22-yard line and got about 3 yards on the return. Wasted opportunity to score.


DH

[SammyGreene]

Watching that game for 57 minutes, I felt sure that the Elks were going to do the Lions a favour. Then they folded like Superman on laundry day. Pinpoint passing by Harris, some impressive catches, the Elks start to tighten up and the Riders score a TD to make it 11-9. I would have blitzed on the 2-pt conversion if I was Jones because the Rider Oline was not handling pressure well all game. Easy catch in the endzone. 11-11.

And then something inexcusable happened that was an embarrassment to the league. Elks returner Sims who is playing his 3rd game watches Lauther's kickoff sail into the end zone (big surprise there ) and casually goes to retrieve it and Takes. A. Knee. 12-11 Riders. Yikes. How could any Special Teams coach worth his salt not remind the player (new to the league or not) of the situation and its implications?

But it should never have gotten to that point.

Elks were up 11-3 with 7 minutes left. They had to punt on 3rd down. Jake Julien could have easily punted the ball through the end zone, thus making the score 12-3 which would have required the Riders to get a touchdown and field goal to win. Instead, he tried to pin them deep (presumably?) and Alford fielded the ball at the 22-yard line and got about 3 yards on the return. Wasted opportunity to score.


DH

Was thinking the same thing David and ironically the first punt from midfield bounced backward and Alford picked it up at the 8 and returned to the 15 plus no yards. Next two both went to the 21.

One damn rouge from it being a 2 possession game and they couldn’t get it done.

Other killer play was after Harris was sacked on first down then somehow made that completion to Emilus on 2nd and 16 as he was about to step out of bounds. Inexcusable Gray didn’t have him covered as it was Harris only desperation option

[Gridiron Ernie]

From the interviews I've heard last couple days seems RB Mizzell will likely be out, and perhaps diminutive new guy Shivers will be getting some playing time (according to Coach C.) and from an exchange between Matt Baker and Quincey Mauger, apparently he's prepping at Manny Rugumba's position for the upcoming game, in case needed there.

[Toppy Vann]

Watching that game for 57 minutes, I felt sure that the Elks were going to do the Lions a favour. Then they folded like Superman on laundry day. Pinpoint passing by Harris, some impressive catches, the Elks start to tighten up and the Riders score a TD to make it 11-9. I would have blitzed on the 2-pt conversion if I was Jones because the Rider Oline was not handling pressure well all game. Easy catch in the endzone. 11-11.

And then something inexcusable happened that was an embarrassment to the league. Elks returner Sims who is playing his 3rd game watches Lauther's kickoff sail into the end zone (big surprise there ) and casually goes to retrieve it and Takes. A. Knee. 12-11 Riders. Yikes. How could any Special Teams coach worth his salt not remind the player (new to the league or not) of the situation and its implications?

But it should never have gotten to that point.

Elks were up 11-3 with 7 minutes left. They had to punt on 3rd down. Jake Julien could have easily punted the ball through the end zone, thus making the score 12-3 which would have required the Riders to get a touchdown and field goal to win. Instead, he tried to pin them deep (presumably?) and Alford fielded the ball at the 22-yard line and got about 3 yards on the return. Wasted opportunity to score.


DH

Was thinking the same thing David and ironically the first punt from midfield bounced backward and Alford picked it up at the 8 and returned to the 15 plus no yards. Next two both went to the 21.

One damn rouge from it being a 2 possession game and they couldn’t get it done.

Other killer play was after Harris was sacked on first down then somehow made that completion to Emilus on 2nd and 16 as he was about to step out of bounds. Inexcusable Gray didn’t have him covered as it was Harris only desperation option

Another loss, another game where Chris Jones gets to knock Elks coaching deficiencies. The top teams in the CFL give the bottom feeders little margin for errors and this was as Jim Barker said at the half - a "bizarre" game and Elks with a QB he calls Taylor Conundrum.

In-game coaching in football and most sports is reminding and reinforcing what needs to happen on that kick off.
Elks kick returner was not with the team in TC so that doubly means the entire return team has to understand a single can't be given up and two guys in that end zone should be there to get it out. These days putting the non-football playing kickers back there is not always the best choice given what used to happen back in the late 50s and early 60s with Kickers who were like Harvey Wylie of the Stampers - punters and DB s or like the Bombers Charlie Shepherd - FB and punter IIRC. Now that's exciting the kick out and the kick back in.




3 Down Nation article by Elks fan Andrew Hoskins:

With the game tied, my friend texted me (Hoskins) that “it would only be fitting for this game to end on a rouge.” I think he meant something a little different.


https://3downnation.com/2023/07/07/roug ... he-riders/

[Toppy Vann]

Thursday
Saskatchewan (3-1) 12 Edmonton 11 (0-5)
Elks somehow find a way to lose their fifth straight game out of the gate. Riders' game tying drive saw Harris complete two desperation passes as he was about to step out of bounds, along with a 3rd and 2. Two-point conversion ties game and brain fart by Elks returner CJ Sims who gave up the game-winning point on the ensuing kickoff. Cornelious INT sealed the collapse and moved the Riders into a first place tie with BC and Winnipeg at 3-1.

Friday
Calgary (1-2) at Winnipeg (3-1) 5:30 p.m.
It will take an upset road win for the Alberta teams to avoid being a combined 1-8.

Saturday
Ottawa (1-2) at Hamilton (0-3) 4 p.m.
Masoli makes his long-awaited return against his former team that has looked terrible to start the season.

Sunday
Montreal (2-1) at B.C. (3-1) 4 p.m.
Adams looks for a bounce back performance against another tough defensive unit and should have his full compliment of receivers to work with for the first time this season.

Masoli to me didn't look confident in that game and now done for the year with achilles tendon injury. Simoni Lawrence who I"m not a fan of said the "rushed" him back.
I thought Hamilton were deliberately going low with one tackle earlier on his ankle.

I was hoping that the Redblacks might give Michael O'Connor a call and use Crum as their starter as he did some good things in that game.

But "The Ottawa Redblacks have signed American quarterbacks Tyrrell Pigrome and Jake Dunniway following a season-ending Achilles injury to Jeremiah Masoli.

Dunniway was in the Redblacks TC this season.

https://3downnation.com/2023/07/11/otta ... l-pigrome/

[SammyGreene]

Thursday
Hamilton (1-3 at Edmonton (0-5) 6 p.m.
2022 CFL free agency and one of Chris Jones' first moves as new GM and head coach was opting not to try and re-sign Mathieu Betts and instead fill one of his starting national defensive roles with Lions FA Adam Konar instead.

Friday 4:30 p.m.
Toronto (3-0) at Montreal (2-2)
Brutal scheduling as the defending champs coming off their 2nd bye of the season already.

Saturday
Winnipeg (4-1) at Ottawa (1-3) 1p.m.
Soft schedule time for the Bombers with RedBlacks then Elks before bye week and rematch with Lions on Aug. 2.

Calgary (1-3) at Saskatchewan (3-1) 4 p.m.
Stamps win helps Lions but why do I want a Riders win to add to the hype here a week Saturday with a battle of potential 4-1 teams?