3 storylines to watch in the 113th Grey Cup

The big week is finally here.

The 113th Grey Cup gets underway this Sunday from McMahon Stadium in Calgary with either the Edmonton Elks or the Montreal Alouettes lifting the coveted trophy over their heads.

Before the confetti flies, it's time to dive into this matchup.

Here are three storylines to watch in the 113th Grey Cup.

WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE, WIN THE GAME?

The Elks and the Als have boasted two of the top defences in the CFL in 2026. Edmonton ranked No. 1 after the regular season. Montreal ranked No. 3.

They say the team that wins the turnover battle wins the game and the 113th Grey Cup may come down to just that.

In the regular season, Edmonton's defence had the best turnover ratio (+23) and the Alouettes weren't too far behind (+21). Each had key turnovers in the Division Finals presented by Wegovy® wins as well. Montreal linebacker Tyrice Beverette forced a key fumble and recovery late in the game against Winnipeg that led to Tyler Snead's game-sealing touchdown strike. Edmonton linebacker Joel Dublanko forced a fumble while BC was driving down the field looking to begin a comeback late in the fourth quarter. That led to a Vincent Blanchard field goal to make it a 12-point game to put the game out of reach for the Lions.

Edmonton led the CFL with 178 points off turnovers, while Montreal was right behind with 150.

Will the team that forces errors and capitalizes on them win the game?

THE QUARTERBACKS

Davis Alexander and Cody Fajardo aren't technically going head-to-head on Sunday night, but the pair are setting up an interesting matchup at the quarterback position.

Fajardo, who was a nominee for the George Reed Most Outstanding Player Award, showed his abilities on the ground in last weekend's Western Final presented by Wegovy®. The Elks' pivot was the difference in his team's win as the game's leading rusher, calling his own number 10 times for 84 yards and a touchdown. Fajardo led all quarterbacks with 517 yards on the ground in the regular season, averaging 5.7 yards per carry.

Alexander's strength is in his arm, with his ability to stretch the field with deep, accurate throws to his receivers. Alexander led the CFL with 37 passes of longer than 30 yards on his way to being named George Reed Most Outstanding Player.

Alexander played in last year's Grey Cup and lost to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Fajardo won the Grey Cup when he was with the Als in 2023 and as a backup with the Argos in 2017.

And the dominant storyline that will make headlines this week is the pair's history. Following the 2024 season, the Als decided to go with the younger Alexander at quarterback, trading Fajardo to the Elks in December of that year. Both spoke highly of each other at the WestJet Player Arrivals on Monday, with Alexander detailing how close they were when they were teammates and the lessons he learned from Fajardo.

Now they face each other with the same goal: winning the Grey Cup. Who will do so on Sunday night?

WHO WILL LEAVE CALGARY AS CHAMPIONS?

On Sunday, either the Montreal Alouettes or the Edmonton Elks will be crowned 113th Grey Cup champions.

The Elks are making their first championship appearance since 2015, which also happened to be the last time Edmonton won the Grey Cup. Head coach Mark Kilam helped to turn things around in Edmonton, as the team went from last place in the West Division last year to first this year.

Montreal was in the Grey Cup just last year, where they were defeated by the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Head coach Jason Maas also took his Als to the Grey Cup in 2023, where Montreal (led by Fajardo at quarterback) beat Winnipeg to win the 110th Grey Cup.

Will Edmonton end its championship drought? Or will Montreal avenge their loss from 2025?