- Edmonton RB Justin Rankin runs wild: The Elks’ rusher picked up a season-high 204 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, thanks to six missed tackles forced and 178 yards after first contact.
- Another weekly award for edge rusher Malik Carney: The Saskatchewan edge rusher has earned his second straight Run Defender of the Week award after making six tackles and three solo stops against the run.
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With the season entering its final third, teams are beginning to separate from the pack. The Saskatchewan Roughriders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats both secured key wins this week, opening up two-game leads in their respective divisions. As always, we’re spotlighting the league’s best individual performances in our latest Team of the Week.
Unsurprisingly, Saskatchewan and Hamilton each placed five players on the team, leading all clubs. The bigger surprise? The Winnipeg Blue Bombers, despite a tough loss to the Roughriders, still managed to land four selections.
OFFENSE
- QB: Cody Fajardo, Edmonton
- RB: Justin Rankin, Edmonton
- Receiver: Justin McInnis, B.C.
- Receiver: Nic Demski, Winnipeg
- Receiver: Pokey Wilson, Winnipeg
- Receiver: KeeSean Johnson, Saskatchewan
- Receiver: Erik Brooks, Calgary
- LT: Nick Callender, Montreal
- LG: Zack Fry, Saskatchewan
- C: Cyrille Hogan-Saindon, Montreal
- RG: Liam Dobson, Hamilton
- RT: Jermarcus Hardrick, Saskatchewan
DEFENSE
- DI: Jordan Williams, Edmonton
- DI: Jake Thomas, Winnipeg
- Edge: Julian Howsare, Hamilton
- Edge: Malik Carney, Saskatchewan
- LB: Jovan Santos-Knox, Ottawa
- LB: Lucas Cormier, Ottawa
- Cover LB: Reggie Stubblefield, Hamilton
- CB: Jonathan Moxey, Hamilton
- CB: Kabion Ento, Montreal
- HB: DaShaun Amos, Hamilton
- HB: DaMarcus Fields, Saskatchewan
- S: Redha Kramdi, Winnipeg
SPECIAL TEAMS
- K: Vincent Blanchard, Edmonton
- P: Mark Vassett, Calgary
- Returner: Seven McGee, B.C.
QUARTERBACK OF THE WEEK: QB CODY FAJARDO, EDMONTON
Fajardo’s box score—16-of-21 for 153 yards and a touchdown—may not jump off the page, but it doesn’t reflect how well he played. The veteran quarterback was sharp and decisive, dissecting Calgary’s defense with precision. He led all quarterbacks with a 75.0% accuracy rate, posted a league-best 88.2 passing grade and avoided any turnover-worthy plays.
More than half of his passes were thrown beyond the sticks, with an average depth of target of 10.4 yards. Despite limited help after the catch—he posted a 97.4% air yards percentage—Fajardo remained efficient. He also added 31 rushing yards and a forced missed tackle on the ground, finishing with the top overall grade of the week at 86.7.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: RB JUSTIN RANKIN, EDMONTON
When a running back racks up over 200 yards, it’s usually enough to earn weekly honors—and Justin Rankin left no doubt. The Elks’ back exploded for 204 yards on just 16 carries, scoring twice, including a 90-yard sprint and a 31-yard touchdown that featured multiple forced missed tackles.
What makes Rankin’s performance even more impressive is how much of that yardage he created on his own. He averaged just 1.6 yards before first contact, frequently meeting defenders in the backfield. His six missed tackles forced led all rushers, and his 178 yards after contact are the most by any back this season. He finished with a 94.3 rushing grade—tops in the league for the week.
OFFENSIVE LINE OF THE WEEK: SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
The Roughriders’ offensive line has been one of the league’s most consistent units this season, and they delivered again last weekend. Saskatchewan earned a league-best 75.9 overall grade up front, thanks to strong play in both the run and pass game. They led all teams with a 77.9 run-blocking grade and allowed just four pressures, finishing with the second-highest pass-blocking efficiency score of the week (93.9).
Right tackle Jermarcus Hardrick—an early favorite for Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman—anchored the unit once again. He posted a 73.1 run-blocking grade (sixth-best) and was beaten only once across 33 pass-blocking snaps.
PASS RUSHER OF THE WEEK: ED JULIAN HOWSARE, HAMILTON
Howsare was a one-man wrecking crew for Hamilton in Week 14, constantly disrupting Montreal’s offense and making life difficult for quarterback James Morgan. He racked up two sacks, five hurries and three additional pass-rush wins, finishing with a 30.0% win rate — second-best of the week — and a league-leading 15.0 pass-rushing productivity score.
His biggest play came late: a strip sack that sealed the win and shut down any hopes of a Montreal comeback. Howsare earned a 91.5 pass-rushing grade, the highest of the week. He now ranks second on the season with an 89.3 pass-rushing grade and 45 total pressures.
RUN DEFENDER OF THE WEEK: ED MALIK CARNEY, SASKATCHEWAN
For the second straight week, Malik Carney takes home top run defender honors. The Saskatchewan standout played a key role in limiting 2023 Most Outstanding Player Brady Oliveira to just 83 yards on 20 carries. Carney tallied six total tackles against the run—second-most of any defender—and added three solo stops, also tied for second.
Most impressively, Carney didn’t log a single negatively graded snap across his 20 run-defense reps. He finished with an 83.4 run-defense grade on the week. Paired with his elite pass-rushing ability, Carney now ranks as the CFL’s second-highest graded defender this season with a 90.3 overall mark.
COVERAGE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: HB DASHAUN AMOS, HAMILTON
It was a standout showing from the Tiger-Cats secondary, holding the Alouettes to just 146 passing yards—and Amos was a key piece of that effort. The veteran halfback played 31 snaps in coverage and was targeted only twice, allowing just one catch for 4 yards. He broke up a deep post on the other target.
Amos finished with an 81.7 coverage grade, the second-highest among all defenders last week. It marked his highest-graded game of the season and the fourth time he’s allowed one or fewer receptions in a game.
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