08.21.2026 | Game Preview: Elks, Blue Bombers
The Edmonton Elks welcome the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to Play Alberta Field at Commonwealth Stadium in CFL Week 12 action, Friday (Aug. 21) at 7:30 p.m. MST.
Tickets are available through Ticketmaster. Catch the action live on TSN, 880 CHED and CFL+
Edmonton is coming off a statement win at home last Saturday, when the Green and Gold beat the Toronto Argonauts by a score of 42-12. The Blue Bombers also fresh off a Week 11 win, besting the visiting Ottawa RedBlacks 33-21 in Winnipeg on Aug. 14.
With the CFL season now just past its midpoint, Friday’s match-up could prove pivotal in the West Division playoff race. Edmonton (7-3) currently sits atop the standings, just ahead of the Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-3), who have a narrow lead over the third-place Blue Bombers (5-4).
Rematch From Week 4
Friday marks the second meeting of the season between these two Prairie rivals. Edmonton defeated the host Blue Bombers by a score of 23-18 at Princess Auto Stadium in Week 4.
That loss dropped Winnipeg below .500 at 1-2, but the Blue Bombers have since won four of their six games to climb back into the playoff picture.
“Their whole defence has gotten better since we played them in Game 3,” Elks coach Mark Kilam said. “They’re a veteran group, they understand the nuance of what they’re doing, you can see that on film. It’s going to be a challenge. It’s a challenge every time, but when you have players of that calibre you definitely have to up that game.”
Blue Bombers defensive tackle Jake Ceresna and defensive end Willie Jefferson each have six sacks, tied for third most in the CFL through Week 11.
“I trust my offensive line more than anybody” Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo said. “They had a great game last week and I know they’re going to continue to have a great game this game.”
Dynamic Elks Offence
Winnipeg has the No. 1 pass defence in the CFL through Week 11, holding the opposition to 269.9 yards per game in the air. But on the flip side, the Bombers are ranked dead-last in run defence, giving up an average of 128.4 yards rushing.
The Elks, meanwhile, possess a dynamic offence, which was on full display in their Week 11 win. Against the Argos, Fajardo threw for 301 yards, with five different Elks making at least four receptions, while Edmonton racked up 158 yards on the ground from 27 rush attempts.
“You want to be a balanced offence like that, you want to spread it around,” said Kilam. “Anybody can get hot and get their opportunities. We talk about taking advantage of your opportunities when you get them, but it goes back to the quarterback seeing the field as well as he did.”
“Our brand of football is physicality,” said Fajardo. “By the fourth quarter, when you’re handing the ball off and its 20 carries, 22 carries, that’s when it helps you take over the in the fourth quarter.
“You’ve seen a lot these games this year we won in the fourth quarter because we just do a really good job of just wearing teams down with those carries. And sometimes you just hand the ball off and it’s a one- or two-yard gain, but the physically on that one- or two-yard gain goes a lot further than one or two yards in the stat sheet.”
Road Warriors vs. Home Heroes
With an away record of 3-0, Winnipeg is the CFL’s only team that has yet to lose on the road this season. Edmonton, meanwhile, is 4-1 at Commonwealth Stadium this season, the best home record in the West Division.
Edmonton’s Week 11 win over the Argonauts was the EE’s largest margin of victory at Commonwealth Stadium since 2014. Before an excited crowd clad in green and gold, the Elks dominated in every phase of the game, bouncing back from a road loss to the Montreal Alouettes in Week 10.
“That’s our standard, we know what it is,” said Elks defensive back JJ Ross, who had two interceptions including a pick-six against Toronto. “Especially at home, too. We’ve got to make it for people at home.”
Going back to last season, the Elks have won eight of their last 10 games at Commonwealth Stadium, including an exciting 25-20 victory over Winnipeg on Oct. 25, 2025.
End of the Marathon
This is Edmonton’s final game of a stretch that will see the Elks play 10 straight weeks, a run that began on June 20, more than two months ago. The Green and Gold have a record of 6-3 over the first nine contests of this marathon portion of its schedule.
Following Friday’s tilt, the Elks will have a Week 13 bye. Their next game won’t be for a whopping 17 days, on Sept. 7 against the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium in the annual Labour Day Classic.
“We’re on Game 10 of 10 straight, which is one of the longest stretches in the CFL, so our guys are limping to to the finish line, and the message was get to 8-3 at the bye week,” Fajardo said following his team’s victory over the Argos.
“In order to do that, you’ve got to (beat Toronto), and that was phase one, it’s complete, and now we’ve got a tall task against a Winnipeg team that’s playing much better than when we faced them earlier on in the year, and so in order for us to get to 8-3 we’re going to have our hands full.”