EDMONTON – The Green and Gold head into Thursday night’s contest (8:00 p.m. MT) against the B.C. Lions looking to pair up process with results.
Through three games this season, Edmonton has battled the CFL’s early season elite. Elks opponents this year are a perfect 8-0 with a plus-72 point differential. However, Edmonton’s margin of defeat through three games is only 14 points. The Green and Gold have made it clear they can go toe-to-toe with the league’s best, but unfortunately have not come away with anything to show for it.
There are no moral victories in the CFL and on Thursday night they will have to prove they can not only compete with the Canadian Football elite, but they can finish the job and beat them.
“There’s not a whole lot of difference between the best team in the league and the worst team in the league, there’s a lot of parity,” Head Coach Chris Jones said. “When I first came into the league, we knew good and damn well we were going to win before we ever got on the plane. There were some very poor football teams, but that’s not the case now. I mean, even the teams that are 0-3 are very good football teams and they’re well coached and they’ve got good players. We’ve just got to show up and continue keeping our nose to the grindstone and eventually it’ll break.”
GAME NECESSITIES
- Game Time: 8:00 p.m. MT
- Depth Chart
- Game Notes
- Media Availabilities
The Lions are one of those teams that are on the cusp of being one the CFL’s elite squads. They come into Week 3 with a 2-1 record, having toppled both the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Calgary Stampeders – with their only loss coming at the hands of the undefeated Toronto Argonauts.
The Lions offence is once again a threat to be reckoned with. Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. once again is leading the CFL in passing yards with 1,038, just ahead of the Elks McLeod Bethel-Thompson who has 978. B.C. also boast the leagues top rusher in veteran William Stanback (187 rushing yards) and the league’s first and third leading receivers Alexander Hollins (402 receiving yards) and Justin McInnis (289 receiving yards).
Despite a slow start in the standings, it’s still early enough in the season for the Elks to right the ship. The Double E have been close in every game this year, but Edmonton comes into Week 4 almost in ‘must-win territory.’ A victory against the West Division rivals could be exactly what the Elks need to turn the tide of the season.
“Our guys are ready to play. I mean, it’s not like we’ve played poor football,” Jones said. “We’ve unfortunately lost three professional football games and it comes down to that one or two plays that we’ve got to learn to make as a football team. When we do, we’re going to have a lot of success. We’ve got good players on the team; we’ve got good coaches on our team. Now, it’s just a matter of finishing.”
MASTERFUL MITCHELL
A bright spot for the Elks in the early season has been the re-emergence of receiver Dillon Mitchell. The Oregon product exploded onto the scene in 2022 with 637 receiving yards and four touchdowns in only nine games as a rookie.
However, 2023 was not the sophomore campaign the now 27-year-old wanted. In a full 18-game schedule, Mitchell was unable to surpass either mark as he struggled with consistency and connecting with three different starting quarterbacks (Taylor Cornelius, Jarret Doege, and Tre Ford).
So far this season, the big-play ability Mitchell is blessed with has meshed well with Bethel-Thompson’s gunslinging style. In the first three games, Mitchell sits fourth in the CFL in receiving yards with 274 and he has caught at least five passes in every game – a total he did not surpass once in 2023.
His quarterback was asked about his early season link-up with the 6-foot-1 wideout, and the reviews were glowing.
McLeod finds Dillon Mitchell in the end zone for the @GoElks touchdown! 🚀#CFLGameday on TSN, RDS, CBS SN
📲: Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/Zf9YwpDVY9— CFL (@CFL) June 22, 2024
“He’s awesome. Even his improvement from week one to now has been fantastic,” Bethel-Thompson said. “Week one, we put him in a tough situation with Swerve (Kyran Moore) sadly going down the day before the game, and he had to switch over to Y and learn a new position in a day. He still did well in game one.
“He’s kind of an example of where our team’s at offensively in that we’re moving the bar up and we’re getting better each week.”
Bethel-Thompson has made sure he’s been sharing the love when it comes to his receivers. The veteran leads the CFL in pass attempts and the Elks already have five players with double-digit receptions this year. As much as Mitchell has been a standout for the Elks, Kurleigh Gittens Jr., Hergy Mayala, and Geno Lewis all rank inside the top 14 in the CFL in receiving yards.
“When you got talent all across the board, you just want to spread it around and get guys included,” Bethel-Thompson said. “That puts force on the defense. They can’t slough off anywhere, or play soft here or cloud this player or cloud this side of the field. We’ve got dynamic players all across the board. We’re dangerous and we’re just trying to get the ball, move it down the field, and score some points.”
LINEUP NOTES
- The Elks will see a change at the Canadian wide receiver position with Hergy Mayala out with a hamstring injury. Gavin Cobb will make his season debut after a pre-season injury forced the 26-year-old to miss the first two games.
- Veteran right tackle Brett Boyko also returns to the starting lineup after being eased back from a concussion. Hunter Steward, who had been filling in for Boyko, will slide over to right guard. Tomas Jack-Kurdyla was added to the six-game injured list after not finishing the Week 3 game in Toronto.