Edmonton Elks punch playoff ticket with 53-16 rout of Stampeders (& eight other thoughts)

Photo courtesy: Edmonton Elks

A seven-year playoff drought has come to an end. The Edmonton Elks emphatically punched their ticket to the postseason with a 53-26 drubbing of the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday in the Battle of Alberta.

Here are my thoughts on the game.

Sweeping away

This Labour Day series for Alberta bragging rights has, for the most part, never really taken the standings into account. Calgary controlled the series for much of the last 10 years, sweeping four times. The tables now seem to be turning. Edmonton has swept two of the last three series and has won the home half each time since 2023. With a playoff ticket on the line and head coach Mark Kilam going against his old team for the second time, this time just felt like it meant even more.

A very slow start in the Labour Day game turned into a giant comeback in the final frame.  The rematch started much the same, with Edmonton only managing a field goal and two punts in the first quarter. That’s where the similarity ended. With just over three minutes left in the first half, the Elks took the lead and did not let go. Not only did they stay out front, but they turned on the jets, outscoring their rivals 34-6 in the second half. It was a three-phase win: five offensive touchdowns, four field goals, a special teams block and score, and a defence that generated five turnovers.

The Green and Gold put up 50 points for the first time since August 29, 2004. In that game, they scored 57 against the Renegades (that’s an old Ottawa team, for those of you who might be asking). My oldest child was born two days later. It has been a long time since we’ve been able to enjoy that kind of output.

Coach Kilam played it down a bit, but you have to know that felt pretty good for him.

“Divisional game,” he said, “Labour Day rematch. It means a lot to the people in the stands. It means a lot to our ownership group. Any time we can beat the red team, I feel good about it.”

Hubert hears a touchdown

Silas Hubert continues to grow and impress in his second season in the CFL. The national defensive lineman has seen some rotation on the line, but has mostly been utilized on special teams. At six-foot-five and 265 pounds, the big man can move much quicker than you would think.

That speed was on display when he burst through the Calgary punt team, stretched out, blocked the kick in the end zone, and fell on the ball for a major. The 23-year-old then got up and made the special teams tackle on the ensuing kickoff. Add in a defensive tackle for a loss, and this was his best game to date. I had noticed him more in training camp this year and think he has been deployed in exactly the right way. An excellent turn out for a fourth-round pick in 2025.

Rushing substitution

With Javon Leake hitting the six-game injured list last week, ShunDerrick Powell made a splash in his Elks debut. This week, he was thrust into an even bigger role after Justin Rankin went down early with a suspected head/neck injury. The rookie did not disappoint. After a few decent runs, he hit the highlight reel with a 21-yard catch-and-run that included a hurdle over Ben Labrosse.

Powell finished the day with 97 yards on the ground on 14 carries. Many of those yards came from squeaking through a small hole in the offensive line. The 24-year-old has obviously spent some time with Rankin, as the jump cuts look awfully similar. Rankin will run through people; Powell will make people miss.

Although he did not find the end zone in this one, the diminutive back made an impact. The threat of his runs kept the linebackers in check to open up the field. Cody Fajardo and friends took full advantage. Powell did go down in the fourth quarter, leaving only fullback Skyler Griffith as a running back option. All eyes will be on the injury report this week to see who will be back for next week’s game.

More defence

I have gushed many times about J.C. Sherritt’s work with this defence, but that won’t stop me from doing it again. Before Labour Day, the Stampeders were the highest-scoring team in the CFL. Sherritt’s crew held them to 22 points per game over the back-to-back, saving the best for their home field. Calgary could only muster 9 points in the final three quarters. It was different standouts each week impacting different parts of the field, but that just goes to show the depth and balance this defence possesses.

Leading the charge again was the captain Nick Anderson. The third-year linebacker had four tackles, but half of those were in the backfield. Add to that a spectacular tip-drill interception in the first quarter to set the defensive tone. The Tulane University product missed time with injury last year and sat out six games this year, but when on the field, you can’t help but notice his impact. Even with seven games played, his 46 tackles are third on the Elks roster, only behind Joel Dublanko and Kordell Jackson.

Noah Taylor, at eight sacks, has already doubled his total from last year and now sits only three behind Clarence Hicks for the league lead. The rotational front four have been bringing pressure, which opens up Taylor with much more frequency this year, and he has capitalized. Even without Malik Carney showing up on the stats sheet, the impact of him taking double teams has freed up the rest of the line to get in and get pressure. Gavin Meyer has been superb as a rotational lineman. The rookie defensive tackle added three tackles with a sack himself.

Tyrell Ford continued his stealing ways, adding another interception to his 2026 totals. The Canadian now leads the CFL with six picks and is one off his career high. A 66-yard return on his grab in this game was the Waterloo product’s second-longest return of his career. It also just happened to snuff out what was looking like a decent drive from Calgary.

Finally, there is Kordell Jackson, who has now forced a fumble in back-to-back games and added four knockdowns. This defence isn’t just about one area of the field. Everyone has bought in and finds ways to contribute. Defending the “Concrete Castle of the North” is becoming more and more like the BONEyard of days past.

“It’s a big part with the fans too,” Jackson said. “They did an amazing job and got a couple delay of games. We just want to make this place what it used to be. Make sure it’s hard to play here. We are just defending the fort.”

They sure seem to understand the assignment.

Breakout game

Rookie Joshua Cephus has been building quite the resume in his first season. The Houston, Tex., native saved his best so far for the rematch. A season-high 119 yards receiving on six catches led all receivers in the game. All of his six-foot-two length was needed for both a jumping 33-yard catch and a 35-yard touchdown grab around Calgary defensive back Jaydon Grant. Now with 476 yards receiving and three touchdowns in his inaugural campaign, the UTSA product is proving to be a weapon for Cody Fajardo. General manager Ed Hervey brought in the likes of Derel Walker, Brandon Zylstra, and Bryant Mitchell his first time around. Cephus and TJ Luther seem to be adding to that list.

Hervey doesn’t just have an eye for rookie receiving talent. Free agency added both Brendan O’Leary-Orange and Joe Robustelli. O’Leary-Orange has turned out to be an excellent second-down addition. We had to wait until Labour Day to see Robustelli, but it was truly worth the wait. The Stamford, Conn., native put up two touchdowns in this game. An acrobatic catch through a Calgary defender’s hands put his first six on the board. The second was what he has made a name for in his two previous years with Saskatchewan: catching and bouncing off of defenders to the score. A connection with Fajardo was apparent in camp, and now it’s growing into points in games. I will never question Hervey on his receiver choices.

Let’s not forget offence

For the first time in Edmonton history, the team scored 16 or more points in three quarters of a game. With the powerful offences of teams past, that is a pretty big record to set.

Much like the defence, this was a group offensive effort. Cody Fajardo had a moderate game by his standards, with 232 yards passing, 20 yards rushing, and a 67 percent completion rate. Eight different receivers contributed yards downfield. Quarterback Taylor Powell came in for the fourth quarter and went five-for-five with a touchdown. The offensive line gave up only two sacks on what is likely the best front four in the league. In the last five quarters and a few minutes, the Green and Gold outscored their red rivals 84-19. An all-out attack was a big part of the sweep.

Naughty, naughty

Not to nitpick a big win, but the rivalry did flare up more in this game. A combined 23 penalties between the two teams really slowed the game down, and a fair number were of the 15-yard variety. Edmonton ended with 12 flags for 125 yards, regressing to the issues seen early in the season. It was a good thing that the Stamps put up 11 penalties for 111 yards themselves to even things out.

This will be something to look at this week as they face the Argos. A quick lesson in walking away quickly should get the Elks back into single-digit penalty calls.

Second box checked

The first box was to start better. Edmonton did that. The second box was to make the playoffs for the first time since 2019. The Elks have now completed that goal. Up next comes a home playoff game.

The magic number is two for that to happen. First up comes the challenge of Toronto in their house next week. When they return to Commonwealth on September 26, they could have a home game locked up. With the sound of the crowd at this last game, I am anxious to have that energy return soon.