Daniel Crump/CFL.ca
TORONTO — You know what’s better than Friday Night Football? A doubleheader Friday Night Football.
Cancel all your plans for Friday as the CFL brings you two exciting matchups to keep you entertained all night, starting with the Edmonton Elks facing the Ottawa REDBLACKS.
It’s a rematch of Week 6, which means players can learn from previous matchups and adapt in order to draw a different result. Ottawa came away with the win as Dru Brown and the passing offence dominated through the air. Can they do it again on Friday?
The second game of the night features a heated rivalry between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Riders are coming off their first loss of 2024, while Winnipeg is riding a two-game winning streak and knows they can’t lose any more ground in the West Division. Which matchup could decide the bragging right for either Riders or Bombers fans?
CFL.ca brings you three matchups to watch on Friday Night Football.
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Justin Hardy vs. Kai Gray
Gray had potentially his worst game of the season in Week 6 against the REDBLACKS, allowing 84 passing yards after giving up only 70 yards over the first five weeks of 2024. The young star defensive back could not help stop the REDBLACKS passing offence, as Brown finished with 480 passing yards with three receivers going over 100 yards.
One of them was veteran Justin Hardy, who caught five passes for 110 yards and a major. Hardy’s 22 yards per reception trailed only teammate Kalil Pimpleton in Week 6, showcasing the veteran’s ability to add explosive plays every time he touches the ball. If the Elks want to put one on the board, they’ll have to find a way to stop Hardy, Pimpleton and veteran Dominique Rhymes.
Kevin Brown vs. Adarius Pickett
Pickett was the runner-up for Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2023 and his superb play has continued in 2024. The veteran is the only player with 80 or higher grades in both coverage and run defence, showcasing his complete skill set as one of the best and most versatile defenders in the CFL.
It’ll be part of his job (again) to keep Brown in check as the Elks attempt to establish their running attack. The Green and Gold haven’t been able to rely on their ground game in 2024, relying instead on McLeod Bethel-Thompson and the passing game to move the ball through the air.
Brown rushed for only 35 yards in Week 6 as the Double E abandoned the running game in an attempt to match Ottawa’s explosive offence. If the first matchup on this list goes the Elks’ way, it’ll be up to the ground game to keep the defence well rested and add points to the board.
Samuel Emilus/Kian Schaffer-Baker vs. Tyrell Ford
With the Bombers playing three straight times on Friday, Ford can’t help but show up on this list over and over again. That’s because the defensive back has been excellent in his return to Winnipeg, causing problems for opposing receivers regardless of who’s lining up opposite to him.
This week two of his opponents will provide an exciting Canadian-on-Canadian battle. Emilus and Schaffer-Baker are part of a three-headed monster at receiver for the Riders, with American Shawn Bane Jr. complementing one of the best pass-catching trios in the CFL. There’ll be no breather for Ford as he runs routes with some of the best in the business. With quarterback Shea Patterson getting more and more acclimated to the starting position in Regina, the winner of these receiver-cornerback matchups could very well define the offensive/defensive success for Riders and Bombers.
