A Running Back Led His Division in Rushing AND Receiving, And The CFL Is About To Lose Its Mind

Alright, listen up, Emerald City! You thought you knew what "offseason grind" meant? You thought you saw it all with our boys in blue and green? Well, hold onto your hats, because the CFL is about to kick off, and two teams, the Ottawa Redblacks and the Edmonton Elks, are rolling out some serious "new year, new me" vibes that are impossible to ignore. After both squads basically lived in the basement of their divisions last year, finishing 4-14 and 7-11 respectively, they're both talking big game about turning things around. But one player, man, one player's stats from last season just jump off the page and are gonna make everyone who thought they had these teams figured out, totally rethink things.

Redblacks Are Rolling Out A Whole New Look, Seriously

First off, let's talk about the Redblacks. They've got a new starting QB in Jake Maier, a six-year veteran who's been around the block, previously playing for Calgary and Saskatchewan. He's stepping in for Dru Brown, and he's already dropping wisdom, telling the Ottawa Citizen that "If you want to be a championship team, you've got to win your home games." And get this, five of their first seven are at home. Talk about an opportunity to set the tone, right? But the *real* headline for Ottawa's offense is new addition Greg Bell. This dude is a straight-up dual threat monster! Last season, playing for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, he didn't just lead the East Division in rushing with a ridiculous 1,038 yards, he also reeled in 62 passes. Sixty-two! That was a CFL-best for running backs. Like, what even is that? A running back leading in receptions? That's the kind of game-changer that makes you lean forward in your seat. Plus, they’ve got Ryan Dinwiddie pulling triple duty as general manager, head coach, and offensive coordinator. He’s got two Grey Cups under his belt from his time with the Toronto Argonauts, leading them to the playoffs in four out of five seasons. He's all about culture and winning, telling us, "We preach culture and expectations, and all those things how we want to practice, how we want to look on offense, defense, special teams so that's all been laid out for them. It's tough when you've lost for a few years and then the guys don't know how to win, but they don't know how not to lose." He’s clearly trying to shake things up.

Elks Are Chasing Redemption After Rough Starts

Now, over to Edmonton. The Elks are coming into this season with a different kind of fire. They've had some seriously brutal starts to their seasons lately, like 0-9 in 2023, 0-7 in 2024, and losing six of their first seven last year. They haven't won a season opener since way back in 2019! Ouch. But head coach Mark Kilam isn't dwelling on the past. He's all about "focusing on the things we can control." And they've got some serious talent to build on. Quarterback Cody Fajardo, a nine-year veteran, is sitting on some big milestones, just three touchdown passes shy of 100 and two rushing scores away from 50. Plus, the guy has a killer 9-1 record against Ottawa. That's gotta give them some confidence! Then there’s Justin Rankin, their running back who absolutely tore it up last season, leading the entire league with 1,726 total yards from scrimmage. That's a ton of production. So, both these teams are loaded with new energy, fresh faces, and players ready to make some noise. Saturday's kickoff isn't just another game; it's a statement. Are the Redblacks, with Bell and Dinwiddie's new system, going to hit the ground running at home? Can the Elks finally break their season-opening curse with Fajardo and Rankin leading the charge? We're about to find out, and you know I'll be watching every single play. Get hyped, Seattle, because early season drama is the best kind of drama!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.