Week 15 of the CFL season is in the books, featuring a dreary blowout, a stunning upset, and an overtime tie that didn’t deserve the extra minutes of screen time.
Below we’ve recognized the best and worst performances of the week from across the country. These awards are selected by 3DownNation’s contributors and will be presented weekly throughout the 2024 season. Enjoy.
Offensive player of the week: REC Steven Dunbar Jr., Hamilton Tiger-Cats
There is something about black and gold that just brings out the best in Dunbar Jr., as he’s returned to form this season after being cast aside by Edmonton. This performance was his finest yet, as he became the focal point for Bo Levi Mitchell in a stunning upset win. The 28-year-old caught all eight passes thrown his way for 151 yards and turned a short slant into a back-breaking 54-yard touchdown at the end of the first half.
Honourable mention: RB Dedrick Mills, Calgary Stampeders
Defensive player of the week: DL Ralph Holley, Toronto Argonauts
Holley might have earned our breakout player award in a week with stiffer competition but we’ll promote him to the main stage this time around. Frankly, you should’ve known his name well before this week, as he’s quietly established himself as one of the league’s elite run-stuffers. That was true again against B.C. but he also showed off his pass-rushing chops to the tune of three sacks, leading the way for a dominant Argos’ front.
Honourable mention: LB Darnell Sankey, Montreal Alouettes
Special teams player of the week: K Lirim Hajrullahu, Toronto Argonauts
Toronto’s offence didn’t exactly blow the doors off of B.C.’s defence, but a reliable kicking game allowed them to put up a blowout scoreline anyway. Hajrullahu nailed all six of his field goal attempts, including a 51-yarder, and added a pair of converts to account for almost two-thirds of his team’s points in Vancouver.
Honourable mention: K Jose Maltos, Montreal Alouettes
Tabbies with the interception 😯#CFLGameDay📷
📺: RDS2 /@CTV
📷: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/nRDdREvS2f— CFL (@CFL) September 14, 2024
Breakout player of the week: DB Destin Talbert, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
It’s rarely a good sign when a defensive back puts up a ton of tackles but Talbert was full-value for his team-leading 10 takedowns against the Redblacks. The rookie out of North Dakota State has hit his stride at boundary halfback since Chris Jones took over the Ticats’ defence and notched his first career interception this week, ending any hope of an Ottawa comeback with a great play on the ball.
Honourable mention: REC Makai Polk, Toronto Argonauts
Offensive line of the week: Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Ticats’ starting five of Brendan Bordner, Brandon Revenberg, David Beard, Coulter Woodmansey, and Jordan Murray did their job by keeping Bo Levi Mitchell upright, holding a tough Ottawa front sackless. They also had success on the ground, as Greg Bell averaged 6.6 yards per carry en route to a 99-yard outing. Even sixth-man Nathaniel Dumoulin-Duguay made an impact, drawing a pass interference penalty on a short-yardage trick play to generate a fresh set of downs.
Honourable mention: Calgary Stampeders
Coach of the week: Co-DCs Kevin Eiben/William Fields, Toronto Argonauts
This is the first shared award in the history of this category but Toronto’s defensive coordinators will have to share credit like they share a job title. The unusual arrangement didn’t prevent them from cooking up an incredible game plan against B.C., holding a pair of elite quarterbacks in Nathan Rourke and Vernon Adams Jr. to less than 200 yards passing combined. The Argos racked up an impressive seven sacks to make that happen and also limited the league’s leading rusher, William Stanback, to just 21 yards.
Honourable mention: DC Chris Jones, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Lawrence Woods III goes 83 yards to the house 🚨#CFLGameDay📷
📺: RDS2 / @CTV
📷: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/1ftWOtWt5p— CFL (@CFL) September 14, 2024
Best play of the week: KR Lawrence Woods III, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
After losing his job as the Ticats’ top returner back in Week 4, Woods returned to lineup this week and made a statement as to why he deserves to stick around. With this year’s Hall of Fame class watching, he fielded a punt late in the first quarter, spun out of a tackle attempt from rookie Dawson Pierre and raced 83 yards to pay dirt. It was his first return touchdown since 2022 and gave Hamilton a lead they would never relinquish.
Honourable mention: Makai Polk’s 52-yard catch-and-run
Worst play of the week: HC Rick Campbell, B.C. Lions
The B.C. Lions got off to a painfully slow offensive start but appeared to be turning things around in the second quarter, as Nathan Rourke completed five-of-seven passes in that frame for 105 yards and rushed for a touchdown on their final offensive play. Instead of riding that momentum, Campbell benched his star Canadian quarterback under the guise of finding a spark — which had already been generated. Vernon Adams Jr. fumbled an exchange on the first play of the second half and finished four-of-seven for 75 yards and an interception before being pulled in favour of third-stringer Chase Brice. The ill-timed coaching decision may have cost the Lions the game and has left the organization embroiled in a quarterback controversy entering the bye week.
Honourable mention: Tommy Stevens’ goal-line fumble
Best game of the week: Ottawa Redblacks at Hamilton Tiger-Cats
No part of last week’s three-game slate deserved to be called the best, but at least this spicy upset in Steeltown resulted in 58 combined points. Both offences exceeded 400 net yards, the defences combined for seven turnovers, and there was an electric return touchdown to get all three phases involved. While the Ticats won by two scores, a late surge courtesy of Jeremiah Masoli put the result in question for at least a few minutes.
Honourable mention: Montreal Alouettes at Calgary Stampeders
Worst game of the week: Toronto Argonauts at B.C. Lions
Despite being bursting at the seams with storylines, this game verged on unwatchable as neither offence seemed interested in scoring touchdowns outside of the final three minutes of either half. The Lions had not one, but two star quarterbacks flounder in the face of immense pressure, while Chad Kelly — arguably the most hated player in the league — emerged victorious with an uncharacteristically conservative game plan. Unless you bet the over on field goals and sacks, you probably regretted watching this game through.
Honourable mention: Montreal Alouettes at Calgary Stampeders
