Rankin’s rushing dip coincides with fewer carries

Justin Rankin's rushing struggles in recent games can be attributed to fewer carries. Out of the five times he has recorded 10 or more carries this season, he achieved over 100 rushing yards in four of those instances. His last 100-yard performance came in a 107-yard, two-touchdown outing against the Ottawa Redblacks on July 9. However, the only game since then where he didn't reach 10 carries was the loss to the B.C.

Lions on July 4, during which he had just seven attempts for 19 yards. Rankin has only reached the 10-plus carry threshold once since the Ottawa game, in Edmonton's 36-34 victory over Saskatchewan on July 23, where he amassed 39 yards on 12 carries. In the other four games where Rankin fell short of 100 rushing yards, he saw significantly fewer carries—seven times in three instances and eight in the remaining games.

Last week, he contributed 62 yards on seven rushes during Edmonton's 48-30 defeat to the Montreal Alouettes. According to the CFL, Edmonton's receivers, particularly Austin Mack, have been performing well recently, averaging 5.7 catches, 120 yards, and a touchdown in their last three games. The Elks, who are currently 6-3, have been giving up an average of 36.7 points per game over the same period.

Despite his struggles on the ground, Rankin remains a valuable contributor to the team with 651 rushing yards on 101 carries (6.4-yard average) and seven touchdowns. He has also added 37 catches for 418 yards and another touchdown. Another crucial matchup is coming up as Edmonton hosts the Toronto Argonauts (4-4) at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday.

Historically, the Argos have won the last four meetings between these teams, and Edmonton boasts a 3-1 home record this season. However, Edmonton suffered a recent loss to Saskatchewan 28-26 at Commonwealth Stadium before a season-high crowd of 31,757. Toronto had a 33-30 victory over Calgary, their first game at BMO Field, despite Chad Kelly throwing four interceptions.

Kelly threw for 349 yards and a touchdown in his first home start since October 2024. Tyrell Ford leads Edmonton's defense with five interceptions, all coming off the Elks' last five games. In other notable contests this week, the B.C. Lions (4-5) return home after a 2-1 road record. They have scored 30-plus points in eight straight games and face a Calgary defence that has forced the fewest turnovers (eight) in the CFL.

Nathan Rourke, the Stamps' starter, is 4-1 against the Lions, throwing for 462 yards and three touchdowns in the Lions' 41-33 loss to Calgary in June. The Lions' Justin McInnis had a season-best 159-yard, one-touchdown performance in last week's home win over Hamilton. The Ottawa Redblacks (0-5) face the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (4-5) on Friday night at Winnipeg.

Quarterback Zach Collaros is expected to return from a neck injury, while running back Brady Oliveira (CFL's third-leading rusher with 658 yards) has been limited in practice due to an ankle issue. The Bombers have won four straight against Ottawa (0-8) and are 16-4 since 2018 when coming off a bye week. However, they allowed a franchise-worst 377 rushing yards in a 35-19 loss to B.C. last week.

The Redblacks have struggled this season, going 0-5 against West Division teams. Following their recent 42-20 road loss to Saskatchewan, the team released veteran defensive backs Demerio Houston and Amari Henderson. Saskatchewan has won the last five matchups between these teams, with veteran Trevor Harris leading the charge, throwing for 401 yards and two touchdowns in their 27-24 victory over Ottawa.

KeeSean Johnston (11 catches, 133 yards, TD) and Johnny Johnson III (seven catches, 117 yards) both exceeded the 100-yard mark. The Riders have dominated this rivalry in recent years.