Eugene Lewis didn’t mince words when reflecting on the Edmonton Elks’ loss to the B.C. Lions on Saturday, which saw the team suffer its first shutout in 47 years.
“Shutouts are unacceptable, that’s an embarrassment for us as pros going out there. We’ve gotta score regardless of how everything’s going,” Lewis told the media in Edmonton. “I don’t feel like B.C.’s defence really did anything to stop us from doing anything, we just didn’t capitalize on opportunities when we had them.”
The star receiver made only one catch for nine yards in the 22-0 loss, an individual performance he called “completely unacceptable.” The two-time CFL all-star was only targeted three times and isn’t accustomed to having so few passes thrown his way. As the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback, Lewis is expected to be the focal point of Edmonton’s offensive attack, as he was in Week 1 when he caught five passes for 148 yards and a touchdown.
“Absolutely, (I need more targets). I know that, the coaches know that, my teammates, we all know that,” he said. “At the end of the day, I’m the type of person where if there’s an issue or some problem, you’ve gotta find a way to fix it. We’ve got to find a way to adjust. I know myself, I know the type of player that I am and I know what I bring to the table. I want to be able to do everything I can for my team to possibly win.”
Lewis indicated that he and his teammates got together on Sunday to watch the film from their loss in Vancouver. He was complimentary of the club’s defence but listed missed assignments, overlooked details, penalties, and turnovers as the primary reasons for the club’s struggles.
The 30-year-old target knows what it’s like to play for a struggling team. Lewis broke into the CFL with the Montreal Alouettes in 2017 and the club went 8-28 over his first two seasons before reaching the postseason in 2019. The club won the East Semi-Final against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last year, which was the organization’s first playoff win in eight years.
“We’ve got some really young guys and they haven’t experienced everything that I have or a couple of the older guys that we have on his team. I know we’re 0-2 right now but it is very early in the season,” said Lewis. “You don’t pack it up right now, it’s too early. As long as we just adjust to the things that we need to do and focus on our discipline and our details, we’re going to be fine. I’ve got all the confidence in the world in this team.”
One of the young players who has drawn criticism for a slow start to the season is quarterback Taylor Cornelius, who has thrown for 305 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions on the year. Lewis pointed out that Cornelius hasn’t had the benefit of learning from a veteran quarterback for most of his career and reiterated that the team will do everything it can to support its young starter.
“We’re gonna help (Cornelius) with whatever he needs help with. We’re never gonna give up on nobody, that’s one thing I know about us: we’re not going to do that. I don’t care what happens and what goes on, whatever the coaches decide that they want to do, we’re gonna go with it and do what we need to do,” said Lewis.
“That’s what we’re trying to help (Cornelius) with, we’re just trying to figure out, ‘Hey, how can we help you?’ That’s what we’re all here for, we’re here to help him, we’re here to help each other and we have to just believe in each other and just do the right thing.”
The Elks are facing plenty of early-season pressure as they are the only West Division team that has yet to win a game this season. The club also remains amid an 18-game home losing streak that dates back to the 2019 season, a dubious stretch that Edmonton will have a chance to end when they host the Argos on Sunday.
“You have to hear the criticism but you can’t also hear the criticism to where it’s going to defeat your confidence,” said Lewis. “You don’t want it to get to the point where you think, ‘I’m not gonna be able to do this’ or ‘I can’t do this.’ We can do anything that we put our mind to. It’s just about putting the time and the work in and going out there and doing it.”
Edmonton moved veteran defensive back Ed Gainey to the six-game injured list on Monday. The 33-year-old went down in the first half of Saturday’s game after he intercepted a pass from Vernon Adams Jr. and was hit on the ensuing return. Head coach Chris Jones wouldn’t rule him out for the season, though it’s clear Gainey won’t be back anytime soon.
“Ed’s been a good player for a long time, he and I’ve been together for quite some time,” said Jones. “He understands the reality of getting older, these types of things happening, but now he can become a coach for us for a few months.”
The Elks (0-2) will host the Toronto Argonauts (1-0) on Sunday at Commonwealth Stadium with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT.
