Photo courtesy: Dale MacMillan/Edmonton Elks
The Edmonton Elks may have kept themselves alive in the playoff race with a 25-20 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday night, but a decision not to press for points on the final drive could still be their downfall.
Due to an early-season loss to the Bombers, the Elks needed to win by at least 13 points in Week 19 in order to tie the season series and have a chance at controlling the playoff tie-breaker. However, the team elected not to take a shot at the end zone while holding a five-point lead late in the game and chose to punt the ball away on third-and-two from the Winnipeg 42-yard line with 10 seconds remaining.
That decision has led some to question whether the team was short-sighted in their game management, favouring immediate security over long-term odds.
“Totally valid point, because we had (the tie-breaker) at a certain point late in the game,” head coach Mark Kilam said of the criticism, referencing his team’s 25-10 lead late in the third quarter.
“We thought about it. It was always, ‘We’ve got to win first.’ We’ve got to do the right things to win the game, and then if we can control it late to try to make sure we maintain that, then let’s do that. The win was most important. I’m happy we got the dub.”
Quarterback Cody Fajardo did not appear to agree with the decision as he came off the field on third down, with the broadcast showing him pleading with his head coach to go for it. Once they got the ball back, the Blue Bombers prioritized protecting the season series over winning the game, eschewing a Hail Mary that could have been picked off and returned for points in favour of a simple, low-risk draw play.
Had the Elks been able to score a touchdown on their final drive and tack on the ensuing two-point attempt, they would have needed to win just one more game than Winnipeg over the last two weeks to qualify for the playoffs. That’s because, in the event of an even season series with equal point differentials between teams tied in the standings, the next tiebreaker is their divisional record.
The Bombers are currently 3-6 against West Division opponents, with one game remaining against Saskatchewan. Edmonton sits at 3-5, but plays both B.C. and Calgary over the next two weeks. Had the points been in their favour, a single Bombers loss would have sent them to the postseason if they won out, and just one win would have been needed if Winnipeg lost out.
Now, the only way for the Green and Gold to advance is if they win both of their remaining games and the Bombers lose both of theirs. That takes their fate entirely out of their hands, but that doesn’t sully Saturday’s result for Kilam.
“It’s just a big team win,” he said. “Not the prettiest at times, but all three phases finding a way against a good football team and keeping the hope alive.”
The Elks (7-9) will visit the B.C. Lions (9-7) for their penultimate game on Friday, October 17 at 10:30 p.m. EDT, but could be eliminated by the time they take the field as the Bombers (8-8) face the Saskatchewan Roughriders (12-4) at 8:00 p.m. EDT.
