• QB Vernon Adams eschews typical deep passing for a mid-range game: On passes thrown between 10 and 19 yards downfield, Adams was 8-for-10 (one dropped pass) for 136 yards. That dropped pass would have been a touchdown, too.
• Toronto WR DaVaris Daniels has an explosive day: Five of Daniels' six catches went for either a first down or touchdown, and he caught the one contested target thrown his way. He produced four explosive plays of 15 or more yards en route to a league-leading 3.44 yards per route run.
• LB Adarius Pickett unlocks new pass-rush skill: Going into Week 18, Pickett had tallied just 18 total pass-rush wins and a 63.6 pass-rush grade on 115 snaps. Over the last two weeks, he has 13 pass-rush wins and a 78.6 grade on just 30 snaps.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
We’re down to the wire on the 2023 CFL season. And as teams gear up for the playoffs, now is when the stars really come out to play.
This week’s Team of the Week features a lot of familiar faces, as Reggie Stubblefield, Kristian Matte and Adarius Pickett also made the team last week. Linebacker Cameron Judge and wide receiver Tim White have now made six appearances on this team, and just five players on this week's team are making it for the first time.
Here is the CFL Week 19 Team of the Week, as well as some player awards.
OFFENSE
QB: Vernon Adams Jr., BC
RB: Devonte Williams, Ottawa
Outside WR: Alexander Hollins, BC
Slot WR: DaVaris Daniels, Toronto
Slot WR: Tim White, Hamilton
Slot WR: Justin Hardy, Ottawa
Outside WR: Kiondre Smith, Hamilton
LT: Martez Ivey, Edmonton
LG: Ryan Hunter, Toronto
C: David Beard, Hamilton
RG: Kristian Matte, Montreal
RT: Joshua Coker, Calgary
DEFENSE
DI: Mustafa Johnson, Montreal
DI: Casey Sayles, Hamilton
Edge: Robbie Smith, Toronto
Edge: Folarin Orimolade, Toronto
LB: Cameron Judge, Calgary
LB: Jovan Santos-Knox, Ottawa
Cover LB: Adarius Pickett, Toronto
CB: Nick Marshall, Saskatchewan
CB: Richard Leonard, Hamilton
HB: Ed Gainey, Edmonton
HB: Reggie Stubblefield, Montreal
S: Marloshawn Franklin Jr., Edmonton
SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Sean Whyte, BC
P: Cody Grace, Calgary
Returner: James Letcher Jr., Montreal
QUARTERBACK OF THE WEEK: QB VERNON ADAMS JR., BRITISH COLUMBIA
Adams didn’t make any of his signature big-time throws in this game, but it didn’t matter. Instead, he killed the Hamilton Tiger-Cats with a constant barrage of mid-range throws.
On passes thrown between 10 and 19 yards downfield, Adams finished 8-for-10 for 136 yards and eight first downs, with one of those incompletions coming from a drop on a would-be touchdown.
Adams leads the CFL in the percentage of attempts thrown past the sticks (54.1%) and air yard percentage (66.9%), and that’s a big reason he’s now the league's highest-graded player at 91.5 overall.
He is playing his best football down the stretch, and that could be huge for B.C. heading into the playoffs.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: WR DAVARIS DANIELS, TORONTO
The Argonauts won again on Saturday, and their offense looked fine even with star running back A.J. Ouellette sitting out. They can thank Daniels for a large part of that, as his performance as a receiver was second to none this week.
Five of his six catches went for either a first down or touchdown, and he caught the one contested target he saw. He also produced four explosive plays en route to a league-leading 3.44 yards per route run.
Daniels had been going through a slump in recent weeks, but he’s still a top-level receiver. His 73.1 receiving grade on the year ranks eighth at his position, and he has generated a 122.1 passer rating when targeted, one of the highest marks in the league.
OFFENSIVE LINE OF THE WEEK: MONTREAL ALOUETTES
It was another excellent week for the Alouettes offensive line, which takes home Offensive Line of the Week honors for the second consecutive week. The line blocked well in the running game, opening holes and allowing the running backs to gain a league-high 3.7 yards before contact per attempt.
They were even better in the passing game, allowing just two hurries the entire game. No sacks. No hits. Just those two hurries.
They were led by right guard Kristian Matte and center Justin Lawrence, neither of whom was beaten in pass protection all game. On the year, the Montreal offensive line has a pass-blocking efficiency score of 86.9, the second-highest score in the CFL.
PASS-RUSHER OF THE WEEK: LB ADARIUS PICKETT, TORONTO
Going into Week 18, Pickett had tallied just 18 total pass-rush wins and a 63.6 pass-rush grade on 115 snaps. He must have flipped a switch two weeks ago, as he has 13 pass-rush wins and a 78.6 grade on just 30 snaps over the last two weeks.
Last week was special, as Pickett won 50% of his pass-rush snaps and recorded a hit, five hurries and two additional wins. Pickett has been a great run defender all season long and has shown strength in coverage. If he’s now rushing the passer at a high level, he may be the most impactful defender on this already incredibly strong Argonauts defense.
RUN DEFENDER OF THE WEEK: LB SIMONI LAWRENCE, HAMILTON
The Hamilton run defense held the B.C. Lions to just 36 yards on 11 carries in Week 19, stopping them for a loss or no gain on 27.3% of their attempts.
At the forefront of that was the linebacker Lawrence, who made three defensive stops himself. He didn’t record a single negatively graded play and earned a league-high 81.8 run-defense grade on the day.
Lawrence hasn’t been the strongest run defender all season, but he could be trending in the right direction at the right time going into the playoffs.
COVERAGE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: LB CAMERON JUDGE, CALGARY
Judge was targeted twice as the primary defender in this game. He allowed one catch for a first down but turned the other into a pick-six, which more than made up for that first down. He made five tackles in the passing game and produced a defensive stop.
It’s been quite the season for Judge, who leads the CFL with 15 defensive stops in the passing game and has allowed zero touchdowns and just 11 first downs.
His 90.4 coverage grade on the year currently ranks second among the league's defensive players.
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