• BC’s Vernon Adams Jr. has an all-time game at QB: Adams finished with an 84.2% adjusted completion percentage and made three big-time throws while committing zero turnover-worthy plays. On his feet, Adams picked up seven first downs and three touchdowns.
• Montreal OL keeps QB Cody Fajardo clean: They allowed just two sacks, one hit and three hurries for a league-low six total pressures. They were led by right tackle Jamar McGloster, who wasn’t beaten on a single pass-rush snap in the game.
• Nobody can stop BC EDGE Mathieu Betts: He didn’t record a sack, but he tallied a hit and nine hurries in his 33 pass-rush snaps. Those 10 total pressures easily led the league.
Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
With the playoffs underway and just two games this past weekend, the Team of the Week is rightfully dominated by players from the winning teams. The BC Lions had 11 players make the team, while the Montreal Alouettes had 10.
The losing teams provided far fewer players, with Calgary having four and Hamilton with a mere two. It only makes sense that the Player Awards were also dominated by the Lions after their impressive West Division Semi-Finals victory.
OFFENSE
QB: Vernon Adams Jr., BC
RB: James Butler, Hamilton
Outside WR: Keon Hatcher, BC
Slot WR: Jake Harty, Montreal
Slot WR: Reggie Begelton, Calgary
Slot WR: Jevon Cottoy, BC
Outside WR: Austin Mack, Montreal
LT: Nick Callender, Montreal
LG: David Knevel, BC
C: Michael Couture, BC
RG: Ryan Sceviour, Calgary
RT: Jamar McGloster, Montreal
DEFENSE
DI: Woody Baron, BC
DI: Mustafa Johnson, Montreal
Edge: Mathieu Betts, BC
Edge: Shawn Lemon, Montreal
LB: Adarius Taylor, Calgary
LB: Josh Woods, BC
Cover LB: Reggie Stubblefield, Montreal
CB: Garry Peters, BC
CB: Kabion Ento, Montreal
HB: T.J. Lee, BC
HB: Ciante Evans, Montreal
S: Marc-Antoine Dequoy, Montreal
SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Rene Paredes, Calgary
P: Kaare Vedvik, Hamilton
Returner: Terry Williams, BC
QUARTERBACK OF THE WEEK: QB VERNON ADAMS JR., BRITISH COLUMBIA
This was a no-brainer. Vernon Adams Jr. didn’t just have the best game of the weekend; he had one of the best games of the entire season. Adams recorded an 84.2% adjusted completion rate and made three big-time throws while committing zero turnover-worthy plays. On his feet, Adams picked up seven first downs and three touchdowns. In all, he led the CFL this weekend in both passing grade (91.8) and rushing grade (87.8) and finished tied for the highest overall game grade of the season at 94.0 (tied with Week 14 Zach Collaros).
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: WR KEON HATCHER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
With Adams passing the ball around so effectively, it only makes sense that one of his receivers would benefit in a big way. Of course, it was Hatcher, his top receiver all season and one of the best in the league. He caught nine passes for 195 yards, seven of those being explosive receptions. His 4.43 yards per route run average was the highest mark of the week. He would have broken 200 yards, too, if not for a holding penalty taking away a first-down reception. Hatcher’s 83.5 game grade was the second highest among offensive players this week, behind only Adams.
OFFENSIVE LINE OF THE WEEK: MONTREAL ALOUETTES
The Alouettes' offensive line has been one of the best in the league all season, and that was no different this past weekend. The unit excelled in run blocking, where they bulldozed their way to a league-leading 132 yards on designed runs. The Montreal running backs averaged a league-high 2.8 yards before contact per carry. When it came time to pass, the Alouettes kept quarterback Cody Fajardo fairly clean. They allowed just two sacks, one hit and three hurries for a league-low six total pressures. They were led by right tackle Jamar McGloster, who wasn’t beaten on a single pass-rush snap.
PASS-RUSHER OF THE WEEK: EDGE MATHIEU BETTS, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Playoff teams are relying on their impact players to make big plays. The Lions got it on offense, so it only makes sense that their biggest star on defense did the same. Betts has been the best pass-rusher in the CFL all season, and he showed up big time in this game. He didn’t record a sack, but he posted a hit and nine hurries on his 33 pass-rush snaps. Those 10 total pressures easily led the league. His 15.2 pass-rushing productivity score was the highest of any player this past week, and his 21.2% pass-rush win rate trailed only Montreal’s Shawn Lemon.
RUN DEFENDER OF THE WEEK: LB ADARIUS TAYLOR, CALGARY
Calgary may have lost, but they did a great job of bottling up BC’s run game. The Lions gained just 33 yards on 16 designed carries and didn’t force a single missed tackle. A large part of that success was the strong play of Taylor. The linebacker made five total tackles in the run game, with three being solo stops. That was the most among any position, and his 83.8 run-defense grade ranked first among linebackers.
COVERAGE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: CB GARRY PETERS, BRITISH COLUMBIA
There were a few candidates for this award, with players such as Montreal safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy and linebacker Reggie Stubblefield and BC linebacker Josh Woods all having huge games in coverage. But Peters was simply too good to ignore. He played 39 coverage snaps and was targeted just three times. On the first, he made a great read and intercepted the pass. On the second, he ran deep down the middle with the Calgary receiver and broke up a potential touchdown pass. The third was an end-of-the-game Hail Mary that he would have knocked away if not for his teammate intercepting it first. Peters finished with an 89.2 coverage grade, which was the highest among cornerbacks this past weekend.
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