CFL quarterbacks have best week since 1995

Photo: Raphael Williams-Claudio/RWC Photography/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

CFL quarterbacks shone brightly in Week 2, so much so that they accomplished a milestone not previously reached since the Chrétien administration.

Chad Kelly, Davis Alexander, Zach Collaros, and Trevor Harris each reached the 400-yard passing mark. Kelly led the way with 445 passing yards with the Toronto Argonauts, followed by Alexander in Montreal (441), Collaros in Winnipeg (421), and Harris in Saskatchewan (417).

Kelly and Alexander had their performances against one another in a 37-30 win for the Alouettes, while Collaros and the Blue Bombers lost 37-27 to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and Trevor Harris led the Roughriders to a 31-27 victory over the B.C. Lions.

As per a league release, this marked the first time four quarterbacks have thrown for 400 or more yards in the same week since 1995.

Back then, Kent Austin (459), Matt Dunigan (437), Danny McManus (409), and Doug Flutie (405) each reached the milestone in Week 6.

Austin’s performance came with the Argonauts in a 20-16 loss to Hamilton, while Dunigan and McManus went head-to-head in a 30-23 win for the Lions over the Birmingham Barracudas. Flutie’s total helped lead the Calgary Stampeders to a 29-15 win over the Baltimore Stallions.

There’s an added wrinkle to this feat, which makes it all the more impressive: Week 6 of the 1995 season had seven games, as the CFL was a 14-team league at the time due to U.S. expansion.

This past week had only three games with the Stampeders, Edmonton Elks, and Ottawa Redblacks on bye. This scheduling quirk was due in part to the FIFA World Cup displacing two teams from their stadiums, leading to a more back-loaded schedule.

It should also be noted that Bo Levi Mitchell and Nathan Rourke, the two quarterbacks that fell short of the 400-yard mark this past week, still had great performances.

Mitchell threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns against Winnipeg, while Rourke threw for 330 yards and scored a rushing touchdown against the Roughriders.

In total, the CFL’s six starters in Week 2 combined for 2,341 yards, 13 touchdowns, and two interceptions.