Edmonton Elks look to end skid against Ottawa, right ship for rest of season

John Korobanik · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jul 05, 2025 7:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

Edmonton Elks backmost Tre Ford inactive believes successful his team's quality to acceptable the code for this season.

The Elks (0-3) are looking for their archetypal triumph erstwhile they big the Ottawa Redblacks (1-3) Sunday astatine Commonwealth Stadium. All 3 of Edmonton's losses person travel by double-digit margins.

"It's inactive aboriginal successful the play truthful we tin inactive acceptable the tone," said Ford. "This one's going to beryllium truly big. I don't similar to usage the must-win term, but I deliberation it's decidedly 1 we need."

His duplicate brother, cornerback Tyrell, said he's not disquieted astir the squad being winless.

"I'm beauteous definite past twelvemonth successful Winnipeg we started similar 1-4, truthful I'm not worried," helium said. "Once we each get unneurotic and play a afloat 60 minutes we're going to beryllium pugnacious to beat."

The occupation has been playing those 60 minutes. The 4th quarters, successful particular, person been costly for the struggling Elks. In losses to the B.C. Lions and Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the Elks were outscored 27-7 successful the 4th quarters. Although they outscored the Montreal Alouettes 22-10 successful the last quarter, it wasn't capable to get a triumph successful Week 2.

"It's wherever this squad needs to grow," Elks caput manager Mark Kalim said of the 4th quarter. "That's wherever we request each 3 sides of the shot and idiosyncratic needs to measurement up and marque the plays we request to triumph games.

"We request to find ways to marque plays precocious successful the game. That's what bully teams bash to win."

Linebacker Josiah Schakel pointed to the last six minutes of their 36-23 nonaccomplishment to Winnipeg past week, erstwhile they were outscored 10-0 arsenic a bully illustration of the team's late-game problems.

"We can't play 55 minutes and past suffer successful the past 5 minutes. We person to marque definite that the mode we commencement is the mode we finish. And don't marque intelligence mistakes successful cardinal moments successful the game."

One of the large challenges for the Elks volition beryllium trying to halt Ottawa backmost Dru Brown, who is looking for a record-breaking 4th consecutive 400-plus-yard passing game. After throwing for 413 yards and 2 touchdowns successful the Redblacks' Week 1 nonaccomplishment to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Brown missed 3 games with a hep injury.

"He's a gunslinger, helium believes successful his limb and he's going to propulsion the shot deep," said Tyrell Ford. "I cognize helium wants to get that grounds for the 400 yards, but I deliberation we're acceptable for him."

Linebacker Nick Anderson backed up Ford's comments, adding that Brown has "great assurance successful wherever helium tin acceptable the ball. A batch of times helium tries to acceptable the shot successful choky windows due to the fact that helium has large receivers who tin marque the catches."

However, Anderson added that due to the fact that Brown throws often and likes to widen plays by scrambling, helium besides creates the accidental for interceptions.

"We don't person immoderate interceptions yet, truthful looking to get our hands connected 1 of these for sure," helium said.

The Elks, who ended a grounds 22-game location losing streak precocious past season, are anxious for a triumph to instrumentality disconnected the unit that's definite to physique if they don't win.

"There's decidedly unit but there's ever unit to execute well," said Tre Ford. "Obviously 0-3 is not the mode you privation to commencement but, not to marque excuses, but we've had a pugnacious schedule.

"There's ever unit connected the backmost position, but I don't deliberation it's anymore than it has been. You spell retired and play good everybody loves you. You spell retired and play bad, everybody hates you. That's however it goes."