Week 6 of the 2025 CFL regular season has come to an end, which means we’re getting back to normal with a four-game slate in Week 7. The upcoming week will feature four key divisional matchups, but first let’s look back at the standout performers, plays, and games from the week that was.
These awards are selected by 3DownNation’s contributors and will be presented weekly throughout the 2025 season. Enjoy.
Offensive player of the week: RB James Butler, B.C. Lions
The Butler did it — and he did it with the football in the stadium. B.C.’s workhorse recorded 30 carries for 172 yards, three catches for 35 yards, and scored one touchdown in his team’s dismantling of the Elks on Sunday night. The performance not only set a new single-game career-high rushing total for Butler, but also moved him almost 100 yards into the lead of the CFL’s rushing race.
Honourable mention: QB Vernon Adams Jr., Calgary Stampeders
Defensive player of the week: DL Jaylon Hutchings, Calgary Stampeders
The second-year defender out of Texas Tech University was a game-wrecker along Calgary’s interior. His stat line wasn’t eye-popping — Hutchings recorded three tackles and one sack — but he consistently collapsed the pocket and took rushing lanes away from A.J. Ouellette, who managed only nine yards on six carries. The Stampeders moved atop our power rankings this week and the play of Hutchings was part of the reason why.
Honourable mention: DB Jamal Peters, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Special teams player of the week: P Cody Grace, Edmonton Elks
There was very little that went well for Edmonton this week but Grace was a standout, punting six times for a net average of 42.5 yards. It’s not optimal when your best player is your punter, but this the CFL, after all — field position matters a lot and special teams are a true third phase of the game.
Honourable mention: P Joe Couch, Saskatchewan Roughriders
Breakout player of the week: REC Damien Alford, Calgary Stampeders
The first overall pick in this year’s CFL draft made a huge impact in his first career start, catching six passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns to help the Stampeders paste the Riders at Mosaic Stadium. The six-foot-six, 224-pound native of Montreal, Que. now has three touchdowns over four career games and is Calgary’s third-leading receiver. Not bad for a rookie.
Honourable mention: REC Joe Robustelli, Saskatchewan Roughriders
Offensive line of the week: Calgary Stampeders
The unit of D’Antne Demery, Zack Williams, Christopher Fortin, Christy Nkanu, and Joshua Coker has been a runner-up for this award twice but earned it for the first time this season against a tough Saskatchewan defensive front in Week 6. Dedrick Mills, Quincy Vaughn, Ludovick Choquette, and Vernon Adams Jr. combined for 133 rushing yards, while Adams Jr. was sacks only once.
Honourable mention: B.C. Lions
Coach of the week: DC Mike Benevides, B.C. Lions
B.C.’s defence was nothing short of dominant this past week, limiting Edmonton to only 160 yards of net offence — less than half the single-game CFL average — and a measly 17:06 in time of possession. Veteran cornerback Garry Peters led the way with five defensive tackles, one forced fumble, and one interception, while Mathieu Betts recorded his third sack of the season.
Honourable mention: DC Bob Slowik, Calgary Stampeders
Best play of the week: REC Kenny Lawler, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The 31-year-old did it again this week, making an unbelievably acrobatic catch for a touchdown. Lawler reeled in this 44-yard score from Bo Levi Mitchell early in the second half despite good coverage from Ottawa cornerback C.J. Coldon as he dove backward, high-pointed the pass perfectly, and survived two backwards somersaults with the ball still in his hands. If the season ended today, Lawler would be a shoo-in to win M.O.P.
Honourable mention: REC Justin Hardy, Ottawa Redblacks
Worst play of the week: QB Vernon Adams Jr., Calgary Stampeders
The veteran passer had a great performance overall but this play was, well, really bad. Coming off play-action and with time to throw, Adams Jr. floated the ball up for Tevin Jones, who was blanketed by linebacker Jameer Thurman and surrounded by two other defenders. The shallow defender, A.J. Allen, was able to jump and intercept the ball, though there’s no way this pass would have been completed even had he not been there at all.
Honourable mention: KR Kalil Pimpleton, Ottawa Redblacks
Best game of the week: Ottawa Redblacks at Hamilton Tiger-Cats
This wasn’t an amazing football game — the extreme heat may have slowed the action down a bit — but it featured a desperate Ottawa team, a rising Hamilton team, a solid crowd, and came right down to the end as the Tiger-Cats took two possessions to score a game-winning touchdown in the final five minutes. Two highlight-reel catches — one from Lawler and one from Hardy — added to the entertainment value.
Honourable mention: Calgary Stampeders at Saskatchewan Roughriders (Saturday)
Worst game of the week: Calgary Stampeders at Saskatchewan Roughriders (Friday)
Are we cheating with this pick? Admittedly, yes — after all, this game wasn’t actually played. Regardless, this feels like the correct selection. Though the Riders did a good job of providing alternate entertainment and handling this game’s eventual postponement, sitting around in a smoky stadium for almost four hours without any football isn’t anyone’s idea of an ideal Friday night. Hopefully, we don’t see another smoke delay like this for a long time.
Honourable mention: B.C. Lions at Edmonton Elks
