CFL 2024 Season Week 10 Game Preview: BC Lions at Edmonton Elks
The BC Lions are limping into Week 10 of the regular season as they take on the Edmonton Elks on Sunday night.
Jake Dolegala takes over for Vernon Adams Jr., who is dealing with a lower leg injury. Last week, the Lions had a forgettable performance, getting shut out by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 25-0. BC needs a win as they are behind the Saskatchewan Roughriders for first place in the West Division with a 5-3 record.
Edmonton is on a high right now after winning its first game of the season last week against the Riders, 42-31. Tre Ford is making his second start at quarterback as he gave the Elks' offense a much-needed boost with over 500 yards of offense a week ago. While they are far from winning the division, the Elks can remain competitive in the playoff hunt even with a 1-7 record this season.
Preview
Game Information
Line: Elks -1, O/U 49.5
Date/Location: Sunday, August 11, 2024, at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta
Kickoff Time: 7:00 pm EST
Weather Forecast: Mostly Sunny, 29 Degrees Celsius
TV/Streaming: TSN, RDS, CFL+
Injury Reports/Inactives
Despite being listed as questionable, Adams is not playing at quarterback for the Lions. Defensive linemen Nathan Cherry (knee) and Amir Siddiqi (knee) are listed as out on the injury report.
Edmonton has six players who will not play in the game due to injury. Running back Kevin Brown (shoulder) is out once again, leaving Javon Leake as his replacement. A key player out on defense is defensive lineman Romero McKnight who is dealing with an ankle injury.
Keys to Victory
The Lions offense has so many weapons for Dolegala to work with, but they need to come up with good playcalling to start the game. Running back William Stanback needs to lead the running game and have his best performance of the season before the passing game can get going. BC has to keep one defender on Ford the whole game and make sure he doesn't run around them.
After completing over 74% of his passes in two appearances this season, Ford is showing that he can get it done in the pocket and scrambling. While it is unlikely Leake has another 169 rushing yards in the game, he can get involved in passing plays. Even if Adams isn't playing, Edmonton's secondary still has to cover Alexander Hollins and Justin McInnis.
Prediction
Before Adams' injury, the Lions were heavy favorites to win the game. Without him, the Elks are the front runners to win. Ford has provided a whole new spark to the offense that Edmonton hopes will turn the season around. Winning at home against one of the top teams when they are down is a good way to get the Elks energized.
Edmonton Elks 30, BC Lions 22
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ANTHONY MILLER