Flags dominate as Edmonton Elks lose regular-season finale to Riders (& six other thoughts)

Photo courtesy: Saskatchewan Roughriders.

In a battle of backups and crazy wind conditions, sloppy play dominated Edmonton’s final regular-season game of 2026. The glorified preseason contest saw the Elks fall 16-9 to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Here are my thoughts on the game.

A Powell fest

It was a double dose of Powell on Saturday afternoon, with both quarterback Taylor and running back ShunDerrick on the field for the Elks.

With Cody Fajardo getting a well-deserved rest week, Taylor Powell made his starting debut in green and gold.  The fourth-year passer’s first drive was an impressive one, lasting five minutes with five passes and four running plays. There was a pass interference call to help things along, but getting the major was a great start for the 28-year-old. The Eastern Michigan product continued to be accurate for the rest of the game, finishing with an 87 percent completion rate on 30 passes, but couldn’t find the endzone. Even the couple of times it looked like the touchdown pass was there, a flag brought it back.

Having accuracy is a good start for a backup QB, but his ability to run when needed or throw the ball away will need work. Saskatchewan sacked Powell six times. At least four of those had the Fayetteville, Ark., native looking down the field and not making the decision to run. To be fair, he was starting behind an offensive line that had only two regular starters, Brendan Bordner and Mark Korte. The missing pieces of Carter O’Donnell, Coulter Woodmansey, and Jordan Murray were noticeable. Giving Powell even a couple more steamboats may have helped him find deep passes.

The other Powell, ShunDerrick, showed again how powerful he can be. The 24-year-old had his best game with 101 rushing yards on 11 carries, and 40 yards receiving, in relief of Justin Rankin. In six games played, the rookie has averaged 7.2 yards per carry. His ability to wait for open space was on full display, as he broke more than a couple of ankles. What I like best is that the Hoxie, Ark., native can be both a speedy and powerful runner. At five-foot-seven, he hides well behind the line and then pops out when a crease opens up. From starting as a returner in the Labour Day game to now, Powell has become a big threat in this lineup.

So much fabric

Youthful mistakes were aplenty, with thirteen regular starters sitting for the Elks. A total of 14 penalties for a whopping 146 yards did not help the quest to 14 wins.

The second quarter featured a drive that had five penalties, handing 62 of the 67 yards needed for the Riders to add six points. Three other calls either took points off the board or handed points to the lighter green. Not often do you see a first-and-goal from the 25-yard line.

Illegal procedure when Powell had a straight shot to the end zone. Holding taking a hard-fought Joe Robustelli touchdown off the board. Pass interference after being so close to an interception in the end zone. A lot of small mental mistakes that could be attributed to less playing time and trying to learn how guys play together.

Also, I don’t think I will ever actually understand what pass interference is. I am hoping that there are fewer TV shots of the officials in the coming weeks.

Some standouts

Edmonton had its practice roster down to four players, with the remainder getting a chance to play. With guys getting opportunities, there were a few who stood out.

Elijah Alston has been in and out of the lineup this season with four active games. The Chesapeake, Va., native was a beast in the first half of this battle, recording four total tackles, one for a loss, a sack, and an interception off a deflection. The 25-year-old big man even gained 10 yards after the pick. I really noticed the hustle and presence of the second-year lineman with three regulars resting. I’d be surprised if we don’t see more of him in a rotation role in the coming seasons.

Tyshon Blackburn, although in his third year in the league, had a more active role in the secondary. The Canadian defensive back had a great knockdown on a pass going to Dhel Duncan-Busby, leaping to get his hand on the ball. Two tackles for the Calgary native had him in some plays, but out of sync in others. A late hit penalty didn’t help the cause. The highs and lows of new guys in a system.

On the other hand, Tyron Vrede stood out for some of the not-great reasons. The Global player stepped into the middle linebacker role in the second half and struggled to insert himself into gaps in the run game. The Dutchman had a couple of decent showings in Ottawa back in 2023-24, but I did not see a lot that had him stand out in a very full linebacker room. When you only have one special teams tackle when playing the middle, something isn’t quite clicking. I would have liked to have seen more push from the 30-year-old.

Breezy Regina

To say that the wind played a factor in the game would be a wild understatement. Both Vincent Blanchard and Brett Lauther missed convert kicks which bent sideways because of gusts. Edmonton was punting, or going for it, on third down inside the Rider 40-yard line, as the wind could just not give Blanchard a good shot. Kickoffs were landing on the opposing 30-yard line. Safe to say that conditions were not ideal for a good football game.

Healing up

Both Javon Leake and T.J. Luther returned to the lineup after a stint on the six-game injured list. Leake made an impact early with a 38-yard return to start the game. Spelling off for ShunDerrick Powell, the 28-year-old ran six times for 35 yards and caught four passes for 32 more. There was some rust there, but his return provides yet another dynamic player for the playoffs.

Luther got involved with four catches on five targets for 31 yards. The Elks’ Most Outstanding Rookie award winner looked crisp in his routes but was missing the touch the Fajardo puts on the ball. An excellent second-down receiver, the Gardner-Webb product needed some of those real-time plays before the West Final.

With both players now available, the coaching staff will have some tough decisions. Montrell Washington has been successful in returning and on some swing passes. With the way ShunDerrick is playing, you can’t take him out. It’s a nice problem to have. Joe Robustelli is finally healthy and provides power in his receiver role so well. The roster for the West Final will be one to watch.

Now to get ready

Now that we know that Saskatchewan will be going to B.C. in the West Semi-Final, Edmonton will take the week to prepare for whichever one heads north. That’s two full weeks for Fajardo and friends to heal up and get the mental reps in. Also two weeks to build the anticipation of this game with the fanbase.

I believe that Commonwealth could have 35,000 get behind this team in the final. Reaching that number will be even easier if the opponent ends up being the Riders, of course. I can’t wait for the energy of that game and seeing all the regulars back in their spots. Bring on the playoffs.