
Edmonton Elks dodge self-inflicted bullet to earn first win of season
And it came in a crucial week where both the B.C. Lions and Calgary Stampeders looked to start pulling away in the standings, breathing — dare we say — a little life into the upstart Elks?
It marked the first win of many more to come in the head-coaching career of the freshly minted Mark Kilam, who came aboard following an unheard-of 17-year entrenchment as an assistant coach with the same club (don't hold it against him that it was the rival Stampeders). So, he must be doing something right.
And now he is being tasked with steering the turnaround in Edmonton alongside newly repatriated general manager Ed Hervey, all the while reminding themselves of the prime directive: Win. Or at least don't embarrass their already gun-shy fanbase in the pursuit of victory.
But the gun with which past EE iterations shot themselves in the foot on far too many occasions ended up coming dangerously close to coming out of its holster again against Ottawa.
To set the scene, the Elks exploded to an impressive 22-3 lead midway through the second quarter with their fastest, best and most efficient start in a good long while, looking like they were well on their way to running up the score against an outmatched opponent. And, truth be told, that would have been exactly what the doctor ordered to help begin curing the malaise that's ran rampant in the seats at Commonwealth Stadium. The empty ones, at least.
Things were going so well, it was almost too good to be true.
At that moment, the Elks opted for a quarterback change in order to get Cody Fajardo some much needed game action. Remember him? He's only two years removed from being named Grey Cup MVP with the Montreal Alouettes and was brought in to help along the development of young Tre Ford — who completed a career-best 15-of-17 passes with two touchdowns.
Now, obviously Fajardo both deserves and needs some snaps. And the sooner they come in the season, the better for the team down the road.
But instead of tightening their grip on an already suffocating opponent in the closest thing there could be to a must-win game in the first week of July, the Elks let go.
Just a little, mind you. But it was all the wiggle room the Redblacks needed, answering back with a touchdown before forcing a 2-and-out that they returned to the end zone to make it a one-score game heading into halftime. In the blink of an eye.
Fortunately for these Elks, they showed they are no longer 'those' Elks and didn't blow a commanding lead by taking their foot off the gas, even if it was just a little.
Instead, they regained control of the would-be runaway train and held onto that one-score lead, much to the relief of those in attendance who got to celebrate a hard-fought home victory. Even if it was far from the blowout it had been shaping up to be.
At this point in the proceedings, no win is a bad win in Edmonton.
There is such a thing as a bad loss, however. And these Elks just gained some ground in the ongoing race to outrun their former selves by avoiding one.
On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge

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CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
Elks QB Fajardo finally set to face former team as Roughriders host Elks
Edmonton Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo (7) stretches out for the touchdown during first half CFL action against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Winnipeg Thursday, June 26, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods REGINA — After a week of speculation, the Edmonton Elks have confirmed that quarterback Cody Fajardo will have a homecoming of sorts against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday in Regina. Fajardo, who was dealt to Edmonton by Montreal in the off-season, played three seasons for the Riders before signing with the Alouettes prior to the 2023 CFL season. Fajardo went on to lead the Als to a 26-24 victory over the favoured Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 2023 Grey Cup game, being named game MVP after completing 21-of-26 passes for 290 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. In the first five games of the season, Fajardo has served as backup to Tre Ford. Both quarterbacks shared first team reps during practice this week with Elks head coach Mark Killam being coy about who would start against the Riders. 'You're just going to have to wait until we release the depth chart,' Killam said during a media scrum on Tuesday. On Thursday morning, the Elks sent out their depth chart for Friday with Fajardo pencilled in as the starter. Having also played for the Toronto Argonauts and B.C. Lions, this will be Fajardo's first start ever against the Riders. Saskatchewan head coach Corey Mace had a sharp answer when he was asked Thursday if he cared who the Elks were going to start at quarterback. 'We always care, but it just kind of narrows the focus a little bit,' he said. 'It'll be another night of preparation for the guys to narrow in. Now with that being said, you still could see both . . . . We were preparing for both but certainly there will be a little heavier emphasis now on Cody.' In his three seasons with Saskatchewan, Fajardo had a record of 27-17 as starter, totalling 11,046 passing yards with 53 touchdowns and 33 interceptions. After two seasons with the Alouettes, he was dealt to the Elks for McLeod Bethel-Thompson, with Davis Alexander replacing Fajardo as Montreal's starting quarterback. Earlier this week Fajardo told reporters what he thought the Elks need to do to be successful on offence. 'We've got to stay on the field, second down conversions, a lot of people are talking about it,' he said. 'The second thing is that narratives don't win football games, and they don't lose football games so everybody can write whatever they want.' Fajardo took over from Ford in the fourth quarter against the B.C. Lions on July 13, finishing five of seven passing for 78 yards and one touchdown in a 32-14 loss. Mace, who signed on as Saskatchewan's head coach in 2024, is familiar with Fajardo. In 2021, as a coach with the Calgary Stampeders, Mace's defence faced Fajardo in three games. Yet Mace explained that preparation is more about the present than the past. 'Sometimes you've got to be careful just looking at players as who they've always been. You kind of want to look at who they are current day,' he said. 'He's a heck of a quarterback, so we've got to be on our P's and Q's defensively to make sure we make it as tough as day possible on him,' Mace added. The Riders have come out of the starting game hot while the Elks have struggled. Yet the Riders know firsthand what can happen when a team underestimates an opponent. The Elks came into Regina last season with an 0-7 record while the Riders had a 5-2 mark, but the Elks posted a 42-31 victory with Ford passing for 250 yards and Javon Leake rushing for 169 yards and three touchdowns. Linebacker Jameer Thurman says the Riders will not be taking the Elks lightly on Friday. 'I don't think we're underestimating them,' he said. 'If you remember, last year they came in here and they got their first win of the season against us. So, I made sure to let all the guys know what happened last time they came here, and they ran the ball all over us as well. 'So, we are dialed in on that, and we're not taking anybody for granted.' EDMONTON ELKS (1-4-0) AT SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (5-1-0) Friday at Mosaic Stadium HARRIS IS HOT: Riders quarterback Trevor Harris set a CFL record in a win over B.C. last week with his ninth consecutive game with a completion rate of 70 per cent or higher. He currently leads the league with a completion percentage of 76 per cent. LEAKE IS SPECIAL: Leake leads the CFL in punt return yards (288), average (16.9 yards) and returns of 30-plus yards at three. Leake has one punt return for a TD this season, going 94 yards against the Ottawa Redblacks on July 6. MEYERS MAKING A MARK: Riders receiver Dohnte Meyers has 394 yards receiving with four catches of 30-plus yards. In last week's 33-27 victory over the B.C. Lions, Meyers caught seven passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns, including a 50-yard TD on Saskatchewan's opening drive of the game. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025. Jeff DeDekker


Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Edmonton QB Fajardo finally set to face former team as Roughriders host Elks
REGINA – After a week of speculation, the Edmonton Elks have confirmed that quarterback Cody Fajardo will have a homecoming of sorts against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday in Regina. Fajardo, who was dealt to Edmonton by Montreal in the off-season, played three seasons for the Riders before signing with the Alouettes prior to the 2023 CFL season. Fajardo went on to lead the Als to a 26-24 victory over the favoured Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 2023 Grey Cup game, being named game MVP after completing 21-of-26 passes for 290 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. In the first five games of the season, Fajardo has served as backup to Tre Ford. Both quarterbacks shared first team reps during practice this week with Elks head coach Mark Killam being coy about who would start against the Riders. 'You're just going to have to wait until we release the depth chart,' Killam said during a media scrum on Tuesday. On Thursday morning, the Elks sent out their depth chart for Friday with Fajardo pencilled in as the starter. Having also played for the Toronto Argonauts and B.C. Lions, this will be Fajardo's first start ever against the Riders. Saskatchewan head coach Corey Mace had a sharp answer when he was asked Thursday if he cared who the Elks were going to start at quarterback. 'We always care, but it just kind of narrows the focus a little bit,' he said. 'It'll be another night of preparation for the guys to narrow in. Now with that being said, you still could see both . . . . We were preparing for both but certainly there will be a little heavier emphasis now on Cody.' In his three seasons with Saskatchewan, Fajardo had a record of 27-17 as starter, totalling 11,046 passing yards with 53 touchdowns and 33 interceptions. After two seasons with the Alouettes, he was dealt to the Elks for McLeod Bethel-Thompson, with Davis Alexander replacing Fajardo as Montreal's starting quarterback. Earlier this week Fajardo told reporters what he thought the Elks need to do to be successful on offence. 'We've got to stay on the field, second down conversions, a lot of people are talking about it,' he said. 'The second thing is that narratives don't win football games, and they don't lose football games so everybody can write whatever they want.' Fajardo took over from Ford in the fourth quarter against the B.C. Lions on July 13, finishing five of seven passing for 78 yards and one touchdown in a 32-14 loss. Mace, who signed on as Saskatchewan's head coach in 2024, is familiar with Fajardo. In 2021, as a coach with the Calgary Stampeders, Mace's defence faced Fajardo in three games. Yet Mace explained that preparation is more about the present than the past. 'Sometimes you've got to be careful just looking at players as who they've always been. You kind of want to look at who they are current day,' he said. 'He's a heck of a quarterback, so we've got to be on our P's and Q's defensively to make sure we make it as tough as day possible on him,' Mace added. The Riders have come out of the starting game hot while the Elks have struggled. Yet the Riders know firsthand what can happen when a team underestimates an opponent. The Elks came into Regina last season with an 0-7 record while the Riders had a 5-2 mark, but the Elks posted a 42-31 victory with Ford passing for 250 yards and Javon Leake rushing for 169 yards and three touchdowns. Linebacker Jameer Thurman says the Riders will not be taking the Elks lightly on Friday. 'I don't think we're underestimating them,' he said. 'If you remember, last year they came in here and they got their first win of the season against us. So, I made sure to let all the guys know what happened last time they came here, and they ran the ball all over us as well. 'So, we are dialed in on that, and we're not taking anybody for granted.' EDMONTON ELKS (1-4-0) AT SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (5-1-0) Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Friday at Mosaic Stadium HARRIS IS HOT: Riders quarterback Trevor Harris set a CFL record in a win over B.C. last week with his ninth consecutive game with a completion rate of 70 per cent or higher. He currently leads the league with a completion percentage of 76 per cent. LEAKE IS SPECIAL: Leake leads the CFL in punt return yards (288), average (16.9 yards) and returns of 30-plus yards at three. Leake has one punt return for a TD this season, going 94 yards against the Ottawa Redblacks on July 6. MEYERS MAKING A MARK: Riders receiver Dohnte Meyers has 394 yards receiving with four catches of 30-plus yards. In last week's 33-27 victory over the B.C. Lions, Meyers caught seven passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns, including a 50-yard TD on Saskatchewan's opening drive of the game. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.


CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
Cody Fajardo set to start for Elks against Riders
Former Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Cody Fajardo will start for the Edmonton Elks Friday night against the Green and White at Mosaic Stadium. Fajardo was listed as the starter on the Elks' depth chart, released Thursday morning. Trevor Harris will start for the Riders (5-1). Fajardo spent three seasons with the Riders (2019, 2021, 2022) emerging as the Green and White's starting pivot in 2019 when he led the CFL with 4,302 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions, helping the Riders to a 13-5 regular season record, losing just once at home. Fajardo then threw for 366 yards and an interception in the 2019 West Final in a losing effort to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Before departing Rider Nation in February 2023 Fajardo posted a heartfelt letter to Rider fans on social media. Fajardo signed with Montreal after departing Saskatchewan and went on to win the 2023 Grey Cup with the Alouettes. He was also named Grey Cup MVP in Montreal's 28-24 win over Winnipeg. Kickoff at Mosaic Stadium Friday night is 7 p.m. -With files from TSN