WINNIPEG 鈥� Jermarcus Hardrick is going to ensure his helmet is buckled on tight when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers host the Edmonton Elks on Saturday.
Even though the 13-2 Bombers are favoured to beat the 4-11 Elks, the veteran offensive lineman predicts a battle with an outcome that isn鈥檛 a given.
鈥淎ny time you face a Chris Jones team, you鈥檝e got to get ready for a fight, and I鈥檓 talking street fight,鈥� Hardrick said after Friday鈥檚 walk-through, referring to Edmonton鈥檚 head coach and general manager.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of the things you look forward to all season. You don鈥檛 look at the records when you face a Chris Jones-led team. There are going to be some big bodies, there鈥檚 going to be some guys who鈥檝e got some athleticism and they鈥檙e going to come for a street fight. That鈥檚 usually the fun games.鈥�
The Elks could be lining up knowing they鈥檙e officially out of the CFL playoff picture if the Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-9) defeat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Friday night鈥檚 game.
鈥淲e鈥檙e aware of all that. I mean, it doesn鈥檛 take a genius to figure that one out,鈥� Jones said.
鈥淲e know we put ourselves in this position and it鈥檚 unfortunate, but that鈥檚 the position that we鈥檙e in and all we can control is what we can control and show up and play these football games and play as hard as we possibly can.
鈥淭he organization is paying us to do a job and we intend on doing it to the best of our ability.鈥�
If the Bombers beat Edmonton and the B.C. Lions (10-4) lose to Toronto in the earlier game Saturday, Winnipeg will clinch first place in the West Division for the second season in a row.
Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros expects to feel some pressure from a physical Edmonton defence and said the visitors鈥� skills have to be respected despite their record.
鈥淭here鈥檚 too much parity to overlook anybody,鈥� Collaros said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of talent, a lot of talent over there and around the league.鈥�
Edmonton lost 24-10 at home against the Bombers on July 22, a strange game in which Collaros only completed seven of 16 passes with two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions.
Elks quarterback Taylor Cornelius still kind of shakes his head at that stat and outcome, but notes his team is different since that game.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got four or five guys remaining on offence due to injuries or whatever the case may be, but we feel confident in how we鈥檝e been playing these past few weeks,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 gotten the results we want, but it鈥檚 trending up for sure.鈥�
The Elks will have a new slotback in their receiving corps when Lucky Jackson replaces Kenny Lawler, who recently had shoulder surgery. Jackson was signed to the practice roster on Sept. 13.
The Bombers also have a new face lining up at defensive end. Keion Adams was signed to the practice roster last week after getting cut by Saskatchewan. Veteran DE Jackson Jeffcoat is out with an injury and DE Cedric Wilcot II was traded to Hamilton Tuesday for defensive back Alden Darby Jr.
聽EDMONTON ELKS (4-11) AT WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (13-2)
Saturday, IG Field
聽ROOKIE ON A ROLL: Bombers receiver Dalton Schoen set a franchise record last week for touchdowns by a rookie with 11, which places him fifth in the CFL record book. He could bypass Curtis Mayfield (Ottawa), who鈥檚 in fourth with 12 TDs in 1994, and Hugh Oldham (Vegas) who had 13 in 1970.
聽HITTING THE END ZONE: Winnipeg receiver Nic Demski has scored at least one TD in five straight games, surpassing his previous streak of three games in 2019. The last Bomber to score in six straight games was Charles Roberts in 2006.
聽SLOW STARTS: The Elks haven鈥檛 led after the first quarter in any of their last nine games, and only accomplished that in two games this season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 7, 2022.
Judy Owen, The Canadian Press
