It's been 10 years since Edmonton Elks fans left Commonwealth Stadium happy after a game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Saturday's 25-20 win was a big step for the team, but its playoff hopes are slimmer than ever.
Here are my thoughts on the game.
Won the battle, but not the war
Edmonton's early-season struggles have been well-documented, including a 36-23 loss to Winnipeg. Despite this, the Bombers are a team that is still within striking distance of making the playoffs. A win by 13 points or more would clinch the season series and help break the tie in the standings in the Elks' favor.
A third-and-2 bet at their own 46-yard line early in the third quarter made me think Edmonton was truly chasing the season series. It became a Justin Rankin touchdown. Less than 10 minutes later, another touchdown resulted in a 13-point difference.
The Bombers, of course, did not go quietly and reduced the lead to five. However, with ten seconds left and at the Winnipeg 42-yard line, the same bet on third-and-2 was not called. Why not try there and see if you can improve your chances in the playoffs? Cody Fajardo was lively on the bench and seemed to feel the same way.
“We thought about it,” head coach Mark Killam said. “It was always, 'We have to win.'
With Calgary's win earlier in the day and the season series going to the Bombers, Edmonton's playoff hopes are on life support. It was great to finally see the win against Winnipeg, but I would have liked to have seen some aggression throughout the entire 60 minutes.
Hot potato game
The turning point of the game was one of the strangest ball bounces I have ever seen. Javon Leake caught Jamison Sheehan's punt in midfield, but after a nine-yard run, Nick Hallett kicked the ball out and the scramble for the buttered pig began.
In a very rough calculation, five different players had a chance to win the ball. As the ball drifted away from the main group, Cordell Jackson was finally able to take it away. The 47-yard rush turned into a touchdown and a 24-10 lead.
“It's one of those 'Oh no, oh no, oh yeah, oh yeah' games,” Kilam said. “Shout out to KJ. Guy's a starter and puts his body on the line. Now he's playing on special teams. Sometimes you have to do the right things to be on the ball to get those breakthroughs.”
Another Rankin Show
The CFL's big-game leader added another to his record Saturday night. Amid a new two-year extensionJustin Rankin scored his 16th big score on a 64-yard touchdown run. We're running out of superlatives to talk about in sophomore year. His third 100+ yard game in 2025 leaves just 24 yards needed for his first 1K season.
“It’s a team race,” Rankin said. “Receivers block the field 15 to 20 yards out. Good things happen. The O-line has played hard all year. People have really been up and down with them, but they've stayed level all year. You can't figure out what they're doing there. They continue to believe in me, see what I see, and that's just the result of it all.”
Introducing the player, Rankin says he's from the University of “You've never seen anything like it.” He is not only a great player, but also a fun character and the first player on the team. Like his counterpart in the game, Brady Oliveira, he is a smaller frame with the ability to rush and catch, and 1K/1K talk will surround the Ohio native next year. He needs to average 185 yards over the last two games to make it this year – even I'm not THAT optimistic.
Defense continues to grow
Winnipeg had a convincing win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and had a full week to prepare for the Elks. Edmonton had four rookies in its starting lineup. All signs would indicate that this is a mismatch. This was not the case at all.
Brock Mogenson led the way with six tackles at the middle linebacker position. Both JJ Ross and Kenny Logan Jr. contributed interceptions. Chelen Garnes found the decisive blow on a bomb directed by Oliveira. Kids come out to play and J.C. Sherritt has really turned a group that struggled early into a strong defensive unit.
“It's an important time,” Cordell Jackson said of the young players. “They were really prepared as starters from Day 1. You also have Kenny Logan and all these guys just hungry, ready to play and ready to learn. That's been the biggest challenge for them: willingness to learn and patience. Now that shows on the field.”
The front four put a lot of pressure on Zach Collaros. The return of Jared Brinkman caused a huge push from center and led to the big man being fired. Despite all the heat I initially threw at Sherritt, I can now see how he built this unit. Holding Winnipeg to 20 points despite the catch of the century is quite a feat.
Incredible catch
Speaking of that catch, it may be the only play that could overtake BC's Robert Carter Jr. interception as the play of the year.
Ontario “Pokey” Wilson waited in the end zone for a horribly underthrown ball from Collaros. The ball went through the open arms of Chalen Garnes and was tipped over by Tyrell Ford. Wilson dove and was able to tip the ball twice to keep it off the turf and then wrap it up while Cordell Jackson hit the shot. It was incredible.
Other than the lack of interception, the DBs really didn't do much wrong here. Just an incredible attempt by Pokey to achieve a catch that will not be forgotten. It essentially sealed the season streak for the Bombers as well, closing the gap to five points.
Penalties
Penalties played a big part in keeping the score so close, although it wasn't obvious at first. Winnipeg was flagged for holding once in the first quarter, and Edmonton did a good job of limiting calls to two in the first half – one of them was a very close call for no yards that denied EE a chance to recover. Kilam asked to reconsider this, but the replay center supported him. Losing that challenge was unfortunate for how the final quarter played out.
With the return of hockey, the phrase “leveling up” has re-entered general chats. This judging panel will never be accused of this. In the fourth field there was so much fabric that one would think it was a tailor's studio. Double E was charged with a 60-yard error. Winnipeg made one call the entire game.
Due to unnecessary roughness on the big interception return, the punter wasn't even assigned to it on the stat sheet, even though he nullified the 37-yard kickoff return to get Edmonton back into their own half of the field. I heard after the game that the DB threw a receiver at one point, but I still couldn't find him on replay. At least it was on the opposite side of the field. I'm not saying there was a penalty, but when Javon Leake takes a nice hit a couple series later after going out of bounds on a punt return, that could be called that, too.
Some of them were legal and could be seen – Mark Evans II's routine, the second penalty for no yards and Tyrell Ford's unnecessary low kick. Hitting a vulnerable receiver below the knee was an additional rule as of this year and could be avoided by covering up and keeping the body low. Missing late shots and what looked like a mask on Rankin's face in the final series was frustrating to watch, but discipline is an area the Elks need to work on, especially late in games.
Fajardo down but up
It was a rare game in which Cody Fajardo passed less than 70 percent, and he finished the game 13 of 24 passing for just 142 yards. The cold didn't help much, but he was a little high on a few passes, which is unusual. The California native made up for it with a couple of great runs, including a surprising fake on Rankin for a touchdown run of his own.
Fajardo continues to try to mend his relationship with OJ Hiliare, attacking him ten times. Only five of them turned out to be traps, but I often see him looking in the direction of the newcomer. For the Green and Gold to get some wins in the next two weeks, Cody will have to get back to his higher completion percentage and distribute the ball more.
Faint playoff hopes
As expected, the West is as hungry as ever for a playoff spot. Edmonton could finish 9-9 and still miss. The first part was the Elks winning both games, no easy feat considering the Lions are next in BC and heading into their bye week. If that happens, the Green and Gold will have home-field advantage against the Stamps in the final game.
What's even more difficult is that things have to happen that Edmonton has no control over. They need Winnipeg to lose to Saskatchewan, which is already ranked first in the West, and Montreal, which may or may not be in contention for first place in the East. Just for fun, if Calgary loses AND Winnipeg either wins both or loses both, they could sneak into the game. To that end, Toronto, which is in next-year mode, will beat the horses next week.
These are all big questions. I'm excited to see the team's continued growth this year. If there is any playoffs, it will be the icing on the cake of a much larger first year.
Edmonton returns to action Friday night in Vancouver. They may already know their fate from the start of the game, but this is another chance to win and take a step forward.
