MMQB: Elks stampede their way back into the mix

Pat Steinberg

CFL.ca

@Fan960Steinberg

Make it five wins in their last six.

With a convincing 37-16 win Saturday night, the Edmonton Elks have swept their OK Tire Labour Day Weekend home-and-home series with Calgary for the first time since 2004. While a playoff berth isn’t guaranteed and with lots of work left, it really is nice to see Edmonton back in the mix.

More than anything, I’m happy for Elks fans. Saturday’s crowd of 32,144 provided an awesome atmosphere at Commonwealth Stadium. And honestly, that’s always been the case when that place is packed so we shouldn’t be surprised but it’s been a while since a home game in Edmonton has felt like that. Elks fans have an exciting team with everything to play for, and they showed out for a huge game.

I’m happy for Eugene Lewis. The talented receiver joined Edmonton for 2023 in his first opportunity to hit it big in free agency. His first season saw the Elks struggle to a 4-14 record while injuries limited Lewis to just 12 appearances. One year later, though, Lewis has racked up more than 200 yards in his last two outings, is a top-10 receiver overall and has five touchdown catches.

I’m happy for Tre Ford. Edmonton’s electric quarterback was one of the key catalysts for this year’s turnaround before getting hurt in Edmonton’s Week 10 win over BC. Instead of losing his job to injury, Ford is confirmed to return to the starter’s role when the Elks are back at it in Week 16 after a bye this week and deservingly so.

I’m happy for McLeod Bethel-Thompson. As did the team, the veteran pivot struggled to start his career in Edmonton. But Bethel-Thompson has bounced back admirably in relief of Ford. Since taking back over, MBT has gone 3-1 as a starter, which includes more than 700 passing yards and five touchdowns in back-to-back games against Calgary. You can bet Bethel-Thompson’s confidence will be far higher if he’s called upon again down the stretch.

The Elks are the second-most successful franchise in CFL history and no one has captured more Grey Cup titles than they have over the last five decades. But after the last four seasons, it’s been tough for fans in Edmonton to get excited. It’s great to see that narrative changing as the Elks sit tied for a playoff spot with five games remaining.

DON’T LOOK NOW

You got a certain feeling when William Stanback spoke to CFL.ca’s Vicki Hall back in April. You know…the feeling of a guy who’s ready to prove a bunch of people wrong. That has certainly played itself out as Stanback continues to impress in his first season with the BC Lions, especially recently.

It was perhaps most apparent Friday night as Stanback rolled into his old stomping grounds — and just as he told CFL.ca’s Don Landry he would last week — stomped his way to 128 rushing yards and a touchdown in a 37-23 win over Montreal. Everyone understands business is business, but that doesn’t mean Stanback didn’t have a little extra incentive going up against the team that cut him loose earlier this year.

“You can’t really say someone fell off or lost a step when they haven’t been given the ball,” Stanback told Hall prior to the season. “Anyone who ran for over 1,000 yards last season, look at their carries compared to mine. I still average over five yards a carry.

“I understand. I see that stuff on Twitter and sometimes Facebook too. But I don’t really care about what the critics say about me. I’ve never even had 200 carries a season. So, if I get 200 carries this year coming up, just imagine how many yards I’ll get.”

Well, don’t look now but Stanback is averaging exactly 5.0 yards per carry. For the first time in his career, he’s on pace for well over 200 carries (242 to be exact). Stanback now sits second overall with 810 rushing yards, which includes an average of more than 101 over his last five outings.

One thing I refuse to bet against in pro sports, and perhaps even more so in this league, is the power of a chip on the shoulder. Stanback felt he had something to prove entering 2024 and, after a little time acclimating to a new team, he’s doing just that.

Stanback has proven he’s still one of the league’s top tailbacks.

Regardless of how you like to calculate it, Stanback is on pace for over 1,200 yards this season, which would also be a career first. Tough business decisions have to be made in a cap world sometimes, which is why Stanback is no longer a member of the Alouettes.

But we’ve also learned how savvy a business decision it can be to pounce on motivated players who still have plenty left in the tank.

QUICK HITS

Remember when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were on the way down? And at 0-4 and 2-6, you could understand the skepticism that existed. But it was noticeable how unworried head coach Mike O’Shea looked all along. O’Shea and the Bombers knew what they were capable of and after a Labour Day sweep over Saskatchewan, that includes five straight wins and a share of first place in the West Division.

What a huge win for Ottawa to kickoff Saturday’s triple header. The likes of Damon Webb, Brandon Dandridge, Dru Brown and Dominique Rhymes led the way as the REDBLACKS further solidified second place in the East Division with a 41-27 win over Toronto. With six games to go, a two-game lead, and one more head-to-head with the Argos, the REDBLACKS control their own destiny for a home playoff date.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Denver Broncos (@broncos)

Finally, kudos to CFL and Stampeders alum Alex Singleton. Not only did the Denver Broncos’ linebacker open the NFL season with six defensive tackles and an interception, but he was also all class prior to the game. Singleton sported a No. 13 Johnny Gaudreau Calgary Flames jersey on his walk into Seattle’s Lumen Field on Sunday afternoon. Johnny and his younger brother Matt were tragically killed late last month by a suspected impaired driver. Their funeral is today.

Follow CFL