EDMONTON 鈥� It might be a stretch to call a team that finished 4-14 last season and hasn鈥檛 won a home game in more than two seasons the biggest disappointment so far in the young CFL season.
After all, the bar isn鈥檛 set very high for the winless Edmonton Elks, who host the Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts on Sunday.
Despite the Elks' free-agent signing frenzy this past off-season to improve their offence, the team has scored just 13 points over its first two games, having been shut out in a 22-point loss to the BC Lions last week.
鈥淲e鈥檙e frustrated, there鈥檚 no doubt about it,鈥� said Edmonton general manager and head coach Chris Jones. 鈥淵ou feel the frustration in our team meetings. You feel the frustration in our locker room.聽
"They鈥檝e worked hard, and they want to be a good football team. You鈥檇 be worried if they weren鈥檛 frustrated.鈥�
Elks quarterback Taylor Cornelius has just 300 yards passing over the first two games of the season. A chunk of those came on one play -- an underthrown pass to Geno Lewis, who turned it into a jump ball and then sprinted to the end zone for a 102-yard touchdown in a 17-13 Week 1 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
That stands as Edmonton鈥檚 only touchdown of the season. Take that one big play away and the numbers get really worrying.
Second-year receiver Dillon Mitchell, who came into the year promising that he鈥檇 go for 2,000 yards this season, has a total of one receiving yard through two games. Lewis and Steven Dunbar Jr., both of whom had 1,000-yard seasons in 2022, were brought into the team and outside Lewis鈥檚 one big play, have not had an impact.
Another free agent signing, kick returner/receiver Kyran Moore, will see more reps as veteran receiver Manny Arceneaux has gone down with injury. CJ Sims will likely get elevated from the practice squad to return kicks.
鈥淥verall, I think we鈥檝e put (last week) behind us,鈥� said Moore. 鈥淚t鈥檚 in the back of our minds 鈥� and we鈥檙e ready to go to work on Sunday.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got a receiving corps full of vets. T.C. (Cornelius) is still fairly new in this league, so we just try to give him all the confidence in the world. Anything he needs, anything he specifically needs from us, we try to give him. We鈥檒l do everything we can for him.鈥澛�
Jones hopes Moore can bring some added speed to the slot.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a guy that brings that dynamic spot quickness," said Jones. "He鈥檚 not a 4.3 guy or anything like that, but he plays a lot faster than what his 40 time is.聽
"He鈥檚 certainly tough and physical even though he鈥檚 a smaller, diminutive guy.鈥�
While the Elks are still looking to find their offensive identity, the Argos rolled in their opener last week, defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 32-14. New starting quarterback Chad Kelly looked like a vet, throwing for 238 yards and adding three rushing touchdowns.
Argos coach Ryan Dinwiddie said his team doesn鈥檛 expect the Elks to be as flat as they were in their first two games of the season.
鈥淲e have to make sure we鈥檙e not coming in there and thinking they鈥檙e going to put on those performances again,鈥� he said. 鈥淐hris will get it fixed, and that whole city is waiting for a win.聽
"That鈥檚 a big deal right there. We鈥檝e got to go out and play good football and take care of the football.鈥�
The Argos will face an Elks defence that is missing defensive back Ed Gainey, who was placed on the six-game injured list. He left last week鈥檚 loss at BC Place after he got clobbered on an interception return.
Meanwhile, Jones said there will be many challenges for his offence against the Argos鈥� defence and saluted the work of Toronto defensive coordinator Corey Mace.聽
鈥淚 think he鈥檚 done a real nice job with moulding the defence around the personnel that he has," said Jones. "They certainly can mix the coverages, they mix the fronts.鈥�
Jones is expecting to see a lot of Jamal Peters, the Argos鈥� dominant shutdown defensive back who led the league with six picks last season. He returned to Toronto on June 12 after being released by the NFL's Atlanta Falcons.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a shutdown guy. It鈥檒l be interesting to see how we match up.鈥�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2023.
Steven Sandor, The Canadian Press
