Were the Edmonton Elks right to overhaul things coming into this year?
Now, offensive inefficiency contributes to that, of course, but it comes down to the defence not being able to stop anything. And that makes it hard for Ford to do something when he might as well have paid for a ticket, considering the amount of time he spent watching from the sideline.
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And the worst part is, they have an entire bye week to think about things. Make no mistake, there are plenty of fair and hard questions they need to ask when looking themselves in the mirror. Not the least of which goes back 365 days ago, to when Jackson took over.
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His win percentage as interim head coach, having gone 7-6, wasn't good enough, even though he earned the first winning record here since Jason Maas led Edmonton to its last playoff appearance in 2019. If you recall, Maas was fired after bringing the then-Eskimos to the divisional-final round for the third time in his four seasons as head coach. Again, not good enough?
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Since then, the three head coaches named in between Maas and Jackson went a combined 11-44 over four years, five if you include the 2020 season that was cancelled due to COVID-19.
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Jackson wanted the job, and they didn't keep him or Simon, who went on to become GM at his alma mater, the University of Maryland, in the Big Ten. Now, under rookie head coach Mark Kilam and GM Ed Hervey, the Elks are 1-4.
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That's a far cry from a run that saw Jackson guide the team to the playoff precipice by winning five of six, coming as close to punching their post-season ticket as they have in years.
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But despite showing more oomph than the three previous seasons combined, the club decided not to carry over any of that momentum.
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The new owner opted for change over continuity. And in his bid to distance the club, full stop, from its recent past, it's back to the ol' drawing board as Elks fans have to endure more growing pains in what feels like an endless cycle of rebuilds.
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That being said, as ugly as this first month has been, it doesn't necessarily mean it was the wrong decision.
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Let's face it, there was never going to be an immediate turnaround this season just because the Elks received a sorely needed infusion of cash following the franchise-saving sale last summer.
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Hervey has made no secret of his love for all things Edmonton, and already proved he has what it takes to put together a winner, given his stewardship of the club's last Grey Cup in 2015. But there is only so much a GM can do in one off-season.
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And Kilam and his staff show promise, even if the runway for rookie head coaches is typically longer than a fan base going through a drought like Edmonton's cares to admit at this point.
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At the same time, the Elks can't simply stay the course after the ship capsizes in a catastrophic loss like that one.
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Montreal Alouettes By It was a win for the ages. And it was an incredible comeback for the Alouettes in a game that had more twists and turns than an Alfred Hitchcock suspense film. But the euphoria will be quickly tempered with the realization that starting quarterback Davis Alexander reinjured his hamstring and likely will be sidelined indefinitely, yet again. The Als have won four games with Alexander, but they've lost two without him. And that's a sobering statistic that's difficult to ignore. Alexander returned to the roster Thursday night at Molson Stadium against the Toronto Argonauts after missing two full games with a left hamstring injury sustained during the third quarter in Edmonton on June 19. And for almost three quarters, Alexander looked like a guy who was playing his first game in nearly a month. But Montreal overcame an 18-point third-quarter deficit, scoring the game's final 19 points, for an electrifying 26-25 victory over the defending Grey Cup champions before 19,354 spectators. The comeback began with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Cole Spieker — on third down no less — in the final minute of the third quarter. A three-yard run by tailback Sean Thomas-Erlington at 6:36 of the final period pulled the Als to within five points following an unsuccessful two-point convert. Alexander then provided the winning margin on a 10-yard bootleg with 1:46 remaining — but grabbed his left hamstring as he crossed the goal line. It was similar to how he was originally injured in Edmonton, running to his right on a passing play. It's almost certain Alexander won't play next Thursday, when the Als travel to Calgary. And while this victory moved Montreal (4-2) into first place in the East Division, can the team win if Alexander is sidelined indefinitely? Head coach Jason Maas said — assuming Alexander doesn't play against the Stampeders — McLeod Bethel-Thompson will be the starter. With the 37-year-old veteran behind centre, the Als lost to Hamilton and B.C. 'I don't think anybody wants to lose their starting quarterback, ever,' Maas said. 'Davis gives us everything. He gave us everything right to the end tonight. We'll have to evaluate him and get him right, because I really don't want him playing again until he is right. We'll do everything in our power to make that happen. But we have guys behind him for a reason. You have to believe they're going to get the job done and they're going to do the job that's asked of them. That's why they're here. We're not just one guy. We're a full team. The next guy has to step up.' While there's no doubt Alexander was medically cleared to resume playing, a hamstring injury can be tricky and can reoccur quickly, because it's the muscle that controls the running motion. And the mobile Alexander likes to run. Management undoubtedly will be much more prudent with its franchise player this time, so when he returns, it will be for more than a game. Alexander struggled in the first half, passing for only 107 yards while being intercepted by cornerback Tarvarus McFadden on an ill-advised pass to the strong side that was intended for Spieker. Toronto scored a touchdown three plays later. But Alexander rebounded nicely, completing 26 of 39 passes for 303 yards. The win was the eighth consecutive to launch his career, tying a CFL record held by Danny McManus. 'I woke up feeling different today,' Alexander said. 'I can't really explain it other than that. It felt like something was in the air. I told our guys this was going to be a crazy battle, a crazy game. We were struggling a little bit, but we still were moving the ball a little bit. We know what we have in this room. We know how explosive our offence can be. We flipped the 18-point script in about 16 minutes and 30 seconds.' Alexander said his pulled hamstring feels similar to the way it felt against Edmonton. 'It doesn't feel any worse,' he said. 'I didn't pop anything. It's tough, but I trust our team to death. Yeah, we're 0-2 without me, but I'm telling you we're a different ball club. We're going to be OK.' Late in the fourth quarter, Spieker appeared en route to the winning touchdown, only to have the ball stripped at the Toronto 1 by safety Derek Slywka. The fumble was recovered by McFadden. But two plays later, Argos quarterback Nick Arbuckle fumbled after being hit by Lwal Uguak. The ball was recovered by Shawn Oakman at the Toronto 21, setting the stage for Alexander's heroics two plays later. The visitors had one final possession, scrimmaging from their 22 with 1:38 remaining, knowing a field goal would win the game. Arbuckle completed four consecutive passes, advancing to Toronto's 54. But on the next play, under pressure from safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy, his pass hung in the air and was intercepted by cornerback Kabion Ento. 'The best play you make is the last one you make,' Dequoy said. 'That's my quote.' Nonetheless, for almost three quarters, Arbuckle looked like the guy who was named the Grey Cup's most valuable player last season, completing passes at will. 'Not to our (defensive) standards,' Dequoy stated succinctly. Before the game the Als announced the re-signing of veteran rush-end Shawn Lemon for the rest of this season. Lemon, who played for Montreal in 2023 and '24, was reinstated by the CFL this week after a gambling suspension that limited him to four games last season. But Lemon is serving a two-game suspension after testing positive for the banned stimulant phentermine, prescribed as an appetite suppressant. He's eligible to return Aug. 2, against Saskatchewan.
