Stats and storylines heading into this week’s action
THE WEEK THAT WAS
- 2024 vs. 2023
- Points per game: 51.8 vs. 43.5
- Yards per carry: 4.4 vs. 5.3
- Net yards: 700 vs. 602
- Offensive TDs: 20 vs. 13
- Four QBs registered 300+ passing yard games, but they went 1-3.
- Toronto (14) and Saskatchewan (13) overcame double-digit deficits to claim victory. During the 2023 season, 1-in-5 games involved a double-digit comeback.
- Each club registered at least one sack; Toronto had six.
- 3-of-4 games decided in the final three minutes.
- The four teams that led after the first quarter won the game, but three of them also trailed at some point during the contest.
STRONG STARTS UNDER CENTRE
(W1: 2024 vs. 2023)
- TD passes: 15 vs. 9
- Interceptions: 7 vs. 11
- TD-to-INT ratio: 2.1 vs. 0.8
- Passer rating: 108.0 vs. 77.4
- Completion percentage: 73.4 vs. 61.0
- Passing yards: 2,285 vs. 1,838
ALS FLYING HIGH
- Montreal has won six straight regular season games, dating back to the final five matches of 2023; it is the team’s longest streak since 2014. A seventh win this week would be their longest run since 2006.
- The stats behind this stretch:
- Yards allowed per game: 294
- Sacks: 22
- Turnovers forced: 23
- Turnover ratio: +18
- QB completion rate: 77 per cent
- Points per game: 28.8
- Points allowed per game: 13.7
QUICK SLANTS
WPG at OTT
- Winnipeg has not started 0-2 since 2016
- Zach Collaros is a career 4-4 vs. Ottawa
- Dalton Schoen needs for four receptions to reach 150 in his career. He has registered at least one catch in every game he’s played.
- Ottawa is 5-3-1 in season openers.
- The REDBLACKS are coming off a bye. In 2023, teams coming off a week’s rest were 14-6.
- After three seasons with the Bombers, QB Dru Brown will be making his first start against his former team. Since 1960, among all QBs with 150+ passes, Brown ranks first with one touchdown every 10.9 attempted passes. Collaros has one every 18.4 attempts.
- Brown’s career TD-to-INT ratio is 14:2.
- Dominique Rhymes rejoins Ottawa after having played with the team from 2017-19, registering 1,578 yards on 102 catches over that span.
- These two teams last met in Week 6 when Ottawa overcame a 25-6 deficit for a 31-28 overtime victory; it was the seventh largest fourth quarter turnaround in CFL history.
MTL at EDM
- Montreal has won four of the past five meetings with Edmonton. Before that, Edmonton had won 11-in-a-row.
- Cody Fajardo is a career 6-1 vs. Edmonton.
- Tyson Philpot led all receivers with 141 yards last week – his second career game eclipsing 100 yards.
- Montreal LB Frédéric Chagnon and Edmonton OL David Foucault played in their 100th CFL games last week.
- McLeod Bethel-Thompson is a career 3-4 against Montreal. He passed for 300+ yards and two touchdowns last week; it was the first time an Elk had accomplished the feat since Taylor Cornelius in 2021.
CGY at BC
- Last week, Calgary became the first CFL team to reach 700 victories.
- In their last nine meetings at BC Place, the Stampeders are 8-1.
- Jake Maier is making his 29th straight start – the most by a Calgary QB since Henry Burris’s 69 from 2008-11.
- Last week, René Paredes registered his fifth career 6-for-6 showing on field goals.
- BC Has not started 0-2 since 2019.
- Last week, BC scored four offensive touchdowns, but they also committed five turnovers.
- Vernon Adams Jr. led all quarterbacks in Week 1 with 363 passing yards. He made 11 20+ yard attempts, completing five, for 150 yards and two touchdowns.
SSK at HAM
- Saskatchewan’s Corey Mace won his head coaching debut last week. No Roughriders head coach has won his first two games since Corey Chamblin started 3-0 in 2012.
- Trevor Harris (30,189) eclipsed the 30,000 passing yard milestone last week, and he now sits 19th all-time. Next up are Tom Burgess (30,308) and Sam Etcheverry (30,381).
- Last week, Shawn Bane Jr. tied a team record with three touchdown receptions in one game.
- Hamilton is in search of its fourth straight home win vs. Saskatchewan. The streak dates back to July 19, 2018.
- Bo Levi Mitchell is a career 12-4 vs. Saskatchewan. He only has more victories vs. Edmonton (15). Last week, he established a new personal best with 36 rushing yards.
- James Butler (119) was the only RB to reach 100 yards last week. It was his ninth game reaching the milestone.
