Winless Elks look to follow Redblacks' game plan in showdown with Blue Bombers
The underdog Ottawa Redblacks drew up a blueprint for the winless Elks to follow when Edmonton takes on Winnipeg on Thursday.
The Redblacks stopped the Blue Bombers' rushing attack, put pressure on quarterback Zach Collaros, then rode rushing QB Dustin Crum to a come-from-behind 31-28 overtime victory over the Bombers on Saturday.
"It's pro football, so any team can beat any other team on any given day," said Edmonton defensive lineman Jake Ceresna. "At the end of the day, Ottawa did a great job of (executing its game plan) last week, so we're hoping to do the same -- go in, execute our game plan and come out with a win."
It would be the first of the season for the 0-6 Elks.
"I'm sure (Edmonton head coach) Chris Jones and his staff and players have watched a bunch (of film) and understand what Ottawa did well against us defensively, and I'm sure they'll try to imitate some of that, as well as well as having their own twist on it," Collaros said. "It's something you prepare for each week. You look at what the other team did well against you, and you try to counter that. Sometimes, you're chasing a ghost, sometimes, you're not … That's what makes this thing fun, too."
The Bombers hope to do a better job of blocking on Thursday.
"Obviously, Ottawa played a good game," said Winnipeg centre Chris Kolankowski. "They put their best effort forward and we just have to match that, and that's what we're going to do. We've just got to get back to what we do -- just fire off the ball and play our game.
"You know, we love the run, we love the run late in the game, so we've just got to make sure we get back to that and put ourselves in a position where we can continue to run it."
Crum rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries versus Winnipeg, adding 261 yards in the air by completing 26-of-42 passes.
Taylor Cornelius, another mobile quarterback, will start for Edmonton.
"Just to see the way they were able to play in the second half and what (Crum) was able to do with his legs, and he was throwing the ball well, too," said Cornelius, who has rushed for 122 yards on 20 carries this season. "The way that game finished was a good one, for sure, and I think it was good for the league."
Cornelius has also completed 68-of-114 passes for 843 yards and three touchdowns, with five interceptions.
"Obviously, they (Redblacks) moved the ball well on us the last couple of drives, so I imagine they're going to try to run with Taylor Cornelius -- he's a pretty mobile quarterback," said Bombers defensive lineman Jake Thomas. "Obviously, we'll have to sharpen up what we did last week but we've moved on to this week pretty quick."
But how do you stop a running quarterback?
"It's just gap consciousness up front when we're rushing," Thomas said. "We just kind of rush as a group of four and try to cage them as best as we can."
The stunning loss to Ottawa may have made the Bombers tougher to beat.
"They just had a bad loss, so I know they're going to come out hungry and ready to get a win," Ceresna said. "I know they're itching to come out here to prove that they weren't the team that they were last week.
"I think they're going to come out ready to play and we'd better be ready to play, too, because it's going to be a tough game, for sure."
The Bombers, who have been to the last three Grey Cups, winning two, are off to a 4-2 start and Jones was asked if there were cracks in their armour.
"They're an awful good team right now," Jones said. "You don't see too many things that they do wrong. I mean, are they three or four years older? Yes, they are a little bit older than what they have been, but you still have to make a lot of football plays against them in all three phases in order to win the game.
"They force you to have to come in and beat them, and you have to play all four quarters."
EDMONTON ELKS (0-6) AT WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (4-2)
STILL FRIENDS: Cornelius confirmed that Winnipeg receiver Kenny Lawler reached out to him when he was struggling earlier this season. "That's my guy," said Cornelius, who played with Lawler in Edmonton last season. "Love the guy and excited to see him back out there."
MAKING HISTORY: The Elks had not started a season 0-6 since their inaugural campaign in 1938. They finished that season 0-8.
BALL HAWK: Winnipeg defensive back Demerio Houston leads the CFL with seven takeaways -- four interceptions and three fumble recoveries. He also has four pass knockdowns.
STREAKING: Bombers placekicker Sergio Castillo has booted 13 straight field goals this year, extending his streak to 23 going back to last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 19, 2023
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'We’re in pretty good shape’: Calgary goes low in water consumption after state of local emergency declared
On a day that a local state of emergency was declared in Calgary, city residents answered a request from the mayor and emergency officials to use less water.
Prince William shares childhood photo of him and King Charles III for Father's Day
Prince William on Sunday shared a photograph showing him as a child with his father, King Charles III, to mark Father’s Day in the United Kingdom this year.
Clooney and Roberts help Biden raise US$30 million-plus at a star-studded Hollywood gala
Some of Hollywood's brightest stars headlined a fundraiser for U.S. President Joe Biden that took in a record US$30 million-plus for a Democratic candidate, according to his campaign, in hopes of energizing would-be supporters for a White House contest they said may rank among the most consequential in U.S. history.
Global study ranks two Canadian cities high on list of most expensive places to buy a home
As Canadians continue to struggle with the extremely high cost of buying a home in some of the country’s major urban centres, a new global report is underscoring just how expensive some of those markets are.
Riot police in Germany intervene to stem fan clashes ahead of England vs. Serbia soccer match
England soccer fans cheer in front of police ahead the Group C match between Serbia and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
A new tax filing system could give Canadians more than $1 billion in unclaimed benefits: PBO
Canadians would get more than $1 billion in unclaimed benefits each year through an automatic tax filing system, according to a report published by the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO).
Ottawa Food Bank receives largest donation in its 40-year history
210,000 pounds of food was delivered to the Ottawa Food Bank on Saturday, the largest donation in its 40-year history.
Halifax chef speaks about traumatic brain injury
Halifax chef Lauren Marshall was working in the Bahamas on a special event in February when she fainted and fell from a golf cart, hitting the back of her head.
Your father’s diet before you were born could have affected your health, a new study suggests
Your father's diet before you were born could have played a role in your health, a new study has found.