The 110th Grey Cup is set after the Montreal Alouettes and Winnipeg Blue Bombers achieved victory in the second round of CFL playoff action this past weekend. It was a wild slate of games that included some stellar defensive performances, a boatload of sacks, two packed stadiums, and one shocking upset.
These awards are selected by a panel of 3DownNation contributors and will be presented weekly throughout the 2023 season. Enjoy.
Offensive player of the week: RB Brady Oliveira, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Most of the Most Outstanding Player nominee’s production came on his team’s first drive, though there was little competition for this award this week given the extent to which the offences struggled. Oliveira finished the game with 21 carries for 109 yards and one touchdown and also made a crafty 11-yard catch that extended a drive. With some key players banged up, it’s clear that Oliveira will likely be the focal point of Winnipeg’s offence again in the Grey Cup.
Honourable mention: REC Kenny Lawler, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Defensive player of the week: SAM Reggie Stubblefield, Montreal Alouettes
The rookie defender was all over the field for the Alouettes, recording a game-leading 11 tackles as well as one tackle for loss. Montreal’s defence allowed 381 net yards but limited the Argonauts to only 17 points and scored two touchdowns of their own as Marc-Antoine Dequoy and Kabion Ento recorded pick-sixes. The Alouettes recorded nine takeaways against the Argos and, though they total fell short of a CFL playoff record, it certainly helped Montreal reach their first Grey Cup since 2010.
Honourable mention: DL Willie Jefferson, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Special team player of the week: KR James Letcher Jr., Montreal Alouettes
The rookie speedster returned a kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, helping put the East Final away. The score came immediately after Toronto put together a nine-play, 89-yard touchdown drive, which was capped by a one-yard touchdown plunge from Cameron Dukes. Letcher’s play killed all the momentum the Argonauts had built and increased Montreal’s lead back to 21 points, helping them punch their ticket to the CFL’s championship game.
Honourable mention: DB Nick Hallett, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Breakout player of the week: LB Brian Cole, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The former seventh-round NFL draft pick has been a solid utility player for the Blue Bombers since joining the team partway through last season but was asked to take on a larger role in the defence following an injury to Adam Bighill. The 26-year-old finished the game with three defensive tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, and one special teams tackle, helping Winnipeg dominate the line of scrimmage to clinch a fourth-straight Grey Cup berth.
Honourable mention: DL Lwal Uguak, Montreal Alouettes
Offensive line of the week: Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Brady Oliveira talked about playing “bully ball” against the B.C. Lions and that’s what the offensive line did, at least early in the game. Winnipeg finished the game with 121 rushing yards as the unit of Stanley Bryant, Geoff Gray, Chris Kolankowski, Patrick Neufeld, and Jermarcus Hardrick allowed only two sacks. The offensive line has been one of Winnipeg’s strengths all season and that remained the case come playoff time.
Honourable mention: Toronto Argonauts
Coach of the week: DC Richie Hall, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
B.C.’s offence was virtually unstoppable in the West Semi-Final against Calgary as Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 413 yards and two touchdowns along with seven carries for 54 yards and three touchdowns. Though it’s clear he suffered a knee injury partway through the game, Winnipeg’s defence made the savvy veteran look like a rookie in the West Final as he threw three interceptions and took nine sacks, which tied a CFL playoff record.
Honourable mention: DC Noel Thorpe, Montreal Alouettes
Best play of the week: REC Kenny Lawler, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The 29-year-old made yet another highlight-reel grab along the sideline, this time to sustain a third-quarter drive that should have ended in points, though Sergio Castillo missed a 34-yard field goal attempt. Garry Peters is arguably the best defensive back in the CFL and he spent a large portion of the West Final moving around the field to defend Lawler. Though Peters won some reps, Lawler certainly got the best of him on this one.
https://twitter.com/3DownNation/status/1723515474762485798
Honourable mention: KR James Letcher Jr., Montreal Alouettes
Worst play of the week: QB Chad Kelly, Toronto Argonauts
The Most Outstanding Player nominee threw four interceptions in his first career playoff start but none were worse than this one, which should simply never have been thrown. Marc-Antoine Dequoy read the play like a book and tailed Tommy Nield as the outlet man, though it’s clear Kelly never saw him coming off play action. It was an easy pick for Dequoy, whose elite speed made it easy for him to bring it all the way back for a touchdown.
https://twitter.com/3DownNation/status/1723435468984115541
Honourable mention: QB Chad Kelly, Toronto Argonauts
Best of the week: Montreal Alouettes at Toronto Argonauts
The East Final wasn’t particularly close but it was a highly entertaining game. Virtually every drive for Toronto ended in a touchdown or a turnover, while the Alouettes capitalized on a number of big plays to reach 38 points. Everybody loves an upset and this was a big one as the 16-win Argonauts were favoured by a double-digit spread before losing by 21 points. It wasn’t always pretty, but this game was impossible to turn off.
Honourable mention: N/A
Worst game of the week: B.C. Lions at Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The weather didn’t help but what really hurt this game was injuries. Not only did Dalton Schoen sit out due to an ankle issue but Keon Hatcher, T.J. Lee, and Adam Bighill all suffered what appeared to be major injuries and didn’t return. It was also clear that Vernon Adams Jr.’s knee started to bother him over the course of the game, while Nic Demski wasn’t 100 percent after initially being a game-time decision. Hopefully, Winnipeg and Montreal manage to stay healthy during the Grey Cup.
Honourable mention: N/A
