How the Edmonton Elks could still make the CFL playoffs

The Edmonton Elks lost, but they are definitely not out of playoff contention this year with three games remaining on their regular season schedule.

The Elks (6-9) could finish no higher than third in the West Division with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and BC Lions, both already in the playoffs, out of reach. Edmonton can still technically match BC's nine wins, although the Lions have already completed their season-long head-to-head streak, putting them out of reach.

The same cannot be said for the Calgary Stampeders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who remain within Edmonton's reach. Both teams have identical 8-7 records, which puts them four points ahead of the Elks with both season series still standing.

Edmonton and Calgary split their annual Labor Day home games early last month, leaving the third and final matchup scheduled for Week 21 as a rubber match. If the Elks win this game, they will only need to be two points better than the Stampeders over the next two weeks to make the playoffs. This would have been unthinkable a month ago, but Calgary is currently riding a four-game losing streak.

Edmonton can still win the season series against Winnipeg, although the task is a little more difficult. The Blue Bombers won the first of two head-to-head meetings in late June 36-23, meaning the Elks will have to win this week's game by more than 13 points to earn the season series. If Edmonton wins this week's game by exactly 13 points, the tiebreaker will come down to which team has the best record in the division, which is yet to be determined.

There is also the unlikely but real possibility that Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg will finish with identical records of 8-10 or 9-9. In the event of a three-match tie, teams will be ranked based on their winning percentage against each other. In this case, Calgary will finish first, followed by Edmonton or Winnipeg, depending on how things go. If the Elks win this week, they will move into second place over the Blue Bombers in the event of a three-game tie, securing them a spot in the crossover playoffs.

Edmonton hasn't made the playoffs since 2019. While ending this drought remains a challenge, it's possible we could see the Green and Gold make the 2025 postseason.

The Edmonton Elks (6-9) will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8-7) at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday, October 11, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 pm ET. Both teams are coming off their bye weeks, with the Blue Bombers still in the thick of the playoff hunt and the Elks hoping to keep their slim postseason hopes alive.

The weather forecast for Edmonton calls for temperatures of up to 6 degrees with a 30 per cent chance of showers. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in to 880 CHED in Edmonton and 680 CJOB in Winnipeg.