Edmonton needed a response game, and it got one from all three phases. A week after getting outplayed in Montreal, the Elks came home, weathered a slow first half against Toronto, and blew the doors off after the break. A rookie defensive back stepped in without missing a beat, Cody Fajardo turned back the clock with his legs, and head coach Mark Kilam walked away calling it exactly what it was — a statement.

Fajardo: “We Know We’re a Top Team In This League”

Fajardo didn’t shy away from the bigger picture after the win. Edmonton had dropped two straight, and with the West standings bunched up tight, the pressure was building. He made sure to frame it correctly.

“We lost two games versus both teams that were in the Gray Cup. If you step back and look at it, we split with both the teams that played in the Gray Cup, one and one. We know we’re a top team in this league. We know as long as we play our brand of football, we can win, but there was no panic this week,” Fajardo said.

He credited the sideline for staying level-headed even when the offense stalled out in the first half. “Nobody hit the panic button,” Fajardo said, pointing to a defense and special teams unit that picked up the slack while the offense found its footing.

The turning point came down to first-down efficiency, according to Fajardo. Edmonton’s offense lives on manageable second downs, and in the first half they weren’t getting there. “If you look at the statistics, second and 4 to 6, we’re the second best team in the league at converting. So that’s our bread and butter. That’s where we like to be. And too many times we were 7, 8, 9, 10, and it’s just hard to stay on the field,” he said. Once the run game got going and the defense delivered a turnover for points, the whole operation clicked. “Even though it’s a 2-and-out, it’s just like, okay, you got some points. And then it got us back into on track.”

Speedy Fajardo Turns Back the Clock

The signature moment of the night belonged to Fajardo’s legs, not his arm — a career-long 44-yard scramble that had teammates buzzing on the sideline.

“I turned back the clock a little bit. It felt like I was back in college… I didn’t know how long it was and they just told me it was my career-long 44,” Fajardo said.

He explained the read that led to it: second and long, no first down in sight, and a decision to fight for extra yards instead of sliding. “I knew I didn’t have the first down. So I was like, you know what? I’m just gonna put my head down and hope for the best. And sure enough, I broke the tackle and I was like, oh man, I got some green grass,” Fajardo said. He tied it back to a stat he’s tracked for years — extend a drive twice with your legs in a game, and a team’s win probability jumps significantly. “So being able to extend to run some more drives with my legs is always big.”

Fajardo also pointed to his growing chemistry with Brandon O’Leary-Orange as a difference-maker on second down. “I thought he has had his best 2 games as in the Green and Gold,” Fajardo said, adding that the two built their rapport before O’Leary-Orange even signed in Edmonton. “This guy’s incredible. I called Ed, I was like, we gotta sign this guy.”

Terez Reid Passes His First Test

With injuries forcing a shuffle in the secondary, rookie defensive back Terez Reid got thrown into the fire in his CFL debut, sliding into the halfback role against a Toronto passing attack led by Chad Kelly. He didn’t blink.

“We knew it was gonna be a challenge with it being a passing offense and a confident quarterback like Chad Kelly. We prepared all week, did extra meetings… it was definitely a tough week to get prepared for, but we prepared the right way and it came out victorious,” Reid said.

Reid credited Cordell Jackson and KJ for showing him how to prepare like a pro. “Cordell Jackson is a great, great leader. He comes in, leads with his voice. He leads with his action. I catch him in there in the morning, just watching film every day, staying after practice, getting extra work in,” Reid said. “And KJ is definitely one guy that I look up to.”

He also detailed the block he threw to help spring JJ Ross’s pick-six, saying there was no hesitation despite the risk of drawing a flag. “Coach JC, he does a great job, uh, preaching what we do once we get the turnovers, cause we don’t get many. So we have to make the most of them. And I knew I had to go get that block for my teammate,” Reid said.

Kilam backed up what he saw from his rookie without needing to watch the tape twice. “I thought he flashed a bit. I mean, I didn’t see him get exposed. And so I think that that’s a positive thing. But, you know, Therese is a player, man. That guy’s only going to get better every game he plays,” Kilam said.

Kilam Praises the Locker Room, Not the Scheme

Asked what flipped the switch at halftime in a game that was a two-point contest, Kilam didn’t point to any adjustment on the whiteboard. He pointed to the room.

“Just the leadership in the room. They deserve the credit. You know, they just came out with single mind, single mindset to come get it done. That’s what they did,” Kilam said.

Kilam singled out JJ Ross for his week-in, week-out habits paying off on the field. “JJ is just a guy who’s arrow up all the time. He shows up to work every day, works tremendously hard. He’s one of the latest guys in the film room every day. I mean, he’s reaping those rewards right now,” Kilam said.

On Fajardo’s impact, Kilam kept it simple. “His engine burns hot and that keeps our offense going.”

What’s Next

Edmonton has ten straight games with no break, and Fajardo didn’t sugarcoat what’s ahead. “We’re on game 10 of 10 straight, which is one of the longest stretches in the CFL. So our guys are limping to the finish line,” he said, with the goal being 8-3 heading into the bye. Up next is a short week against Winnipeg, a West rival Fajardo says is playing much better than earlier in the season, followed by a matchup with Calgary — both games that will go a long way in deciding who controls the top of the division.

Watch the Full Videos

Edmonton Elks: POST GAME | DB Terez Reid | 08.15.26

Edmonton Elks: POST GAME | QB Cody Fajardo | 08.15.26

Edmonton Elks: POST GAME | HC Mark Kilam | 08.15.26