Arthur Ward/CFL.ca
Tre Ford has been here before.
You know, jumping in as starting quarterback of the Edmonton Elks well into a winless season. It’s the exact scenario that launched Ford into the spotlight almost exactly one year ago when he helped the Elks to wins in four of his first six starts.
I guess we shouldn’t be surprised, then, that Ford was at the helm as Edmonton picked up their first win of the season in a 42-31 road triumph over Saskatchewan. Ford threw just four incomplete passes as he finished with 252 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday’s win; he added 46 more rushing yards on five carries.
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Of course, the catalyst for Ford taking over under centre was Jarious Jackson’s promotion to head coach after the firing of Chris Jones last month. And after a pair of losses to start his tenure, Jackson now his first win and a little clarity at quarterback, at least for the time being.
And that’s no shot at McLeod Bethel-Thompson. In his dual role as general manager and head coach, Jones brought Bethel-Thompson in to give the Elks a veteran presence at quarterback in their quest to return to the playoffs. The unfortunate byproduct, though, was relegating Ford to number two after such an electric finish to 2023.
And perhaps my biggest frustration with Jones’ work this season was Ford’s lack of usage, even as the number two. I understand opting for an experienced winner like Bethel-Thompson to start the season. But in Edmonton’s five losses prior to the coaching change, Ford had a grand total of zero touches combined. That’s hard to wrap your head around.
Ford’s athleticism and explosiveness made him the perfect candidate to work into the offence as a compliment to Bethel-Thompson. For instance, Winnipeg does it right now with a similarly unique talent in Chris Streveler. It just didn’t compute why the Elks weren’t exploring the same route with Ford.
But here we are, nonetheless.
Jackson, a former dual threat quarterback himself, has a promising protégé to work with going forward. Patience will remain key with Ford, as he’s still in just his third year as a pro and a talent of his calibre deserves it if there are any struggles with consistency. Having a Grey Cup winner in Bethel-Thompson isn’t a bad safety net, either.
Now at 1-7, the Elks are only a couple wins back of the being back in the post-season picture. By rolling with Ford, they’ll be accomplishing two things at once. On the one hand, Edmonton will be giving valuable playing time to a huge part of their future. On the other, Ford is the guy who, right now, gives the Elks the best chance of climbing back into the playoff chase.
And so here we are again. It’s Tre time in Edmonton.
ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES
The Alouettes are a scary group.
Not only is Montreal firmly on top of the league at 7-1, but they’re winning games in a variety of fashions. Early on, quarterback Cody Fajardo was perhaps the biggest story as he established himself as an early Most Outstanding Player candidate.
But since Fajardo left the team’s only loss of the season in Week 6 due to injury, the Alouettes have rattled off a pair of wins with Davis Alexander and Caleb Evans under centre. Most notably, it’s been Alexander engineering a great deal of Montreal’s success these last two games.
That includes an impressive fourth quarter comeback in relief last week against Saskatchewan before throwing for 262 yards and a touchdown in Friday’s 33-16 win over Hamilton. That’s not a bad early resume for Alexander who had a combined 21 CFL passing attempts over two seasons entering 2024.
The Alouettes are thriving due to far more than their quarterback play, though. On offence, Tyson Philpot sits second overall with 772 receiving yards and five touchdowns. And tailback Walter Fletcher has turned into one of the league’s most dangerous dual threats with 362 rushing yards and 329 more through the air.
But you can’t have a conversation about Montreal’s 7-1 mark without propping up this defensive unit. Noel Thorpe’s group is hitting on another level right now and sit at or near the top of the league in major defensive categories like offensive points against, opponent net yards, and offensive touchdowns against.
Linebackers Tyrice Beverette and Darnell Sankey are among the league leaders in defensive tackles. Lineman Mustafa Johnson sits tied for second overall with four sacks. And Deontai Ruffin and Kabion Ento each have multiple interceptions. It’s a group effort on defence for Montreal and it’s paying nothing but dividends.
Approaching the midway mark of their season, the Alouettes are clearly the class of the CFL. If 2023 was the team’s coming out party, 2024 is their message to the rest of the league they’re here to stay no matter the difficult circumstances.
QUICK HITS
I sure am curious to see how Javon Leake at running back evolves in Edmonton. One of the league’s most electric returners, Leake ran for 169 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries in Saturday’s win over Saskatchewan with Kevin Brown missing out with a shoulder injury. Prior to 2024, Leake had 15 combined carries as a tailback over two seasons. He’s already at 34 this year.
Brady Oliveira has hit the 100-yard mark on three occasions this season. I don’t think it’s any coincidence Winnipeg is now 3-0 in those games, the team’s only three wins. Oliveira went for 100 yards on 17 carries as the Bombers blanked the Lions 25-0 to get the week going.
Finally, that was a much-needed comeback from the Stampeders to round out Week 9. After coming out with a dud on the road in Ottawa the week prior, Calgary scored 21 fourth quarter points to shock the Argos 27-23. The win keeps the Stamps perfect at home and helps them reclaim a little of the momentum they’d gained with a big win over BC.
