Urgency is the theme on Friday Night Football as the Toronto Argonauts square off with the Edmonton Elks at Commonwealth Stadium.
The defending Grey Cup champion Argonauts have just two wins to their name at the halfway point of the season and sit in fourth place in the East Division.
Edmonton, currently in fifth place in the West Division, earned its second win of the season by downing the Montreal Alouettes in Week 10.
Here’s three keys to victory for both teams ahead of Friday’s 9:00 p.m. ET kickoff, which can be watched on TSN in Canada and on CFL+ in the U.S. and internationally.
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» Game Notes: Argonauts at Elks
TORONTO ARGONAUTS
Watch live. Toronto Argonauts @ Edmonton Elks, Aug. 16, 03:00 CET (3 am, 9 pm Aug. 15 ET)
1. FAST START
Nothing would erase the woes of the first half of the season faster than a strong start on the road to begin the home stretch.
2. RECEIVERS STEPPING UP
There’s no question the pass game goes through Damonte Coxie, who leads the league with 10, 30-plus yard receptions. But, he’s a game-time decision, so the Argos must have others emerge. Dejon Brissett and Jake Herslow hauled in a combined 173 yards in a losing effort last week.
3. NICK ARBUCKLE DOING WHAT’S ASKED
The offence has sat squarely on the shoulders of quarterback Nick Arbuckle for much of the season, and he’s proven he’s willing to do whatever it takes to help the Argos win, whether with his arm or his legs. He’ll have the opportunity to build on his 2,651 passing yards against an Elks secondary giving up 307.5 per game.
EDMONTON ELKS
1. QUARTERBACK SHOWDOWN
Much like his counterpart, quarterback Cody Fajardo is the offensive engine for the Elks. If Edmonton wants to make it back-to-back victories, it’s going to have to start with the play of their pivot and his league-leading 76.6 completion percentage.
2. RUN GAME
It’s a hard statistic to believe, but Edmonton received zero rushing yards from Justin Rankin and Javon Leake in their win over Montreal. Rankin did catch four passes for 88 yards, but more is needed on the ground to take the already obvious onus off Fajardo, who has to deal with an Argos front that has 22 sacks and a secondary holding opposing offences to 264.8 yards per game.
3. PASS DEFENCE BY COMMITTEE
The Elks know Arbuckle is going to try to exploit their secondary, so it’s going to come down to finding a way to keep Coxie and company under tight coverage. Tyrell Ford and Kordell Jackson anchor a group of defensive backs that features skill but has struggled to perform.
NEED TO KNOW:
- This is the first of two meetings between Toronto and Edmonton this season. They’ll square off again in Week 15.
- They split the season series in 2024, with the games being decided by a total of four points.