CFL Week 3 Recap: BC Lions hit DEFCON one and Edmonton Elks are for real
Week 3 of CFL action had the first triple header of the season, and it showcased serious storylines to monitor moving forward.
Amid the FIFA World Cup happening, the CFL got creative with its scheduling. Instead of having a game on Thursday like usual, they avoided the day team Canada was set to play Qatar, and scheduled a tripleheader on Saturday. It was also the first four-game slate of the season.
After six interesting games, we got a lot more information, with all nine teams having played at least two games. Here’s what we learned in Week 3.
BC Lions are in trouble
Before the week began, I highlighted their biggest issue on offense with three of their top five wide receivers set to miss the game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. On top of that, news dropped before the game that star wide receiver Keon Hatcher would also miss the game due to a thigh injury.
“I’ve never been a part of something like this. It’s actually crazy how unlucky we’ve been this early in the season,” said quarterback Nathan Rourke.
It was already a tough matchup at The Hammer, and quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell needed just two plays to hit Kiondre Smith for a 56-yard touchdown. Nathan Rourke couldn’t keep up, throwing for 291 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He wasn’t able to find receivers downfield, with star wide receiver Justin McInnis catching just five catches for 81 yards. Rookie fifth-round pick, Nick Cenacle, stepped up with nine catches for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Even so, it’s a really tough spot for the Lions to be in, and they lost a fifth wide receiver in Kieran Poissant to injury.
On top of the injury issues on offense, the defense struggled in every phase, allowing Mitchell to carve them up for 285 yards and five touchdowns on just 15 completions.
“Not the result we wanted, but I mean, in terms of process, I think we just didn’t show up with enough energy at the end of the day,” said defensive lineman Mathieu Betts. “I’m specifically talking defence here, it’s on us, the players, to make it happen. They’ve made a lot of good plays, so they deserve a lot of credit. I mean, we can’t allow this to happen in the first quarter.”
This came one week after Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris carved them up for over 400 yards and three touchdowns at the same 83.3% completion percentage. Being 0-2 to start the season, even with both games against top teams on the road, is really concerning for the Lions.
Chad Kelly is fully back
Last week against the Montreal Alouettes, Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly put up over 40o yards passing, but couldn’t quite get the win, losing 37-27 in the season opener. While he looks all business on the field, Kelly is very happy to be back.
“It’s absolutely amazing just being out there with the guys again, having fun, doing what we love to do,” said Kelly after a 44-24 win over the Ottawa Redblacks. “We’re executing at a pretty high level right now, so that’s that’s amazing to see.”
Kelly was up-and-down on the day, throwing for over 400 yards, becoming the first Argonauts quarterback since Damon Allen to achieve that mark since 2005. Along with the 400 yards, he also threw four touchdowns and four interceptions. That volatility is a potential problem for the Argos this season, but they are significantly better with him at quarterback.
The win brings Kelly to a 21-6 record as the starter in Toronto, which is a very impressive mark. If he can clean up the turnovers, things could turn around quickly for the Argos.
Edmonton Elks are a threat in the West Division
Once we finally get to see the Edmonton Elks in a game without a torrential downpour, it would be a first in 2026. Despite the rain, the Elks weathered a 10-point comeback by the Montreal Alouettes for a 32-29 overtime win.
Quarterback Cody Fajardo and wide receiver Austin Mack both had massive chips on their shoulders, as the Alouettes unceremoniously moved on from both players, and they overcame a 13-0 first-half deficit to get the job done.
“We stepped up a lot,” running back Justin Rankin said on 880 CHED, the radio home of the Elks. “It’s pretty hard to start that slow the way that we did, and rally, believing in each other, and come out with a W, and not just come out with a W, but come out playing some damn good football.”
Going into the week, one of the biggest questions I had was about the Elks was how good they really were after their massive free agency additions. Beating the Redblacks in a monsoon was a good start, but we’ve seen the Elks struggle with consistency over the last few years, especially last season. Handing quarterback Davis Alexander his first-ever regular-season loss as a starter is a big deal, and the Elks are 2-0 for the first time since 2019.
Next week presents another litmus test for the Elks, as they head to Princess Auto Stadium to take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Other notes
- Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris wasn’t as efficient as he was against the Lions, but he still took the Calgary Stampeders behind the barn for 349 yards and three touchdowns. He’s my No. 1 choice for Most Outstanding Player through three weeks.
- Through two games, the Calgary Stampeders have lost both games on walk-offs. With Jaylon Hutchings back on the defensive line, they should have better luck, as they’ve had plenty of success on offense with running back Dedrick Mills and quarterback Vernon Adams III.
- Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell was ridiculous on Friday night, with 33.3% of his 15 completions going for touchdowns. Questions will remain whether or not they can get it done in November, but things look great for the Ti-Cats.
- Alouettes WR Tyson Philpot is making a strong case to be the Most Outstanding Canadian this season with his second 100-yard receiving game of the season, and has 389 yards and three touchdowns through three games. For comparison, Philpot had just 804 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games last season, both of which were career highs.