• Throwback game from QB Zach Collaros: His adjusted completion rate of 87.5% led the CFL this week, and he averaged an impressive 11.5 yards per attempt.
• Toronto gets a big performance from DI Jake Ceresna: His 9.2 pass-rushing productivity score ranked second in the league last weekend, and his 84.8 pass-rushing grade led all players.
• Winnipeg HB Evan Holm comes up big time and time again: He forced a league-high four incompletions and also had three tackles in the pass game.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
After 23 weeks of CFL football, we’re finally here. The Grey Cup will see the Toronto Argonauts take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, a rematch of the 2022 title game. Both teams were propelled to this game thanks to some impressive individual performances, which will be highlighted on this week’s “Team of the Week.”
It was Winnipeg that led the way this week, with 11 players from its team making it to the Team of the Week. The Argonauts, predictably, had the second-most players with eight, while the Montreal Alouettes and Saskatchewan Roughriders each had four players make the team in losing efforts.
OFFENSE
QB: Zach Collaros, Winnipeg
RB: Brady Oliveira, Winnipeg
Receiver: Kenny Lawler, Winnipeg
Receiver: Damonte Coxie, Toronto
Receiver: Kian Schaffer-Baker, Saskatchewan
Receiver: Nic Demski, Winnipeg
Receiver: Makai Polk, Toronto
LT: Nick Callender, Montreal
LG: Liam Dobson, Winnipeg
C: Justin Lawrence, Montreal
RG: Patrick Neufeld, Winnipeg
RT: Dejon Allen, Toronto
DEFENSE
DI: Jake Ceresna, Toronto
DI: Lwal Uguak, Montreal
Edge: Malik Carney, Saskatchewan
Edge: Willie Jefferson, Winnipeg
LB: Wynton McManis, Toronto
LB: Geoffrey Cantin-Arku, Montreal
Cover LB: Michael Griffin II, Winnipeg
CB: Tarvarus McFadden, Toronto
CB: Terrell Bonds, Winnipeg
HB: Evan Holm, Winnipeg
HB: DaMarcus Fields, Saskatchewan
S: Royce Metchie, Toronto
SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Brett Lauther, Saskatchewan
P: Jamieson Sheahan, Winnipeg
Returner: Janarion Grant, Toronto
QUARTERBACK OF THE WEEK: QB ZACH COLLAROS, WINNIPEG
It hasn’t been a great season for Collaros, who ranked average or below in almost all passing categories in the regular season. That’s exactly why his performance last week was all the more impressive. This was vintage, Grey Cup-winning Collaros, as he led the Blue Bombers back to the big game for the fifth straight season. Collaros made three big-time throws and had zero turnover worthy plays. His adjusted completion rate of 87.5% led the CFL this week, and he averaged an impressive 11.5 yards per attempt. It’s no surprise that Collaros led all players across the league last week with a 91.8 overall grade.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: WR KENNY LAWLER, WINNIPEG
While Saskatchewan WR Kian Schaffer-Baker deserves some love for his 12-catch, 162-yard performance in a losing effort, it’s impossible to overlook what Lawler did. The Winnipeg receiver caught only four passes, but those four catches were: a 65-yarder, a 24-yard touchdown, a 31-yard touchdown and a 57-yard touchdown. That’s four catches for 177 yards, with all explosive receptions and three of them for touchdowns. It should not be a shock that Lawler led all receivers last week with an 87.2 overall grade.
OFFENSIVE LINE OF THE WEEK: WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
With the way the Winnipeg offence performed, it’s no surprise that its offensive line earned this week’s honour as the top unit in the league. The Blue Bombers dropped back to pass 28 times and didn’t allow a single sack. They permitted just three total pressures and led the league with a 94.6 pass-blocking efficiency score. The Blue Bombers consistently opened up holes for a rushing attack that gained 182 yards and nine first downs. LG Liam Dobson led the way for Winnipeg, surrendering zero pressures and finishing with a league-high 80.0 run-blocking grade as well.
PASS RUSHER OF THE WEEK: DI JAKE CERESNA, TORONTO
Toronto needed to find success rushing the passer in order to beat Montreal last weekend, and Ceresna wreaked havoc. The interior defender finished with three sacks and a hit, as well as three additional pass-rush wins. His 9.2 pass-rushing productivity score ranked second in the league last weekend, and his 84.8 pass-rushing grade led all players.
RUN DEFENDER OF THE WEEK: DI DYLAN WYNN, MONTREAL
While Montreal was not able to come out on top in its matchup with Toronto, the Alouettes put up quite a fight. One player emblematic of that effort was Wynn in his efforts to stop the run. Wynn made five tackles in the run game, with four of them constituting defensive stops. The average depth of his tackles was 1.8 yards, which is impressive considering Toronto averaged 7.1 yards per carry. Wynn led all defenders last week with an 83.0 run defence grade.
COVERAGE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: HB EVAN HOLM, WINNIPEG
Evan Holm didn’t have quite as good a year as he did in 2023, but he was as stingy as ever in last week’s win. Holm was targeted six times in coverage, and while he did surrender a 37-yard completion, that was the only catch he allowed all game. He forced a league-high four incompletions and also had three tackles in the pass game. Holm led all defenders this past weekend with a 78.6 coverage grade.
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