• Toronto backup QB Nick Arbuckle is QB of the Week: Arbuckle had an adjusted completion rate of 84.9% and didn’t commit a single turnover-worthy play all game. He also made three big-time throws.
• Montreal’s offensive line turns in a dominant performance: On 33 dropbacks, not a single Alouettes offensive lineman allowed even one pressure.
• Edmonton RB Javon Leake caps impressive season with a huge game: No running back with 100-plus carries this season averaged more than Leake’s 6.3 yards per carry mark.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
The CFL regular season is over, and the final week saw multiple exciting games. From a walk-off rouge victory to gale-force winds gifting the Winnipeg Blue Bombers a victory out of nowhere, the week didn’t disappoint. There were plenty of impressive individual performances, and, as always, we’ll highlight them all in the “Team of the Week.”
The Edmonton Elks led the way with six players each making it to this week’s team, while the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Winnipeg Blue Bombers tied for second with five players each. Calgary Stampeders FS Bentlee Sanders and Ottawa WR Kalil Pimpleton were their respective teams’ lone representatives.
OFFENSE
QB: Nick Arbuckle, Toronto
RB: Javon Leake, Edmonton
Receiver: Makai Polk, Toronto
Receiver: Tyler Snead, Montreal
Receiver: Steven Dunbar Jr., Hamilton
Receiver: Nic Demski, Winnipeg
Receiver: Kalil Pimpleton, Ottawa
LT: Hunter Steward, Edmonton
LG: Pier-Olivier Lestage, Montreal
C: Justin Lawrence, Montreal
RG: Coulter Woodmansey, Hamilton
RT: Brett Boyko, Edmonton
DEFENSE
DI: Dewayne Hendrix, Hamilton
DI: J-Min Pelley, Edmonton
Edge: Jordan Domineck, Montreal
Edge: TyJuan Garbutt, Winnipeg
LB: Tony Jones, Winnipeg
LB: Ray Wilborn, Hamilton
Cover LB: C.J. Reavis, Saskatchewan
CB: Marcus Sayles, Saskatchewan
CB: Tyrell Ford, Winnipeg
HB: Kordell Jackson, Edmonton
HB: Kenneth George Jr., Toronto
S: Bentlee Sanders, Calgary
SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Sergio Castillo, Winnipeg
P: Jake Julien, Edmonton
Returner: Isaiah Wooden, Hamilton
QUARTERBACK OF THE WEEK: QB NICK ARBUCKLE, TORONTO
With Toronto having its playoff position locked in place, the Argonauts gave starter Chad Kelly a rest and opted to allow Arbuckle a shot. He made the most of his opportunity, posting a league-high 91.1 PFF passing grade. Arbuckle had an adjusted completion rate of 84.9% and didn’t commit a single turnover-worthy play all game. He also made three big-time throws. He threw for nearly 400 yards and could’ve reached the mark if his receivers hadn’t dropped four passes. Arbuckle proved that he can be a capable backup and should be able to step in if anything happens to starter Kelly during the playoffs.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: RB JAVON LEAKE, EDMONTON
Prior to this season, Javon Leake was a kick returner who occasionally received a rushing attempt every few games. With Edmonton, he became a change-of-pace back and shattered his rushing career highs. He capped off the season with a ridiculous 128-yard game on just eight carries. Most impressively, he gained 124 of those yards after first contact thanks to a few broken tackles. No running back with 100-plus carries this season averaged more than Leake’s 6.3 yards per carry mark. Leake proved that he can be a viable rushing threat on top of his already world-class return skills.
OFFENSIVE LINE OF THE WEEK: MONTREAL ALOUETTES
The league’s most consistent offensive line finished the regular season on a high note. The Alouettes’ offensive line as a whole had one of the most impressive team performances of the season in their final-play loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Alouettes blocked well in the run game, helping their rushing attack break the 100-yard mark. But they were even more impressive in the pass game. On 33 dropbacks, not a single Alouettes offensive lineman allowed even one pressure. They kept their quarterbacks completely clean all game, and that earned them the top spot for offensive lines this week.
PASS RUSHER OF THE WEEK: EDGE JULIAN HOWSARE, CALGARY
While it wasn’t a banner year for Howsare this season, the edge rusher finished on a high note. Howsare compiled a sack, a hit and four quarterback hurries. He also had two additional pass-rush wins. All in all, he finished as the leader in pass-rush win rate (23.1%), pressure percentage (23.1%) and pass-rushing productivity score (13.5) this week. Howsare ends the season with 42 total pressures, tied for 13th-most in the CFL.
RUN DEFENDER OF THE WEEK: LB TONY JONES, WINNIPEG
While Winnipeg wasn’t able to completely stop the Montreal rushing attack, Tony Jones certainly did all he could. The Bombers linebacker finished the day with six solo tackles and two assists against the run. He tallied three solo stops and didn’t have a single negatively-graded run defence play. As such, he led the CFL with an 89.4 run defence grade. It’s been a heck of a season stopping the run for Jones, who finishes with the second-highest run defence grade among linebackers at 83.8.
COVERAGE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: HB KENNETH GEORGE JR., TORONTO
George spent the better part of this season playing for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats until they cut him in late August. He was signed by the Argos a week later and played only sparingly. Until this week, that is — when he got a chance to start. George played an excellent game in coverage. He was targeted just twice and didn’t allow either of those passes to be caught. In fact, he broke both of them up himself for his first multi-forced incompletion game since Week 6 of 2023. George also recorded a solo stop on a screen pass in this game.
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