It’s a big rematch looming in the Alberta Capital. Fresh off a much-needed victory in the first meeting to cap off Touchdown Kelowna, followed by a week off, the BC Lions know what’s at stake in round two against the Edmonton Elks. Another victory would sweep the regular season series and create a bigger logjam in this somewhat unpredictable Western Division that we’ve seen in the first six weeks of action. It’s been an unusual start to the 2026 campaign for Buck Pierce’s squad. But they have a chance to salvage something of it before finally making the return to Downtown Vancouver in week eight. With more, we present our 5 Things To Know Game Preview.
Game 5: BC Lions (1-3) vs. Edmonton Elks (4-1).
Friday, July 17.
6:00 pm, Commonwealth Stadium.
TV: Canada: TSN/RDS2
Stream: CFL+ (U.S. & International).
Radio: 730 CKNW/Lions Audio Network/Sher-E- Punjab Radio AM 600.
The Big Stretch
With Touchdown Kelowna and two bye weeks already in the rear view mirror, it’s time for this Lions squad to embrace the upcoming stretch. Starting with this big rematch with the Elks, the Leos have nine games in nine weeks. Included in that stretch are big divisional battles on the road in Winnipeg and Calgary, along with a crucial home date with Saskatchewan at the end of August. The non-divisional portion of this run includes a back-to-back with East Division-leading Montreal to begin September. Football players are creatures of habit. Playing each week with a normal home-and-away rotation should serve this group well after a slow start. Time to get the train rolling.
Mr. Momentum, The Invisible Man
New special teams coordinator Dennis McKnight made quite the impression in his first week leading his troops at practice. One thing that stuck out from his first chat with local media (in full below): he’s a firm believer in setting the tone for the other two phases. He spoke openly about how there is always an ‘invisible’ player on the field and it’s a matter of which team grabs them first. He was talking about momentum. What better way to start this big matchup than with a big play on specials? Whether that’s a big return, a big pop or perhaps a takeaway. It would be fitting after a productive few days of practice. It’s worth noting that the three leading special teams tacklers for the Lions through four games are Jacob Bond, Riley Pickett and Carl Meyer. Three guys known for their versatility and ‘take no prisoners’ mindset.
The Defence Doesn’t Yet Rest
Despite showing their best effort of the young campaign in the previous meeting, don’t think for a second that this beleaguered defensive unit is satisfied just yet. But they can no doubt be proud that they held CFL rushing leader Justin Rankin to only 19 yards on seven carries, despite the fact that he had over 100 yards receiving. Keeping Rankin in check twice in a row won’t be easy, yet it’s a challenge they are all embracing. Perhaps the most impressive element of the defensive turnaround has been the fact that they’ve dealt with injuries to key veterans such as T.J. Lee, Ben Hladik and Levi Bell. Hayden Harris was a very impactful replacement for the pass rush last game, while Parker McKenna looked like a seasoned vet in Hladik’s spot. That’s why depth in this league is so vital. Lee and Bell are both slated to return to the starting lineup, while Hladik is expected to back up McKenna.
Balance Is The Offensive Recipe
Any time you can get James Butler and Zander Horvath as involved as they were last time out, good things will likely happen. Playing from in front allowed the offence to rush for 162 yards- 135 of those from Butler- and remind observers how complete a unit this can be. It’s one of those overused terms, but complementary football was the name of the game. A major cog in the wheel has been the improvement of the offensive line. The film will show big holes for the backs and blocking at the second level. With the Elks’ defensive front proving to be a force thus far, this will once again be an intriguing matchup to look at.
What They’re Saying
“I think we’re getting there. I think it’s hard sometimes with all the moving pieces that we’ve had. I think the guys, to their credit, have done a great job stepping up. Once we get those guys back, I think we’ll just be rolling from there. Certainly, those guys in particular, like Zander and JB, have done a great job showing their versatility. The more that they can do, the more that they’re going to help us.”- Rourke on how the offence has performed despite missing a couple of starting receivers.
“Routine and schedule are huge for professional athletes in general. The fact that we can actually put the first four weeks in the rear view mirror, have a clean slate going forward with a real routine and a real schedule, that’s going to be huge for the club”- Veteran fullback Riley Pickett on getting through the initial stretch of 2026.
“I feel like we’re 0-0 right now. We’re going to go 1-0 this week.”- Pickett on if this feels like a team that started 1-3.
Extra Points
The depth chart and roster for this Friday Night Football battle can be seen HERE.
The Lions have now won 12 of 13 meetings with Edmonton, dating back to November 2021. The lone Elk victory in that stretch came on August 11, 2024 when the quarterback matchup featured Jake Dolegala for the Lions and Tre Ford for Edmonton. McLeod Bethel-Thompson relieved an injured Ford in a 33-16 win for the home team. Rourke would make his return to the Lions two days later after being cut by the Atlanta Falcons.
Rourke improved his lifetime record against the Elks to 7-0, while he boasts a quarterback rating of 123.0. He enters this week on pace for 6,313 passing yards, joining Calgary’s Vernon Adams Jr. and Toronto’s Chad Kelly in a club on pace to crack the 6K mark.
Rourke’s Friday counterpart, ex-Lion backup Cody Fajardo, has a streak of seven games of throwing at least one touchdown pass.
The Lions offence is number one in the CFL with an average of 454.0 yards per game and third overall with 7.7 yards per play.
A big reason for the improved defensive effort last time out was discipline. The Lions only committed four total penalties, compared to 14 the week previous in a loss to Calgary.