It’s the streak that no one really wants to talk about. The two-game losing streak that the Edmonton Elks are currently on to start the 2023 CFL season. The Elks lost a tight one in their first home game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders 17-13 when they failed to punch the ball into the end zone on first and one from the one yard line in the final four minutes.
Then they were shutout 22-0 in Week 2 on the Road by the BC Lions. It was the first time the EE franchise had been shutout since 1976.
QB Chad Kelly Leads Defending Grey Cup Champs Into Edmonton
As Dave Naylor of TSN mentioned in a recent article, Chad Kelly has a chance to become the face of the Argos franchise. Kelly played lights out in the Argos first game of the season when they stomped the Hamilton Tiger Cats 32-14, now Kelly and the Boatmen are looking for their first road win of the season against the Elks on Sunday, June 25 at Commonwealth Stadium.
Kelly comes from a strong bloodline of quarterbacks, as he is the nephew of former Buffalo Bill great Jim Kelly. There’s an Edmonton angle to Chad Kelly’s CFL story as the Green and Gold had his name on their negotiation list and was offered a contract in 2020 to which he turned down in favour of playing closer to his hometown of Buffalo. Former Edmonton general manager Brock Sunderland dealt Kelly to Toronto in exchange for Nick Arbuckle in 2021.
Edmonton Elks Quarterbacks on The Hot Seat
When you look at the Edmonton Elks quarterbacking situation in 2023 it’s hard not to think about how good Kelly would look in a Green and Gold uniform. Elks starter, Taylor Cornelius has been in tough in his two starts in 2023, but you can’t blame the losses entirely on him. Going into the Elks game against the Argos, you have to wonder what the game plan is on offense for Edmonton.
If Cornelius can’t get the Elks offense going, it might be time to turn the keys over to backup Kai Locksley or to Tre Ford-who looked so promising in the 2022 CFL season before being injured. The CFL is a QB driven league, and if the main signal caller can’t get it done, you need to find a solution quickly. In terms of the Elks, the coaching staff and fans are hoping for a big time performance from Cornelius to help the Green and Gold avoid a 0-3 start to the 2023 CFL season.
Elks Defence Remains Their Strength
The Edmonton Elks defence has kept them in both games so far this season. In the 22-0 loss to BC for example, the Lions were held to just one touchdown with 16 of their points coming from former Elks kicker Sean Whyte. That speaks volumes especially coming against BC who boast one of the best offenses in the CFL. If Elks head coach Chris Jones, Offensive Coordinator Stephen McAdoo and Quarterback’s coach Jarius Jackson can get the offense in gear, the Elks have a real chance to turn things around.
A “W” Would Mean Everything to the EE Franchise
The Elks have their work cut out for them when they host the Argos on Sunday, June 25th. It won’t be easy facing the defending Grey Cup Champs but a win could turn the season around and restore hope in a city desperately looking to cheer for a champion again.
A Special Salute to TSN 1260 at Sunday’s Argos vs. Elks Game
The Edmonton Elks are saluting the former TSN 1260 with special $12.60 game day tickets. This is your chance to join fellow TSN 1260 listeners and say thank you for over 2 decades of sports talk radio on AM 1260!
I personally miss the voices of TSN 1260 and Team 1260 – from Neilson and Lt. Eric, Bryn Griffiths and Jake Daniels to Lowetide and Jamieson, Bob Stauffer, Mark Spector and Jason Gregor – the personalities were awesome, and they felt more like old friends than sports reporters. Personalities such as Dustin Neilson will still be found on TSN CFL broadcasts, and Stauffer can be heard weekdays on 630 CHED. However 1260’s promotion of the Green and Gold as well as CFL Football will definitely be missed in the Edmonton market.
