Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
EDMONTON – After losing two in a row to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the Edmonton Elks’ playoff hopes are hanging by a thread.
The 5-10 Elks will need to win their final three games of the regular season – at Commonwealth Stadium this Saturday for Saskatchewan, on the road in Calgary and then the home finale against the Toronto Argonauts – to get any kind of a postseason opportunity. .
“We have a three-game regular season right now, that’s the way we’re approaching it,” Elks head coach Jarious Jackson said as his team prepared for the Riders. “It starts this weekend with Sask.”
After an 0-7 start, the Elks caught fire and won five out of six. But two disappointing back-to-back defeats against the Blue Bombers have left the team’s playoff hopes in dire straits. The Elks have not made the playoffs since 2019.
“It’s more than that,” said quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson who threw for 223 yards and three touchdowns in last weekend’s 55-27 loss to the Bombers. “It’s about pride. It’s about who the hell we are and how we want to finish. It’s about pride in what we do, and pride in how we act. If you really love the game of football, you have pride in it.
“It has been an unbelievably difficult season. Three games to go. This is what it comes down to.”
Meanwhile the Riders (7-7-1) can clinch a playoff spot with a win on Saturday – as long as they get help. The Lions would need to beat the Stampeders, and the Blue Bombers would need a win over the Tiger-Cats this weekend to set up that scenario.
Coach Corey Mace expects a game where two teams will treat it like their backs are against the wall.
“I’m sure Edmonton is (motivated), but the reality is, so are we,” Mace said. “We’re really internally focused on doing the work for ourselves. If we treat what we are meant to treat, everything will fall where it needs to fall. “
The Raiders will likely start the game with their No. 3 running back, Frankie Hickson, getting most of the carries. AJ Ouellette is on the six-week disabled list, and Ryquell Armstead is out with a bad shoulder.
“I’d lean Frankie, but nothing’s out of the equation, yet,” Mace said.
Hickson has 392 yards rushing on 76 carries this season. Thomas Bertrand-Hudon will deputize him.
Meanwhile, the Knights remember that the Elks ran them over the last time these two teams met. In Week 9, the Elks rushed for 276 yards in a 42-31 win, with Javon Leake going off for 169 of them.
Drops were limited in practice this week as he recovered from a hip problem. He is listed as active on the depth chart. But running back Kevin Brown will miss the game due to injury,
“The running game is great,” Bethel-Thompson said of the team’s rushing corps, which also includes Justin Rankin. The trio of Leake, Brown and Rankin have combined for 1,594 rushing yards this season, so even with Brown out, the Elks should be in good shape when the ball is passed off.
For Bethel-Thompson, it’s all about the rest of the offense offering the run game the help it needs.
“The running game has been there. It’s about executing on the second floor and staying on the field,” he said.
Jackson said the Elks’ recent win over Saskatchewan was closer than it seemed. In fact, the Riders had a 21-20 lead over the Elks after three quarters.
“It was a very close game,” Jackson said. “Don’t be fooled by what the score was in the end because, at the end of the day, we popped a couple at the end of the game to put it just out of reach.”
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (7-7-1) AT EDMONTON ELKS (5-10)
Saturday, Commonwealth Stadium
DEFENSIVE BOOST: The Elks and Riders got some good news this week, as they both got key defensive backs back to health. DB riders CJ Reavis are expected to return after a week’s absence. And, the Elks get Darrius Bratton back in the fold.
“I told the coaches I’m not missing any more games,” Reavis said. “I wanted to play last week.”
OPENING DAY MEMORIES: The Riders beat the Elks 29-21 at Commonwealth Stadium in the 2024 season opener for both teams. Receiver Shawn Bane caught three touchdown passes.
OFFENSE DOESN’T WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS: The Elks are 5-10, despite leading the CFL in offensive points per game (28.1), touchdowns (46) and being second in yards per game (376.4) and first downs (325) ).
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on October 4, 2024.
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://canadanewsmedia.ca/officer-shot-in-toronto-this-week-out-of-hospital-as-political-bail-debate-resurfaces/
