What was supposed to be a game where the Edmonton Elks could find a way to snap their current losing streak vs the Saskatchewan Roughriders, was also a day where the losses continued again. It was a game where Edmonton did a lot of good things in order to get in the win column for the first time since their last victory back in week 6 where it was a come-from-behind victory vs Montreal. At the end of the day, with a combination of inconsistent play when it mattered most, along with some questionable calls by the officials for both teams, the Edmonton Elks fell short again. The Edmonton Elks lost a close game which was one of the better overall showings for the 2022 season all things considered.
Edmonton Overall Looked Like It Was Their Day
Taylor Cornelius led the Edmonton offense with some consistency in engineering long drives. Although he would not throw a touchdown pass in the game, he would be instrumental in extending the offense drives in which he would end the day going 13 for 23 in passes completed, with 209 passing yards, along with a lone interception. He would also be a key figure in the running game where he complied 86 yards on 7 carries and 2 rushing touchdowns. He would be all of the offense, along with the 3 field goals by Sergio Castillo, and appeared to carry the Elks on his back.
The defense looked good for the majority of the game in which they were finally able to crack the Saskatchewan offensive line and apply pressure for the first time this season at a great rate. This was shown at a rapid pace in the 1ST half of the game in which Cody Fajardo looked out of place. The defense was exceptional in the pass defense in which Cody Fajardo was held for just 11 of 20 in passes completed, with 130 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Cody Fajardo had a difficult time in the pocket in trying to scan the field for open targets. 80 out of the 130 passing yards tossed by Cody Fajardo were solely towards Duke Williams which resulted in the only touchdown pass for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Late Games Woes
At 4:40 left in the game, and being up 23-22, Duron Carter took a pass interference call at the wrong time. The end result of the ensuing play would be capped off with a Cody Fajardo touchdown pass for 24 yards to Duke Williams.
With 3:27 left in the game, and being down 28-23, Taylor Cornelius tossed his lone interception at the wrong time when it mattered most. It was a pass that he would have loved to take back which later resulted in another Saskatchewan touchdown scored by Cody Fajardo and a missed PAT. The Saskatchewan Roughriders would extend the lead now up 34-23 which would end up being the final score.
Edmonton Elks Player Stats vs Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday, August 13th, 2022
Edmonton Wall of Honour
What was supposed to be a day of honouring 3 more Edmonton Eskimos to the Edmonton Wall of Honour in Jim Germany, Ed Jones, and Joe Hollimon, was not exactly as planned. The weather in Edmonton took a turn for the worse in which the game was delayed at halftime. However, it was not too lengthy. Normally halftime is a 20-minute break. In this case, play resumed approximately 31 minutes after the 1ST half. What was supposed to happen did not happen. The ceremony for the Edmonton Wall of Honour did not even take its course.
Why did TSN not delay the game for approximately 10 more minutes to honour 3 legendary players? The game was delayed for approximately 11 more minutes for a normal halftime period due to thunderstorms that had surpassed the Edmonton area. It was planned anyways, so why not take the time to do it the right way?
Was the game so much in a rush to end the game as soon as possible due to scheduling conflicts for late-night highlights that are on repeat from midnight onwards?
At the end of the day, it was reported by TSN that the ceremony took place after the game which can be seen here.
It really is a shame that the ceremony was the victim of a short weather delay in which alternate plans could have been made better. The fact that it was held after the game, you wonder how many fans had stayed to attend the ceremony. Hopefully, it was not the case. When the game was completed on TSN, there was no mention of the ceremony after the game in regards to the induction to the Edmonton Wall of Honour.
Next Game
The Edmonton Elks will travel to Ottawa to take on the Ottawa REDBLACKS on Friday, August 19th, 2022 in a week 11 tilt at TD Place Stadium at Lansdowne Park.
Dino Sepe has been an avid sports fan since he was nine years old. He has read multiple books regarding sports history from various eras, the origins of the game, great dynasties, great coaches, and great players. Dino's experience in writing was obtained at Humber College in Toronto, Ontario through the Theater Performance program. As an avid football fan following the NFL, CFL, NCAA, and USports Football, Dino has been writing about the Canadian Football League in various capacities since 2019. In December 2021, Dino joined the CFL News Hub team. Dino is proud to be part of the CFL News Hub contributing team and looks forward to covering the Edmonton Elks going into the future.
The Roughriders just got past Edmonton with a win; now they are going to replace failed offensive linemen with inexperienced offensive linemen and it doesn’t bode much better for them in that regards. It will be tough going against B.C.
David Tress
August 17, 2022 at 11:54 am
The Roughriders just got past Edmonton with a win; now they are going to replace failed offensive linemen with inexperienced offensive linemen and it doesn’t bode much better for them in that regards. It will be tough going against B.C.