Lions 27, Elks 0: Edmonton stumbles into doubtful historical past because the Leos rumble to victory

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The Edmonton Elks all watched Mission: Unattainable as a team-building train this week.

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However even when they’d Tom Cruise below centre as a substitute of Taylor Cornelius, beating the B.C. Lions on Saturday night time was only a plain not possible task. With their Elks 27-0 defeat at Commonwealth Stadium, they turn out to be sole homeowners of the worst house shedding streak in North American main professional sports activities historical past: 21 straight.

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They’ve left the MLB’s St. Louis Browns — whom they had been tied with at 20 — behind.

The Lions (6-1) didn’t even must beat the Elks (0-8) — Edmonton did it to themselves. They’d 177 yards in penalties, and 213 in web offence, 1 / 4 of which got here on one go play late within the recreation.

Right here’s what we discovered …

BY THE NUMBERS

330: Passing yards from Lions QB Dane Evans, who was 25-of-32 in his first begin for B.C., together with two passing TDs.

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5: Sacks by the Elks, together with two on three-man rushes, as B.C.’s go safety has damaged down within the go two video games, giving up 9 in whole.

0: Sacks by Mathieu Betts, who leads the league with 10. He’d had a sack in each recreation coming in.

1,386: Days since Edmonton final received at house — towards the B.C. Lions.

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1: Decide by B.C.’s Garry Peters, however his second in as many video games. Bo Lokombo had the opposite Lions’ interception.

4: Subject targets for Sean Whyte, who stays one behind Ottawa’s Lewis Ward for the league lead. He related from 26, 16, 41 and 25, extending his discipline objective streak to fifteen straight.

5: Days till the Lions play once more, in Winnipeg towards the Blue Bombers. Vernon Adams Jr. didn’t costume Saturday, however isn’t anticipated to be out long run. It’s nonetheless up within the air who will begin in that recreation on Thursday.

“We’re simply gonna take pleasure in this aircraft journey,” Evans stated publish recreation. “No matter occurs, that’s means above my pay grade. I’m simply the man on the staff and no matter (the coaches) say, I help them 100 per cent.”

SHUTOUT STREAK

The Elks didn’t rating some extent towards B.C. of their Week 2 assembly.

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The Elks didn’t rating some extent in Week 8, both.

And with these two shutouts, Edmonton has turn out to be the primary be blanked twice in a season since …  Edmonton did it, in 1967. (Winnipeg was additionally shut out twice in 1967, whereas Ottawa did it in 1958).

The bottom-scoring offence within the CFL, by a large margin, discovered no room to manoeuvre towards the league’s prime defence, which grew to become the primary since 1970 to have two shutouts in a season (Calgary).

Edmonton mustered two speeding yards within the first half. Elks QB Taylor Cornelius solely missed three of this 13 first-half passes, however solely gained 118 yards. He completed 16-of-30 for 187 yards and two interceptions.

The Lions have given up simply two passing touchdowns all yr, and none since their Week 4 assembly with Toronto.

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“It’s unreal. I used to be speaking about it with the blokes on the sidelines,” Evans stated of the 2 shutouts.

“That’s onerous to do within the NFL, however up right here, all it’s a must to do is kick it ultimately zone and also you get one level. So to do it twice is particular. RP (defensive coordinator Ryan Phillips) has these guys rolling. 

“I’ll inform you this a lot; all through the week, once we prep, these guys make our lives hell in follow. It’s powerful going towards them daily. I used to be undoubtedly annoyed at factors this week in follow. However it’s really a kind of conditions the place iron sharpens iron.”

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The shutout streak regarded to have been snapped within the fourth quarter when Fortunate Whitehead appeared to have fumbled the ball, and Marcus Lewis scooped it up and returned it 47 yards for the landing. However the command centre reviewing the play overturned the rating, saying Whitehead by no means had management of the ball — an incomplete go.

They didn’t advance previous the B.C. 54-yard line till 9 minutes remained within the fourth quarter, however they might solely make it to the 41. Kicker Dean Devoted missed the 48-yard try, protecting the sport scoreless.

Ottawa holds the file for fewest factors scored in a season — as soon as because the Tough Riders (1988) and as soon as because the Redblacks (2014) — once they averaged 15.4 factors per recreation. The Elks got here into the night time averaging 15.0. That common has now dropped to 13.1.

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SMOKE SHOW

Taquan Mizzell spent two weeks on the sidelines, watching the electrical Shaun Shivers go to work. On Saturday, he was the stay wire.

The person referred to as ‘Smoke’ had 117 yards speeding on 22 carries, and was dynamic on first down, with B.C. placing his 5.3 yards-per-carry common to good use.

He additionally scored his first CFL landing, catching a 23-yard rating within the third quarter that primarily put the sport to mattress.

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BEATING YOURSELF

It was semaphore soccer for the Elks — all flags.

Contemplate these first-half performs from Edmonton, who had 139 penalty yards within the first half.

• Fortunate Whitehead gained 13 yards on a second-and-18, however Marloshawn Franklin rips Whitehead’s helmet off by the facemask. It turns what would have been a discipline objective try right into a 1st-and-goal from the 9, and had been fortunate it didn’t flip into seven.

• The Elks had been 1st-and-10 at midfield within the second quarter, and a blindside block turns it right into a 2nd-and-25, and a punt.

• After sacking Dane Evans twice, the Lions punt. However an pointless roughness penalty to Eli Mencer leads to a B.C. 1st down. Two performs after that, Marcus Lewis is flagged for go interference, and McInnis scores on the following play.

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• With 19 seconds left within the half, Lewis inexplicably yanks on Whitehead’s hair when he runs previous him, incomes one other PI name. Sean Whyte booted a discipline objective two performs afterward the zeros.

“(Frustration) is at an all-time excessive proper now,” Cornelius advised the Edmonton Solar post-game.

“The primary half, we get behind the sticks with penalties, it appeared like each drive it was one thing. After which to come back out within the second half and nonetheless not put up any factors for a second recreation in a row towards these guys is simply loopy, man.”

“Don’t get me unsuitable, they’re nice. However this offence and defence are taking part in nice all recreation, we should always by no means be shut out.”

THE TURNING POINT

After settling for a two discipline targets and a punt on their first two drives, Evans related with Justin McInnis on a 23-yard rating within the second quarter to cap off an eight-play, 47-yard drive. McInnis, who dropped a landing go final week towards Saskatchewan, rose above two defenders to high-point the catch earlier than getting his toes down inbounds.

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“We actually wanted that,” stated Evans. “It was a glance we thought we might get all week. That form of received us going. We drove it down early and settled for discipline targets, however our commonplace are touchdowns each time. So it was good to form of take that lid off.”

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NEXT GAME

Thursday

B.C. Lions vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers

5:30 p.m., IG Subject, TV: TSN, Radio: AM730

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