CFL Week 16 Offensive Line Rankings: No changes to the top nine

• A week of no changes in the rankings: The top nine remains the same from last week, with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers still at No. 1.

• Argonauts excel in pass protection: Three linemen earned 70.0-plus pass-blocking grades for second-ranked Toronto this past week.

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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

Few things are more important to a team’s success than the quality of its offensive line. Disastrous lines, or even disastrous weak-link mismatches, can determine the outcome of games, while strong units give an incredible advantage to an offense.

This CFL season, we will be keeping track of PFF’s offensive line rankings as well as highlighting the biggest weak-link player and their upcoming opponent to identify any obvious matchup advantage one way or the other.

Key:
Red text = weakest link

1. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (No Change)

LT Stanley Bryant
LG Geoff Gray
C Chris Kolankowski
RG Patrick Neufeld
RT Jermarcus Hardrick

• The Blue Bombers remain at the No. 1 spot.
• Kolankowski and Hardrick have been the leaders of this group all season. Hardrick is the unit's best pass blocker, earning a 72.6 season-long pass-blocking grade, and Kolankowski is the leading run blocker among the starters, earning a 74.1 run-blocking grade.

Upcoming Week: Toronto Argonauts

• This is the first matchup of the season between last year's Grey Cup participants. In that game, Dewayne Hendrix earned a 90.8 pass-rush grade with a sack and two hurries.

2. Toronto Argonauts (No Change)

LT Trevon Tate
LG Ryan Hunter
C Darius Ciraco
RG Peter Nicastro
RT Dejon Allen

• The Argonauts' offensive line had a tough week in the run game. Every lineman was defeated on more snaps than they won in that department, and the team's run game averaged 0.0 yards before contact.
• The play of Allen (82.6), Hunter (77.5) and Nicastro (70.8) in pass protection allowed Toronto to hold on to this spot in the rankings.

Upcoming Week: Winnipeg Blue Bombers

• The Argonauts struggled to block Jackson Jeffcoat in last year's Grey Cup. He earned a 90.4 pass-rush grade with a sack, a hit and three hurries.

3. Montreal Alouettes (No Change)

LT Nick Callender
LG Pier-Olivier Lestage
C Justin Lawrence
RG Philippe Gagnon
RT Jamar McGloster

• It was a bounce-back week for the Alouettes' offensive line. The unit earned a 79.6 group pass-blocking grade and a 64.8 run-blocking grade.
• Gagnon (84.2) and Lawrence (82.1) had perfect weeks in pass protection, recording 82.0-plus grades and not allowing a single pressure.

Upcoming Week: Ottawa Redblacks

• Ottawa is one of two teams to post a 40.0%-plus pressure rate in a game against Montreal this season, accomplishing that back in Week 1.

4. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (No Change)

LT Jordan Murray
LG Brandon Revenberg
C David Beard
RG Coulter Woodmansey
RT Tyrone Riley

• It was a tough week for the Tiger-Cats' offensive line in the run game. Every offensive lineman was negatively graded, and the top-graded player this week was Revenberg (60.0 run-blocking grade).
• In his first game at left tackle this season, Jordan Murray was nearly perfect. He earned an 87.1 pass-blocking grade after allowing only one pressure across 47 snaps.

Upcoming Week: Calgary Stampeders

• This is another first-time matchup this season. The Stampeders have earned a 79.7 team pass-rush grade and a 65.3 run-defense grade in 2023.

5. Edmonton Elks (No Change)

LT Martez Ivey
LG David Foucault
C Mark Korte
RG Tomas Jack-Kurdyla
RT Brett Boyko

• Korte endured his worst game of the season in Week 16. Normally a solid contributor in both run blocking and pass blocking, he was downgraded in both facets for the first time this season.
• The group still cleared an average of 2.7 yards before contact this past week.

Upcoming Week: BYE

6. British Columbia Lions (No Change)

LT Jarell Broxton
LG David Knevel
C Michael Couture
RG Sukh Chungh
RT Kent Perkins

• The Lions' play at both guard positions continues to be a major problem. They made the switch at left guard from Andrew Peirson to David Knevel, who did not show signs of needed improvement from the position, earning a 26.3 pass-blocking grade after allowing six total pressures.
• To make things worse for the Lions, Chungh went down early in the fourth quarter, forcing Peirson back into action. Chungh was struggling all game, earning a 26.3 pass-blocking grade, but Peirson had a tougher time. He posted a 0.0 pass-blocking grade on just six snaps.

Upcoming Week: Saskatchewan Roughriders

• Micah Johnson (75.2) and Anthony Lanier II (73.1) have found success rushing the passer against BC this season, both grading out above 73.0 on their reps against the Lions.

7. Saskatchewan Roughriders (No Change)

LT Eric Lofton
LG Philip Blake
C Peter Godber
RG Logan Ferland
RT Brandon Council

• In his first start of the season, left guard Philip Blake put together an average showing. He earned a 60.0 overall grade, a 60.3 pass-blocking grade and a 58.3 run-blocking grade.
• The Roughriders' tackles continue to struggle. Lofton (50.3) and Council (47.6) ranked third worst and worst, respectively, among tackles in PFF grade this past week.

Upcoming Week: British Columbia

• Mathieu Betts has earned a 76.2 pass-rush grade with two sacks, two hits and two hurries against the Roughriders this season.

8. Calgary Stampeders (No Change)

LT Brandon Weldon
LG Zack Williams
C Sean McEwen
RG Ryan Sceviour
RT D.J. Cooker

• It was a tough week for left tackle Brandon Weldon, who earned a 19.0 pass-blocking grade on 42 pass-blocking snaps after allowing five total pressures, including two sacks.
• Right tackle D.J. Cooker paced the unit with a 64.0 overall grade. No other Stampeders starter finished above 58.1.

Upcoming Week: Hamilton Tiger-Cats

• This is a first-time matchup for the Tiger-Cats' defense. They have earned a 76.6 team pass-rush grade and a 70.3 run-defense grade this season

9. Ottawa Redblacks (No Change)

LT Dino Boyd
LG Drew Desjarlais
C Cyrille Hogan-Saindon
RG Jacob Ruby
RT Dontae Bull

• It was a solid week for the Redblacks' offensive line. They earned a 76.5 overall grade, a 62.7 run-blocking grade and a 65.1 pass-blocking grade.
• Dontae Bull, while still struggling in pass protection, compiled his best game of the season as a run blocker, earning a 77.8 grade that ranked second in the CFL.

Upcoming Week: Montreal Alouettes

• The Alouettes' defense has been dominant against the Redblacks this season. Across their two games, they have earned an 89.9 overall grade, an 81.1 pass-rush grade and an 81.2 run-defense grade.