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Edmonton Elks defensive end Malik Carney enters Sunday’s Grey Cup game in Calgary with a clear goal: win back-to-back championships with two different teams. Carney lifted the Grey Cup last year as a Saskatchewan Roughrider. Now he aims to do it again, this time wearing green and gold against the same Montreal Alouettes team he faced 12 months ago.
Carney Has a Plan for Davis Alexander
Carney knows the Alouettes well. He faced their offensive line and quarterback Davis Alexander in last year’s final. Most of those same starters will line up against him again on Sunday at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.
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“He’s such a wild card. You don’t know what he’s going to do,” Carney said Saturday. “He is mobile, he can create explosive plays in the pocket and outside of it. We have to do a great job of containing him and not letting him get going.”
The 31-year-old from Alexandria, Virginia, ranked second in the CFL this season with 11 sacks. Only Calgary’s Clarence Hicks finished ahead of him with 12. Carney earned West Division all-star honours and will form a dangerous pass-rushing duo with Elks teammate Noah Taylor, who recorded 10 sacks this season.
Taylor described their partnership with a pop culture reference. “Sonic and Knuckles,” he said. “He’s the power, he’s a bruiser and I’m the speed guy. I’m a lot faster than him. He’s a lot stronger than me.” Carney added that the two complement each other naturally. “He’s a guy that has two ears and one mouth, and that’s a quote I live by,” Carney said. “You listen twice as much as you talk.”
A Defence That Dominated the CFL
Together, Carney and Taylor will test a Montreal offensive line that set a franchise record this season by allowing just 19 sacks — the fewest in the league. However, Edmonton’s defence arrives in Calgary as the best unit in the CFL by several key measures.
Under defensive co-ordinator J.C. Sherritt, the Elks allowed the fewest average points per game at 24.3, the least net offence at 338.6 yards, and the fewest average yards per play at 6.34. They also forced a league-leading 53 turnovers. Carney led the entire league with four forced fumbles.
“We carry a lot of swagger and confidence,” Carney said. “Since training camp, we knew exactly who we are. Every week, we’ve just been putting out performances that represent exactly who we are as a defence.”
Family, Team and a Shot at History
After Saskatchewan chose not to re-sign him, Carney turned to an unlikely advisor when picking his next team — his six-year-old daughter Myla. “It came down to the wire of me just letting my daughter pick a logo,” he said. “She picked a logo that I was siding with for sure.”
Elks head coach Mark Kilam called Carney “the alpha” of the defence. “He elevated the group as a whole,” Kilam said. “He’s a veteran guy that’s coaching and helping the young guys, giving them tips and techniques.”
Carney is one of only 13 players on Edmonton’s roster with prior Grey Cup experience. A second ring would be deeply personal, though he insists the team comes first. “It would mean a lot, but I definitely want to see more of my teammates winning, just for them,” he said. “It’s bigger than me. It’s what I want for my team.” Edmonton has won 14 Grey Cups in 26 appearances, with its last title coming in 2015.
