WINNIPEG - The underdog Ottawa Redblacks drew up a blueprint for the winless Elks to follow when Edmonton takes on Winnipeg on Thursday.
The Redblacks stopped the Blue Bombers' rushing attack, put pressure on quarterback Zach Collaros, then rode rushing QB Dustin Crum to a come-from-behind 31-28 overtime victory over the Bombers on Saturday.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pro football, so any team can beat any other team on any given day,鈥 said Edmonton defensive lineman Jake Ceresna. 鈥淎t the end of the day, Ottawa did a great job of (executing its game plan) last week, so we鈥檙e hoping to do the same 鈥 go in, execute our game plan and come out with a win.鈥
It would be the first of the season for the 0-6 Elks.
鈥淚鈥檓 sure (Edmonton head coach) Chris Jones and his staff and players have watched a bunch (of film) and understand what Ottawa did well against us defensively, and I鈥檓 sure they鈥檒l try to imitate some of that, as well as well as having their own twist on it,鈥 Collaros said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something you prepare for each week. You look at what the other team did well against you, and you try to counter that. Sometimes, you鈥檙e chasing a ghost, sometimes, you鈥檙e not 鈥 That鈥檚 what makes this thing fun, too.鈥
The Bombers hope to do a better job of blocking on Thursday.
鈥淥bviously, Ottawa played a good game,鈥 said Winnipeg centre Chris Kolankowski. 鈥淭hey put their best effort forward and we just have to match that, and that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e going to do. We鈥檝e just got to get back to what we do 鈥 just fire off the ball and play our game.
"You know, we love the run, we love the run late in the game, so we鈥檝e just got to make sure we get back to that and put ourselves in a position where we can continue to run it.鈥
Crum rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries versus Winnipeg, adding 261 yards in the air by completing 26-of-42 passes.
Taylor Cornelius, another mobile quarterback, will start for Edmonton.
鈥淛ust to see the way they were able to play in the second half and what (Crum) was able to do with his legs, and he was throwing the ball well, too,鈥 said Cornelius, who has rushed for 122 yards on 20 carries this season. 鈥淭he way that game finished was a good one, for sure, and I think it was good for the league.鈥
Cornelius has also completed 68-of-114 passes for 843 yards and three touchdowns, with five interceptions.
鈥淥bviously, they (Redblacks) moved the ball well on us the last couple of drives, so I imagine they鈥檙e going to try to run with Taylor Cornelius 鈥 he鈥檚 a pretty mobile quarterback,鈥 said Bombers defensive lineman Jake Thomas. 鈥淥bviously, we鈥檒l have to sharpen up what we did last week but we鈥檝e moved on to this week pretty quick.鈥
But how do you stop a running quarterback?
鈥淚t鈥檚 just gap consciousness up front when we鈥檙e rushing,鈥 Thomas said. 鈥淲e just kind of rush as a group of four and try to cage them as best as we can.鈥
The stunning loss to Ottawa may have made the Bombers tougher to beat.
鈥淭hey just had a bad loss, so I know they鈥檙e going to come out hungry and ready to get a win,鈥 Ceresna said. 鈥淚 know they鈥檙e itching to come out here to prove that they weren鈥檛 the team that they were last week.
鈥淚 think they鈥檙e going to come out ready to play and we鈥檇 better be ready to play, too, because it鈥檚 going to be a tough game, for sure.鈥
The Bombers, who have been to the last three Grey Cups, winning two, are off to a 4-2 start and Jones was asked if there were cracks in their armour.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e an awful good team right now,鈥 Jones said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 see too many things that they do wrong. I mean, are they three or four years older? Yes, they are a little bit older than what they have been, but you still have to make a lot of football plays against them in all three phases in order to win the game.
"They force you to have to come in and beat them, and you have to play all four quarters.鈥
EDMONTON ELKS (0-6) AT WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (4-2)
STILL FRIENDS: Cornelius confirmed that Winnipeg receiver Kenny Lawler reached out to him when he was struggling earlier this season. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 my guy,鈥 said Cornelius, who played with Lawler in Edmonton last season. 鈥淟ove the guy and excited to see him back out there.鈥
MAKING HISTORY: The Elks had not started a season 0-6 since their inaugural campaign in 1938. They finished that season 0-8.
BALL HAWK: Winnipeg defensive back Demerio Houston leads the CFL with seven takeaways 鈥 four interceptions and three fumble recoveries. He also has four pass knockdowns.
STREAKING: Bombers placekicker Sergio Castillo has booted 13 straight field goals this year, extending his streak to 23 going back to last season.
This report by 春色直播was first published July 19, 2023
