CFL Week 16: PFF Team of the Week & Player Awards

• QB Dustin Crum goes back-to-back: For the second week in a row, Dustin Crum was the top CFL quarterback, grading out at 92.9 overall.

• Redblacks EDGE Bryce Carter shows up in a big way: He recorded a 24.2% pass-rush win rate, a very impressive mark for an edge rusher and a big reason for his earning the highest pass-rush grade of the week (91.1).

• Argonauts LB Wynton McManis puts together huge game: He allowed two catches for 19 yards while recording a pass breakup on another target. But it was his two interceptions, the first returned for a touchdown and the second coming up just a couple of yards short, that sealed an incredible outing.

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We’re getting down to the wire on the 2023 CFL season, but there is still time for big performances. We saw plenty of those this past weekend. The Toronto defense shined brightly, in particular, as they took up five of the 12 defensive spots on this week’s Team of the Week. The Ottawa Redblacks were impressive in that only two of their players made the team, but both also earned weekly awards. Check out the rest of the team and awards below.

OFFENSE

QB: Dustin Crum, Ottawa
RB: William Stanback, Montreal
Outside WR: Kiondre Smith, Hamilton
Slot WR: Dejon Brissett, Toronto
Slot WR: Jevon Cottoy, BC
Slot WR: Reggie Begelton, Calgary
Outside WR: Kyran Moore, Edmonton
LT: Jarell Broxton, BC
LG: Brandon Revenberg, Hamilton
C: Justin Lawrence, Montreal
RG: Logan Ferland, Saskatchewan
RT: Dejon Allen, Toronto

DEFENSE

DI: Shawn Oakman, Toronto
DI: Casey Sayles, Hamilton
Edge: Bryce Carter, Ottawa
Edge: Christian Albright, Saskatchewan
LB: Wynton McManis, Toronto
LB: Jameer Thurman, Hamilton
Cover LB: Adarius Pickett, Toronto
CB: Kai Gray, Edmonton
CB: Quan’tez Stiggers, Toronto
HB: Tarvarus McFadden, Toronto
HB: Darrius Bratton, Edmonton
S: Marc-Antoine Dequoy, Montreal

SPECIAL TEAMS

K: Sean Whyte, BC
P: Adam Korsak, Saskatchewan
Returner: Mario Alford, Saskatchewan

QUARTERBACK OF THE WEEK: QB DUSTIN CRUM, OTTAWA REDBLACKS

The losing streak is finally over! The Redblacks suffered seven straight losses before last week’s big win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and they can point to their quarterback's play as one of the biggest reasons. For the second week in a row, Dustin Crum was the top CFL quarterback, grading out at 92.9 overall. He finished with an 88.9% adjusted completion rate this week, raising his season-long mark to a league-leading 79.9%.

Crum also forced a couple of missed tackles when running the ball, picking up five first downs and a touchdown. He simply does not make many mistakes. Crum has received a negative grade on just 6.2% of his snaps, and his 91.3 overall grade is the highest in the CFL this season thus far.  

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: WR DEJON BRISSETT, TORONTO

While the Argonauts rested much of their rushing attack this past week, their passing game was still going strong, and Brissett led the way. The receiver caught all seven of his catchable targets for 106 yards and two touchdowns. He forced three missed tackles after the catch and averaged 3.93 yards per route run.

This was a big step up for Brissett, who hasn’t put together the strongest season. Prior to this game, he had forced just three missed tackles in his previous 12 games and averaged just 1.53 yards per route run. If he can keep this level of play going into the playoffs, he’ll give the Argonauts yet another option in an already seemingly unstoppable offense. 

OFFENSIVE LINE OF THE WEEK: MONTREAL ALOUETTES

The Alouettes found their way back to being the top offensive line of the week after so much success early this season. The line was getting a good push off the ball in the run game, averaging 3.0 yards before contact per carry. When dropping back to pass, the Alouettes were even better. They allowed zero sacks, zero hits and just four hurries across 32 pass-blocking snaps.

In all, the Montreal offensive line won a ridiculous 96.6% of its individual pass-blocking snaps.

PASS RUSHER OF THE WEEK: EDGE BRYCE CARTER, OTTAWA

Carter has turned it on for the Redblacks as of late, and this was his best game of the season by far. He tallied three sacks and nine total pressures, both of which led the league. His 24.2% pass-rush win rate in the game is a very impressive mark for an edge rusher and a big reason for his earning the highest pass-rush grade of the week (91.1).

Carter is now tied for second in the CFL with 61 total pressures this season. His 8.3 pass-rushing productivity score ranks fifth at the position, showing that he has quietly been one of the best pass rushers in the league.

RUN DEFENDER OF THE WEEK: EDGE CHRISTIAN ALBRIGHT, SASKATCHEWAN

What a CFL debut it was for the interior defender. Albright made three tackles, two of which were defensive stops, and forced a fumble in the run game. He didn’t have any negatively graded plays across 19 run-defense snaps and led the league with a 93.0 run-defense grade. This was his first regular-season CFL game, and it was a marked improvement from his preseason play, where he failed to record any tackles on 10 run-defense snaps.

COVERAGE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: LB WYNTON MCMANIS, TORONTO

It’s not often that a linebacker gets the coverage player award, but this was a no-brainer. McManis allowed two catches for 19 yards while recording a pass breakup on another target. But it was his two interceptions, the first returned for a touchdown and the second coming up just a couple of yards short, that put him over the top. Those plays led to a league-leading 91.9 coverage grade on the week. It’s been a great season for McManis, who is one of the few linebackers in the CFL grading out above average in all three defensive phases.