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Published Sep 16, 2023<\/span> \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 4 minute read<\/span> <\/p>\n
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Edmonton Elks receiver Eugene Lewis (87) gains ground against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Regina, on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.<\/span> Photo by Heywood Yu<\/span> \/The Canadian Press<\/span> <\/p>\nArticle content<\/h2>\n
After an 0-9 start to the season in which they had been written off by many long before then, the Edmonton Elks still cling to life.<\/p>\n
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All four of their wins on the year have come in the last five games, which, while still adding up to a paltry 4-10 record, still has them in the post-season hunt at a time when six of the league\u2019s nine teams have losing records.<\/p>\n
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Here\u2019s what we\u2019ve learned following Friday\u2019s 36-27 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who were the first opponent the Elks beat this year who didn\u2019t come in with a losing record:<\/p>\n
1. RUN-FIRST PHILOSOPHY<\/strong><\/p>\n
Who says the three-down game isn\u2019t geared toward the run game?<\/p>\n
The Elks have flipped the script when it comes to gaining yards on the ground here in this passing league.<\/p>\n
On Friday, they rushed for 265 yards compared to 183 through the air, continuing a trend for the third week in a row that has seen them outrush the pass, 730 yards to 512.<\/p>\n
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In fact, since Tre Ford took over at starting quarterback coming out of the bye week six games ago, the Elks have only passed for six more yards than the 1,231 they\u2019ve rushed for, averaging an incredible 205 yards on the ground per game in that span.<\/p>\n
The league\u2019s top rushing team on the season, the West Division-leading Winnipeg Blue Bombers, were averaging 135 yards heading into their game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday.<\/p>\n
2. THE RUNDOWN ON BROWN<\/strong><\/p>\n
A big part of the Elks success in the rushing game has been the addition of Ford, whose fleet feet not only add to the total on the ground, but also keep defences honest when it comes to covering the speedy quarterback\u2019s ability to navigate up one sideline or the other. That has opened up lanes up the middle for Kevin Brown, who has been having a heyday recently.<\/p>\n
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After posting a career-high 143 rushing yards in a win over the Calgary Stampeders in the Labour Day Rematch, the Incarnate Word product followed up by eclipsing his own total with a 175-yard performance behind the driving force of his offensive line Friday.<\/p>\n
And just when the defence gets dialed in on stopping the run, the Elks still have the ability to take to the air, as freshly minted offensive co-ordinator Jarious Jackson keeps them guessing through complementary play calling.<\/p>\n
3. KUDOS TO CHRIS<\/strong><\/p>\n
Edmonton\u2019s recent surge in the standings may very well prove too little, too late, and has already left many of their fans questioning why the change to Ford wasn\u2019t made much sooner in the process than when head coach and general manager Chris Jones\u2019 squad was already 0-8.<\/p>\n
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But that\u2019s putting the cart before the horse, according to one veteran CFL personnel man.<\/p>\n
\u201cChris deserves massive kudos for drafting him and his development,\u201d the source said of Ford being selected eighth overall last year, after Jones parlayed the first-overall pick into a pair of first-rounders who are already starters. \u201cFord is a young, more athletic version of Damon Allen.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s amazing watching him.\u201d<\/p>\n
4. DOING IT ON DEFENCE<\/strong><\/p>\n
While on the topic of Jones, a big part of the Elks\u2019 newfound ability to close out games has to be credited to the defensive co-ordinator\u2019s unit coming up with some big, timely stops in the fourth quarter, which have either contributed to Edmonton\u2019s own comeback effort or stymied that of their opponent.<\/p>\n
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And there was none bigger or timelier that the safety on a sack by defensive lineman Sam Acheampong with two minutes left in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n
The six-foot-five, 270-pound Wilfrid Laurier product latched onto Roughriders quarterback Jake Dolegala after a coffin-corner punt by Jake Julien had him snapping the ball in his own end zone. Fellow Elks defensive lineman Jake Ceresna played the part of brick wall to ensure Dolegala didn\u2019t make it back across the goal-line, as the crucial two points proved to be the proverbial nail in the aforementioned coffin, pushing Edmonton\u2019s lead to two scores.<\/p>\n
5. GET TO THE POINT<\/strong><\/p>\n
Just how far have the Elks come since their bye week?<\/p>\n
We will find out on Friday, when they face for the third time a B.C. Lions squad that has shut them out not once, but twice already this season.<\/p>\n
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The Elks have not only been shut out of the end zone, but have failed to reach the red zone across eight full quarters so far. They only threat of scoring points Edmonton has even shown was with a 48-yard field-goal attempt that missed before being run out of the end zone by Lions return man Terry Williams.<\/p>\n
The last result, a 27-0 shellacking heading into the Week 9 bye, proved to be the swan song for Stephen McAdoo as the Elks offensive co-ordinator, and former starting quarterback Taylor Cornelius, who is proving an effective weapon in his new short-yardage role, throwing a touchdown to defensive lineman A.C. Leonard on a trick play Friday to get the Elks on the board in the second quarter.<\/p>\n
E-mail: gmoddejonge@postmedia.com<\/strong><\/p>\n
On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge<\/strong><\/p>\n
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