In this tale of two cities, it was the worst of times, and the worst of times.
The Edmonton Elks visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Canada Day, and the way these teams are going, offensive fireworks may not be on the menu. Both are 0-3, and both have a hard time moving the ball.
With the Elks, we expected there would be trouble with new general manager and coach Chris Jones. He inherited a team that finished 3-11 last season and he wasn’t expected to be a contender in 2022. But the Ticats reached the Gray Cup final in 2021 and big things were in store for them.
“No one would have expected them to go 0-3,” Jones said of the Ticats before the Elks left for Steel City. “They have a very good soccer team, they have a lot of experienced players, they have a tremendous coaching staff and personnel department. They haven’t been to as many Gray Cups and won as many games as they have without being a great program.
“We have our hands full, we have to get on the plane with the right mindset.”
READ MORE: Elks still winless after 30-23 loss to Stampeders
“You don’t expect to start your season 0-3, but you can see the resilience your teammates have right away,” said Ticats receiver Tim White, who has caught 19 passes for 216 yards so far this season. season. “I think the mood right now is the will to improve.
“I think a lot of guys are open to learning and just sitting back and seeing what the coaches have to say, and just looking to get on the field and improve on that.”
Despite the different expectations heading into the season, there are plenty of ways these teams mirror each other. Both teams lead the league in interceptions thrown, Edmonton with seven, Hamilton with six. The Elks are dead last on offense, with just 303.7 yards per game. The Ticats rank slightly better, in seventh place, with 319 yards per game.
And here’s another one for the mirrors department, mirrors. The Ticats have been outscored 46-16 in the final quarters of the three games they have played so far. More than half of the points the Ticats have given up all season have been scored in the fourth quarter. The Elks imploded in the final quarters in their most recent two losses; they held a slight late lead over Saskatchewan in Week 2 and were unable to maintain it. In last week’s 30-23 loss at Calgary, the Elks led well into the third quarter.
When it gets late, these teams have had problems. So maybe the advantage is going into the fourth quarter, trailing?
“We have to learn to protect a lead, we have to learn to finish the game,” Jones said. “It’s the three phases (offense, defense, special teams), it’s not just one phase. The special teams played well, but in the last quarter we didn’t play our best football. We have to play triphasic football for four quarters. If we do that, we can learn to win games.”
“We can’t get too comfortable and never be surprised,” said Elks veteran receiver Manny Arceneaux, who had 100 receiving yards and a touchdown in last week’s 30-23 loss to Calgary. “We have to keep putting our foot on the gas and with an upward trend.”
Arceneaux said the Elks can’t panic.
“You can’t really look back and see what teams have done, or even look at the records, because every game is a new game. I personally couldn’t care less about what’s going on over there (in Hamilton). My focus is how are we going to win this next game,” he said.
“Going through the motions makes someone a locker room victim.”
In terms of casualties, the Elks traded American offensive lineman Colin Kelly to Hamilton earlier this week, getting a seventh-round pick in return. Jones said the upcoming draft is deep, and adding a pick is a move the Elks had to make. The Ticats will likely move Kelly from the right side of the line to the left.
READ MORE: Edmonton Elks trade veteran Collin Kelly to Tiger-Cats
“The good news is I played that Edmonton defense a few times in practice,” Kelly said. “I’m excited to play again, regardless of who I am.
“I’m changing positions, but that’s just reps and I’m making sure you stay focused.”
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