Edmonton’s 20-game shedding streak at dwelling is not one thing the B.C. Lions are specializing in forward of Saturday’s sport at Commonwealth Stadium.
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The primary rule about Blight Membership is you don’t discuss Blight Membership.
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The Edmonton Elks’ dwelling report is as black a blemish as you may think about, a streak that reached 20 video games with their 37-29 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats two weeks in the past. They’ve tied the hapless St. Louis Browns for the longest dwelling skid within the historical past of North America’s professional sports activities huge 4. The Browns set the doubtful mark in 1953, then grew to become the Baltimore Orioles the following 12 months.
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However even a reputation change in 2021 didn’t helped the Elks with their protracted spell of distress stretching all the best way again to Oct. 12, 2019.
It’s what everybody will likely be speaking about till their blight plight is ready proper. That’s, until you’re taking part in in Saturday’s B.C. Lions-Elks sport at Commonwealth Stadium.
NEXT GAME
B.C. Lions (5-1) at Edmonton Elks (0-7)
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4 p.m. PT, Saturday, July 29, Commonwealth Stadium
TV: TSN Radio: AM730, AM580 (Punjabi)
“I do perceive the storyline. I get it… however that’s simply not been our mindset,” mentioned Lions coach Rick Campbell. “We’re not strolling down that highway. We obtained a troublesome Western opponent. They performed powerful final week in Winnipeg. And the excellent news is I don’t need to do a giant promote job to our workforce — all I’ve to do is throw on the sport movie and watch it.
“They’ve obtained numerous good gamers and we’re gonna need to play very well to beat these guys.”
Edmonton is 0-7 general to begin the season — additionally on a 10-game slide that dates to final October — and simply haven’t been capable of finding the performs or maintain, properly, something.
They Elks have been tied 6-6 with the Blue Bombers at halftime final week, however finally fell 28-14 at IG Subject.
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“Completely nobody imagined in 1,000,000 years this begin to this season,” Elks quarterback Taylor Cornelius instructed an Edmonton radio station after the sport.
“It’s very irritating, however clearly we’ve obtained to come back to work day-after-day. You wouldn’t anticipate this workforce to be 0-7 in the event you walked into our locker-room after a observe.”
However in the event you regarded on the stat sheet you’ll.
Factors for per sport? Final. (15). Offensive factors? Final. (14.1). Internet offence? Final. (300.4). Offensive performs? (Final. 50.3) Yards conceded? Final. (388.4).
The checklist of last-place analytics entries is sort of as lengthy the Elks’ shedding streak and paints an image of a workforce that may’t compete. However in the event you squint, actually squint, you see some redeeming qualities materialize like a Magic Eye puzzle.
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Of their three losses at Commonwealth this 12 months, just one was by double-digits — a aggressive 43-31 Week 3 defeat to the undefeated Toronto Argonauts. And their season-opening setback to Saskatchewan was by a 17-13 rating, and the Ticats solely gained earlier this month by eight (37-29).
And three of their video games this season have been tied at half, together with final week in Winnipeg, earlier than the opposition has pulled inexorably away within the remaining frames.
“We’ve obtained an excellent problem,” mentioned Lions QB Dane Evans, who will fill in for the injured Vernon Adams Jr.
“I imply, it’s not like we’re taking part in a workforce that’s not any good. Edmonton is nice, and their defence might be their energy too. It’s powerful for them for certain. However they’re an excellent soccer workforce. I feel everybody across the league would let you know that, too.
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“It’s not like they’re shedding as a result of they’re unhealthy. It’s simply they’ve had the ball bounce the unsuitable method. We’ve to go in there, do our job and handle enterprise. It’s going to be tight.”
The Elks have a good floor sport, a giant a part of why Cornelius was turned unfastened à la Ottawa’s Dustin Crumb final week, with the QB gaining a team-high 57 yards dashing. They really have a greater per-carry common than B.C. (4.9-4.6 yards) and make respectable first-down features, with a mean of 6.3 yards — solidly mid-pack within the league.
However their move sport, biking between Cornelius and Jarret Doege, has been brutal. They’ve thrown the second-most passes within the league, accomplished a league-low 61.1 of them, and thrown 11 picks, the league’s present high-water mark. Their 20 general turnovers can also be tops, leaving the Elks ratio at -6, within the league.
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Journeys to the crimson zone have been few and much between, simply 13 in 2023. And Cornelius’s landing charge of 5 of 71 drives is a league-worst seven per cent.
Tre Ford has been rooted to the bench by coach Chris Jones, who appears unwilling to provide the Canadian QB a shot even when his starters are struggling, and even after releasing third-stringer Kai Locksley earlier this month.
The offensive ineptitude depresses the Elks defensive numbers, as they’re compelled to defend quick fields and keep on the sector for the second-most minutes within the league. Nonetheless, Edmonton has surrendered simply eight move touchdowns this 12 months.
“Edmonton does numerous good issues on defence. They’re powerful to resolve. So we’re anticipating a troublesome Edmonton defence,” mentioned Campbell. (Taking part in properly) goes to be our focus this week as a result of it’s not their report or that kind of stuff. (We’ve to) go in there and attempt to beat a West workforce on the highway.”
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There’s one different quantity the Lions are conscious of: Oct. 12, 2019 — the final Edmonton win at dwelling.
Their opponent that day? The B.C. Lions, who left 19-6 losers and have been eradicated from the playoffs.
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