Boy, oh boy, am I excited to write about this one. The Elks’ 23–22 win over the Montreal Alouettes tonight was easily the highlight of my Friday. It wasn’t just exciting because they won, but because of the way they did it — a comeback game for both Elks QB Cody Fajardo and WR Kaion …
Boy, oh boy, am I excited to write about this one. The Elks’ 23–22 win over the Montreal Alouettes tonight was easily the highlight of my Friday. It wasn’t just exciting because they won, but because of the way they did it — a comeback game for both Elks QB Cody Fajardo and WR Kaion Julien-Grant, finding a way to beat their former team. The drama and intensity made this one of the best Elks games I’ve seen in years. I can’t wait to see where this team can go after a win like this, especially with the run Cody’s been on lately. The offence might not have been at its best, but in the end, the big man Cody got it done.
This Tweet says it all, LOL. Shoutout Declan. Pumped up.
1. The play of the game was the final touchdown pass on the game-winning drive, with Cody Fajardo finding Kaion Julien-Grant in his big comeback game. With just 16 seconds left, Fajardo recognized the blitz and one-on-one coverage, hitting Julien-Grant over the middle. Grant then dragged his defender into the end zone to give the Elks the lead with only seconds to spare. Easily one of the most exciting moments in the last few years as an Elks fan. After that big drop last week, Julien-Grant made up for it in a huge way with two touchdowns on five catches for 45 yards. It was a massive game for him and a huge moment for both guys to come back against their former team and walk away with the win.
2. The second key play, in my opinion, was the kickoff penalty after the Alouettes’ field goal in the fourth quarter. Montreal kicked deep over Javon Leake’s head, and he couldn’t get much of a return. But on the next kickoff, which was a re-kick because of a five-yard offside penalty, Leake took full advantage, ripping off a huge return all the way to the Elks’ 45-yard line. Which would set them up big time for a game-winning scoring drive.
3. The Elks finally did it and got a huge defensive play from one of their big-time players. Tonight, it was defensive back Tyrell Ford. An interception deep in Elks territory turned into an 87-yard pick-six, giving Edmonton a real shot to win the game. It was exactly the kind of play this struggling defence has been desperate for, sitting last in nearly every major category this season. They held the Alouettes and their backup quarterbacks to just 22 points and gave the offence a chance to finish the job. Hopefully, the Elks can build off this, and the defence can come up with a few more big plays next week at home against the Argos.
The Elks overall just made the big plays in the big moments, and that’s what won them the game. I mentioned in my last article that their one-possession losses have been because they couldn’t do that. This time, they finally came through in the clutch and did the job when it mattered. Luck was definitely on their side, but they battled hard against a great Al’s defence.
The Elks had a lot of good moments tonight. I think they looked sharper than in the last game against Hamilton. Offensively, they came out pretty slow, but the defence kept them in it and made a big play when it counted. That was the key tonight — getting a big play from the defence, something they’ve been missing all season. They got that from Tyrell Ford, who’s being paid well to perform for this team. I’d also say the comeback efforts from a lot of players, especially Julien-Grant in a big moment, were really encouraging to see. Overall, just seeing a win feels pretty great. You can break it down however you want, but this team was on fire last year, and it gives you hope that they can make a real run at the playoffs.
There wasn’t a lot to critique, other than the run game being absolutely awful. Justin Rankin had five carries and didn’t pick up a single yard on the ground. The only rushing yards they had tonight came from Cody Fajardo’s scrambles. It was an odd night for the Elks’ run game, but the Al’s run defence is just that good. Honestly, I’m shocked they were able to come out with the win tonight. The only other critique I’d have is the offence starting slow again. It was nice to see them come out fast last game against Hamilton, but tonight it was a sluggish start, and it would be great to see them not playing from behind.
Overall, it’s just great to see us get a win. There’s a sense of hope again. I might’ve felt that after the last win, too, but the joy you get from football when you can finally pull out a win is something special. It was more than just a win, though; it was a dramatic, exciting game that the Elks usually let slip away. Tonight, the Elks were able to come out on top. Big notable performances from Elk players, finding ways to win without a run game. Something we don’t expect from this Elks team. Maybe we can expect it now…. Go Elks.
