'Unshaken' Elks brace for battle vs. surging Tiger-Cats

The struggling Edmonton Elks haven't lost their resolve heading into Saturday's home tilt with the streaking Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The Elks (1-5) are mired in the West Division cellar at the one-third mark of their season and are facing the Tiger-Cats (5-2), who are riding a five-game heater.

"This group is unshaken," Edmonton quarterback Cody Fajardo told the team's website this week. "We have a lot of great human beings in that room and a lot of great football players."

"The message was simple," he added. "... There's nothing we can do about the past. All we have right now is two-thirds of the season ahead of us, 12 games. We have to take it one week at a time, one win at a time, grind through it. And then at the end of the day, we're going to look up and see where we're at in the standings."

The Elks are coming off an encouraging 21-18 loss last weekend at Saskatchewan, the West's best team. Making his first start of the season after replacing Tre Ford, Fajardo completed 26 of 33 passes for 346 yards with two fourth-quarter touchdown passes.

Meanwhile, Hamilton had to fight for its fifth straight win last weekend, scoring the game's final 14 points to pull out a 37-33 road victory against the B.C. Lions.

It is the Tiger-Cats' longest winning streak since the 2019 season and only their third such streak in the past 27 years.

"Their confidence is building and most of all their faith, and their belief in their teammates, is building," Ticats coach Scott Milanovich said after the rally in Vancouver. "And they believe that when the game's on the line somebody's going to make plays.

"... I still don't feel like we've put a full game together, really with three phases. But we're finding ways to win as we go."

Hamilton entered this week with the league's No. 1 scoring offense (32.1 points per game) and No. 1 passing attack (309.4 yards per game). Two-time CFL Most Outstanding Player Bo Levi Mitchell has thrown for 2,201 yards with 15 touchdowns and only three picks in seven games. Kenny Lawler has 35 catches for 673 yards and eight TDs.

Edmonton, on the other hand, has the CFL's worst scoring defense (31.8), total defense (426.0) and passing defense (316.2).

Both sides are relatively healthy. The Elks placed starting linebacker Nick Anderson (groin) on the six-game injured list Thursday.

--Field Level Media