Edmonton Elks set to host Calgary Stampeders in Week Five CFL action

By Lethbridge Herald on July 7, 2022.

Graham Kelly,

Inside the CFL 

At this point in time, the young Irishman from B.C. Nathan Rourke is living a charmed life. So is fellow Canadian quarterback Tre Ford who led Edmonton to their first win of the 2022 campaign over the Toothless Tabbies. Meanwhile despite a mark of 3-1, the criticism of veteran Cody Fajardo never lets up in Regina. The latest to point out his deficiencies is one of the stars of the 1989, 44-40 Rider Grey Cup victory over Hamilton, receiver Jeff Fairholm quoted at length in the Regina Leader-Post by columnist Rob Vanstone. Fairholm, 4th all-time receiver in team history, had been a guest on Vanstone’s Rider Rumblings podcast.

 “I’ll be completely honest,” Fairholm said,”…I’m not a fan of Cody in terms of how he plays. I’m a fan of him as a leader. He’s a winner, which is great, but I question his arm strength. I question his deep ball…It looks like the ball is in the air an awfully long time going to the wide side of the field. I haven’t seen enough yet to really say he’s my guy… I love the guy. Trust me, I do. But I’m not convinced that he’s the guy who’s going to take us to the promised land…he’s all we’ve got now. So we have to support him.” 

 Many fans in Saskatchewan blame Fajardo’s perceived short-coming of not going deep on offensive coordinator Jason Mass. An old cliche in football is that you take what the defence gives you and you tailor your game plan to the quarterback’s abilities, an explanation for why Maas calls so many rinky-dink short passes. Does he also lack faith in Fajardo’s arm? Fairholm, who caught passes from Kent Austin and Tom Burgess, thinks so. 

 “Maybe Jason Maas is playing to what Cody can do. Maybe that’s why we’re not seeing the deep balls. The balls that are going deep are being contested. Maybe the short passes are the way we need to do it.” Fairholm also questioned Fajardo’s ability to find secondary recei vers.

 The average completed pass in the CFL last year was 7.5 yards. Fajardo’s average was 7.3. The average pass depth was 10.5 yards. Fajardo’s mark was 9.9. In terms of pass attempts over 20 yards, Fajardo led the league but was last in completions. It would seem Mass calls for the deep ball but his quarterback has trouble delivering. But you can control and move the ball averaging 7.3 yards per catch. 

 Mass takes a lot of heat in Regina yet his half-time adjustments last Saturday against Montreal, handling the blitz with short passes led to victory. The day before Hamilton fell to 0-4 by losing to Edmonton. So far this season the Ti-Cat offence has been missing in action during the second half because their offensive coordinator Tommy Condell, the darling of the TSN broadcast crew doesn’t make the requisite adjustments. The Alouettes have the same problem. Khari Jones is both head coach and offensive coordinator. 

 Edmonton’s coordinator Stephen McAdoo was run out of Regina. Reacting to criticism from Rider fans and referring to Fajardo. Edmonton boss Chris Jones implied McAdoo didn’t have much to work with. 

 Jones made the gutsy dedision to start rookie Canadian quarterback Tre Ford in Tabbietown. An equally gutsy decision would see him go back to Nick Arbuckle against Calgary tonight. I say that because the Stamps pose a much greater challenge than Hamilton and Arbuckle matches up very well with his former team. Not downplaying the young Ford’s ability, the Stamps don’t give away games like Hamilton has been doing. The Ti-Cats have surrenderd 63 points in the fourth quarter and overtime this year after playing well during the first half. That means their defensive coordinator don’t make the necessary adjustments, either That’s not a problem in Calgary where the team starts slow and overwhelms the opposition late. 

 Calgary starter Bo Levi Mitchell understands what Cody Fajardo has endured because he gets it too, despite playing very well this year. In the past when I asked him about his health he’s told me when it wasn’t good. I asked him recently and he said there is nothing wrong with him. 

 Tonight in Edmonton, Calgary is coming off a bye. Coach Dave Dickenson has never lost a game after a bye week.