Canadian Football is back, and the Ottawa Redblacks are looking to start the season off hot. This Saturday the Redblacks will be taking on the Edmonton Elks on the road. When they met last season, the Redblacks fell to Edmonton twice with a combined score of 28 to Edmonton’s 38.

A lot to prove for both of these teams, both with recent controversies looking to cleanse themselves with a winning team. They both failed to surpass 10 wins, although Edmonton managed to sneak into the playoffs. 

Some key things to look for in this week one matchup:

The Quarterback Rooms

Last season wasn’t fantastic for Redblacks’ starter Dominique Davis, which is why he is looking to have a bounceback year. However, the signing of long-time vet Matt Nichols means that the starter gig is up for grabs. Having two veterans does show that the Redblacks are trying to prepare young stud Caleb Evans for the future. Look for Nichols to start, with Davis potentially seeing some reps.

 In Edmonton it’s projected that veteran Trevor Harris will start, but the Elks are carrying 5 quarterbacks on the roster. There lies a lot of uncertainty as to who will be their long-time starter with young players in Taylor Cornelius, Troy Williams, and Bryan Scott. They are also carrying Dakota Prukop, another young talent, who is looking for more reps as a starter. 

Head Coaching Debuts

Former Winnipeg Blue Bomber Offensive Coordinator and two time Grey Cup winning coach, Paul LaPolice is the Redblack’s new head coach. Acquiring LaPolice should help out the Redblacks offense, as they look to rebound from 2019 where they put up the fewest points and yards per game. 

Other the other side of the field the Elks are being led by Jaime Elizondo, also a former Grey Cup champion as offensive coordinator for the Ottawa Redblacks. The Elks were great in the air during last season, so it’ll be their run game that will be works on as they were ranked 6th in the league.

The Ottawa Redblacks will take on the Edmonton Elks Saturday August 7th at 10PM EST.